0 
0 White Knuckle is a first-person roguelite speed climbing game. You ascend through the multiple gloomy floors within SUB-STRUCTURE-17. White Knuckle was developed by Dark Machine Games and published by DreadXP. This is the first game developed by the studio, and it takes quite the leap in terms of mechanics and this type of genre of games.
All bugged out for this game!
White Knuckle is now available in Early Access on Steam for £10.99. I’ve had this one on my radar quite a while, so let’s find out what I thought below!
Gameplay
The gameplay in White Knuckle is fairly simple. You ascend the chambers as fast as you can as there is a big goop like substance filling up the chambers. Be quick, otherwise it will make you perish. Falling from great heights without grabbing onto something will be your downfall, so always be ready for when you make a mistake. It could cost you your simple worker life. The chambers have various grip points, like ladders, hooks, or climbing poles. White Knuckle does a fantastic job of helping you get familiar with all the items. Making you try them out one by one during the tutorial section, ready for when you take on the chambers with a sweat on your brow.
Using momentum is your best friend. With any climbing game, especially White Knuckle, it is so important to not forget about momentum. You’re going to need it while you’re ascending the facility. Whether that is swinging from pole to pole or requiring a little extra oomph to get you to a climbable ledge.
You use your triggers on controller, or mouse buttons, to grab onto the surfaces, and use any extra buttons to cycle through inventory. Items make things a little easier, unless you completely forgot about them, like me! I had a big goofy moment where I was wondering why I was collecting picks and not being able to hammer them into the wall — there was no hammer to pick up! Silliness turned the game into quite the challenge! I feel like I enabled hard mode unexpectedly! Don’t be like me, use your inventory, unless you like to suffer I guess!
Graphics & Audio
The atmosphere in White Knuckle really is something special. The dark, gritty texture, with the added CRT filter, adds an extra edge in terms of horror. The cell shading is one of my favourite things that stand out. This reminds me of the art style used by games like Content Warning. It adds a nice little touch that makes you feel like you’re in some sort of hellhole, making the need to escape so much more impactful. There is nothing else in these chambers, apart from your little grabby hands, bugs, and some other monstrosities. Don’t mind those, they’re fine!
The audio is beyond haunting. With echoes of things you have not discovered yet, chambers closing, and the pleasant little announcer voice telling you bad things are coming. The graphics are stunning in their own way, depends on your definition of the word I guess! The variety of the chambers and environments were great, and I really hope there’s more to come. I did not want to spoil the environments here, as they’re best discovered on your own!
Longevity
There is a lot to do in White Knuckle. There is an endless mode for different chambers and of course the Story Mode. I’m sure the developers are going to add even more to the game since it’s in Early Access. This game has masses of potential as well as a solid product out of the box, even in Early Access. Having the timer enabled is also great for people that love speed runs and getting better times during their ascents. The use of items to change up your runs and find shortcuts is so rewarding, and getting to the next level is just so thrilling.
Final Thoughts
White Knuckle did not disappoint in the slightest. It’s addicting, yet challenging fun. Every single time I ended up succumbing to the rising goop, I wanted to try just one more time. Which then turned into, two, three, and four more times. Maybe more, I lost count! I loved using the different tools and finally figuring out how to put bugs into the vending machines. Yes, you read that right.
White Knuckle has so much to offer to this genre and I really hope Dark Machine Games take it even further with later updates! Glad I kept this one on my radar for sure.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
If you enjoyed this preview, why not check out one of our PC reviews here!
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Discord | Podcast
About Author
