Seven: The Days Long Gone Review

Before I begin I have to state about how torn I am about this game, there are incredibly well polished mechanics that when used together can create incredible moments. On the flip side, there are so many mechanics and tools for the player to use that it can become convoluted and irritating. My time playing had me swinging between frustration and extreme enjoyment.

Seven: The Days Long Gone combine the features of a top-down RPG with stealth elements and a unique climbing mechanic that allows the player to scramble up structures and free run across the terrain. Stepping into the shoes of Teriel, an old grizzled thief with a voice like sandpaper, I set out to explore the prison island of Peh and what dark secrets it harbours.

The game begins with Teriel and his companion from the thieves guild attempting a heist on a well guarded mansion. The thieves guild had explicitly told no one to attempt this heist, however the notorious rebel Teriel views this as a challenge and a chance for a big score. Things take a turn for the worst as the prize the experienced thief was after, instead of holding riches, housed a Daemon which now possesses him. The treasure was a ploy to lure someone with the skills required to complete a mission on the island of Peh. With a Daemon in his head watching his every move, Teriel must complete this mission in order to win back his freedom.

There is a heavy emphasis on stealth and the game offers a wide variety of mechanics that compliment this. Players may choose to stick to the shadows, avoiding cameras and hiding in bushes or piles of garbage. The more brazen of players might defeat a guard and steal their uniform and simply waltz into a restricted area. While this will draw the attention of nearby guards, a small circular indicator at their feet demonstrates their alertness. If the player is quick enough and moves out of sight, they can practically go anywhere unchallenged. One of the more unique features in Seven is the ability to free run and climb nearly everything, which opens up a multitude of paths and ways to approach a situation. The open world environment has been designed with multiple tiers in mind, with there always being an alternative route, be it through a open window, locked door or through the skylight.

It is worth noting that everything in Seven is done in real time, some actions will freeze time but only while the player is inactive. Picklocking will freeze time but only while the player is inactive, moving the lockpick will engage real time. This means players need to have a good awareness of their surroundings and enemies movements. Utilising Sense Mode helps with this, as it allows players to freely move the camera from Teriel and view hostile targets and cameras, even highlighting the enemies difficulty when hovering over them. My only complaint with this mechanic is that the camera's rotation becomes locked which makes it difficult to get a good view of everything. Often I would have to exit Sense Mode, the camera would snap back to Teriel, I would then have to reposition the camera and enter Sense Mode again.

Teriel is capable fighter and a master of various weapon types, this means taking a full frontal approach rather than sneaking is possible but in most cases ill-advised. Melee weapons have two attacks, a normal combo and a special. Larger weapons, such as the Axe, will have Teriel leap forward and perform a heavy swing that deals large damage. Smaller weapons such as the swords and daggers can parry enemy attacks or perform a quick kick that will stun enemies. The combat can be quite punishing for those who are not prepared. Enemies will often call for help or bystanders will run in panic and alert nearby guards which often results in the player becoming overwhelmed by sheer numbers. When Teriel takes damage, he staggers, which can make taking on groups larger than three extremely difficult. During my playthrough I would often have to flee an area or utilise the terrain to force enemies to fall off ledges. The difference between fighting a single enemy and multiple is night and day; I found that I could easily exploit the recoil of an enemy by shooting them with a ranged weapon, and by the time the enemy had recovered I would be able to fire another round and essentially stun lock them.

I found myself becoming extremely frustrated with the enemies alertness, as the game does not allow for a single mistake. A brief glimpse from an enemy in a restricted area is enough for them to immediately become hostile. The sight of enemies can be temperamental, sometimes I was spotted while sneaking through the rafters of buildings, other times I can be perched on a pipe directly above them and they will not notice me. Enemies vision is visualised with a cone in front of them but it can only be seen while in Teriel’s sense mode. Attempting to re-enter stealth is near impossible, once a single guard is alerted it is almost certain every other hostile in the area will come and dog-pile on poor Teriel. If I was able to lose sight of enemies they would actively search any and all hiding places, and while it is a nice mechanic to see, combine this with the difficulty of the game it encourages the mentality of finding flaws within the AI to exploit rather than enjoying any actual stealth gameplay. Flaws such as the recoil exploit and luring enemies into using a charged attack that will send them over a ledge.

There are several abilities and items available to even the odds in combat. A well placed trap or a poison dart can quickly incapacitate an enemy. During my play sessions I found the easiest method to engage a fight is from stealth, in doing so Teriel will perform a takedown attack that will deal a large amount of damage, often killing the foe. A nice feature is that a takedown with no weapon equipped will be non lethal, knocking the foe out for a short duration.

Guards and bandits aren't the only hostile enemies to deal with in Seven. There are horrendous beasts and monsters that range from giant spiders to swamp creatures that excel in dealing status effects and stunning the player. These creatures can be looted for resources that can be used at crafting stations. Loot is easy enough to come by, and I was able to make myself overpowered very early on as I managed to single out a guard and exploit the recoil effect to trap the him in a corner and pummel him until he died. I then took his power armour and weapons.

The game does not hold the players hand, it can be a little daunting in the beginning to make sense of and understand all of the tools that are available to the player. Seven: The Days Long Gone is a game that requires a lot of patience. I found myself having to quickload far more often than I would have to in other RPG’s. Even travelling to a location can be laborious, as there are so many tiers of terrain to contend with and the directional marker on the minimap would not account for a gaping chasm that is impossible to traverse without dying. Unlocking fast travel is a chore in itself, requiring me to hack a computer system (which is very well guarded) and then only can I fast travel if I am at a fast travel station.

Overall the game is very polished, although the many mechanics can be a detriment as they make the game feel convoluted. Most mechanics need to be experimented with in order to be able to learn how to use them efficiently, meaning a lot of time needs to be invested in Seven. The story is interesting enough to lead the player however the characters themselves fall a little flat, making it difficult to care about them. Playing Seven: The Days Long Gone feels more like a workout than a relaxing session of gaming but there is a good game here, the player just needs to work for it.