Episode 1: Do Not Go Gentle

Spoiler Warning: This page may contain spoilers from the story of The Long Dark.

"Mackenzie and Dr. Greenwood are separated after their plane crashes deep in the Northern Canadian Wilderness. Struggling to survive, Mackenzie explores the small town of Milton, where he begins to understand the scope of this quiet apocalypse."

Do Not Go Gentle is the first episode in the Wintermute story mode. It is followed by Episode 2: Luminance Fugue.

Overview

In this episode, Will Mackenzie's plane has crashed due to a mysterious geomagnetic event. He and fellow traveler Astrid Greenwood are now separated and Mackenzie does his best to survive. His journey takes him to the small town of Milton. Dr. Astrid Greenwood unexpectedly shows up at the workplace of bush pilot Will Mackenzie. She and Will have not seen each other in years, and their parting was not under ideal circumstances. She asks him to take her to a small village in the mountains. It is late in the evening and the weather is bad. She refuses to tell him why, and what the contents are in the metal locked briefcase she is carrying. When he protests, she becomes frustrated and starts to leave. He stops her and reluctantly agrees to take her.

During the trip, a geomagnetic event occurs, depriving the plane of power, sending the plane into a rocky ravine. Will finds himself alone, injured, in the dark in freezing temperatures, and with no sign of Astrid.

Missions

Memories

Main article: Memories

"Mackenzie hangs around the Jackrabbit Transport hangar, waiting for something to happen."

— In-game description

The Crash

Main article: The Crash

"Mackenzie fights to stay alive while searching for signs of Astrid. What happened to her?"

— In-game description

The Grey Mother

Main article: The Grey Mother

"An old blind woman might be the last survivor in Milton. She might be the key to understanding what happened to Astrid."

— In-game description

Paradise Lost

Main article: Paradise Lost

"It looks like Astrid made it out of Milton. Continue your search beyond the town's borders."

— In-game description

Trivia

• "Do not go gentle into that good night " is the most famous poem of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, referenced alongside The Long Dark in multiple works of popular culture. The phrase and the refrain occur throughout the poem and perfectly characterize the beginning of Episode 1:
  "Do not go gentle into that good night.
  Rage, rage against the dying of the light."