Mass Effect voice actor Mark Meer joins The Long Dark, gameplay detailed

Mark Meer, the actor who voiced the male version of Mass Effect's Commander Shepard, will play protagonist William Mackenzie in Hinterland's The Long Dark, according to an update on the game's Kickstarter.

The Long Dark, announced by the newly formed studio earlier this month, is a first-person post-disaster survival sim. As Mackenzie, players attempt to live in the wilderness by foraging for resources and exploring.

"When the team at Hinterland first approached me about The Long Dark, I was immediately hooked," Meer said via the Kickstarter update. "There aren't many games that offer such an understated, yet powerful role and I knew I had to get involved."

A second update also offers details on gameplay, including The Long Dark's time progression, weather and wildlife. Location and behavior of wildlife will be "completely dynamic," meaning they will change depending on individual state.

"For example, a wolf in a pack is more brazen than one that's alone," the post reads. "A wounded bear will behave differently than one grazing, unmolested. Certain bird calls can indicate a nearby predator, or the presence of a nest. Learn to read the wildlife if you want to survive."

Other conditions will apply to the player's general health or condition, such as fatigue, thirst, warmth and calorie burn. Players will be vulnerable to conditions that would affect anyone lost in real-life wilderness. For more on gameplay details, check out the full post.

The Long Dark is currently in development for Windows PC, Mac and Linux. The game's Kickstarter campaign kicked off yesterday, Sept 16, and will end Oct. 16. At the time of this posting, the campaign has raised $39,000 of its $200,000 goal.