First Winter is a chilling 80’s Cold War themed first person horror game that explores how human error, subterfuge, breakdown of communication and a reluctance to appear weak can lead to an all-out nuclear war.
A sequel/expansion of the excellent Pacific, First Winter is a nerve-wracking first person horror game full of shifting walls, mysterious tapes and ghosts of dead soldiers. The majority of it takes place on a nuclear submarine which may be the spark that starts a nuclear war between America and the Soviet Union and it has a nightmarish dream-like quality, with doors leading to unexpected places and rooms changing while your back is turned.
Taking around 30-45 minutes to play through, it’s a very tense and unsettling experience which feels like you’re an observer who is walking through events that have already happened, with no way to change them (though there is a second ending which refutes this). There’s a feeling of inevitability to it all as the simple act of a Soviet sub straying off course and getting a little too close to LA causes an international incident where neither side wants to stand down (and there may be some who want things to escalate).
It’s a fantastic game with an excellent retro low rez visual style, an authentic 80’s atmosphere, some very creepy moments, clever map design and a thought provoking narrative. We always think that nuclear armageddon could never happen, but First Winter shows the chilling reality that it only takes a few pieces to fall in place. Thank god global leaders are so much less likely to overreact these days… oh wait…
Note: If you fancy stopping a nuclear winter, you may also be interested in a little game called Soviet Sub Takeover
Controls: WASD – Movement, Mouse – Look, E – Interaction,
Available On: Windows
Gameplay Video: Here