White Knuckle - Early Access Impressions
White Knuckle is an experience aptly described by its title.
White Knuckle. Dark Machine Games / DreadXP
Developer Dark Machine Games and boutique horror publisher DreadXP have released White Knuckle on Steam Early Access. In this game, you climb a massive, seemingly endless underground structure in first-person, barehanded, as something oozes out from the depths below you. It’s a scary, tense experience that had me gripping my controller like my survival depended on it.
From Steam:
White Knuckle is a first-person roguelite speed-climbing game. Ascend through the guts of SUB-STRUCTURE 17 using precision movement mechanics. Sharp reflexes and resource management will bring you out from under ten thousand meters of concrete and decay.
White Knuckle. Dark Machine Games / DreadXP
Two disembodied hands represent your grip, each with its own stamina. They turn red as they tire, until you ultimately lose your grip with that hand. You must use momentum to swing yourself to the next grip, sometimes taking leaps of faith and hoping you reach a ledge or rope to take purchase before your strength gives out. It’s a visceral experience, made even more thrilling by the creepy atmosphere and the knowledge that you’re not alone; dark, unknown threats lurk in the depths.
Using items while climbing took my stress levels to new heights. A hand that’s holding an item is a hand that can’t grip a ledge, so doing something like placing a piton and hammering it into the wall to create a stable point to hang is a tricky proposition. Performing that action becomes a juggling act, since the game allows you to keep a single item in each “pocket” to swap with its corresponding hand. For example, you let go of a grip with your right to pull out a piton from your pocket and place it, grab a grip with that hand, release with your left, pull out your hammer to secure the piton, put the hammer away, then hope you have time to grab again with your left before your right hand gives out. Pulling items out of your inventory is more complicated and stressful because you have to do it manually, and time doesn’t stop while you’re doing it.
The style of the 32-bit era on the PlayStation 1 inspired the game’s 3D graphics. Like the best games in that tradition, White Knuckle creates a foreboding and creepy atmosphere without relying on realism. Textures are deliberately pixellated, with a carefully curated color palette for each zone. The pixellation makes the world feel grittier and grimier, in my opinion.
The sound design adds another layer of immersion to the experience. Grinding machinery, strange groans in the distance, and the sound of metal under stress. A disembodied voice talking to you from a loudspeaker somewhere. Echoes from your actions make the space feel vast. The ambient sound and sound effects make it downright terrifying to be in Sub-Structure 17. Do yourself a favor and wear some good headphones when you play.
White Knuckle. Dark Machine Games / DreadXP
As the game approaches its release, the developers will add new zones, game modes, and metaprogression elements. Dark Machine Games hasn’t yet released a road map. However, White Knuckle is a polished experience that feels great to play even in this initial release. This is a must-play that will only get better with further updates. DreadXP has picked another winner.
White Knuckle is available now on Steam in Early Access.
Played on: Steam Deck
