Disclaimer: Blood and Gore Ahead
What an adventure
Metaphorically, this game is an adventure. You start off on a plane with your son, who we have nicknamed Billy. The plane crashes, and you are met with the inside of the plane, half destroyed, with items scattered around. You are tasked with finding Billy. As you exit the plane you see that you are in a forest, in the middle of nowhere. This game is beautiful, in a terrifying sort of way. You are completely alone, or so it seems.
Where do you start
As mentioned earlier, you start in a half destroyed plane. As you exit you are given an item called the Plane Axe, which happens to be buried in the stomach of the flights stewardess. This is your friend through most of the game. You have no map or compass yet, so you must wander until you get lucky. You can explore caves, camps, the ocean, and the forest. Each of these places give you materials to survive.
Other than hunger and thirst, there are other killers in this game. Cannibals and abominables (these were the names we gave them). The cannibals are terrifying. They can run and jump at super-human speeds and distances…and are “naked”. They are humanoid and will randomly screech and groan demonically at you, fun. Then there are the abominables. These guys will really mess you up. They are mutant versions of the cannibals and they are insanely strong. There are three types of mutants. The spiders, the tanks, and the spitters. They are abnormally strong and fast and can kill you in seconds. These, along with the cannibals, will spawn randomly in your world so you better watch out.
The Caves
Though this game is called The Forest, the caves are the “best” part. Yes the ocean, forest, and camps are cool; but the caves are way better. They are where you get the best weapons and items. From chainsaws to katanas there are many interesting things you can find down there. Of course there is a downside though, because they are scary. Like very scary. There are cannibals and abominables, along with dead humans and other things. It is nearly pitch black and the caves wind and twist so getting lost is fairly easy. While dangerous and scary, these places are worth the risk.
The standard gameplay
By standard gameplay, I mean what you can do while not: looking for your son, fighting enemies, exploring the depths of the world, or repeatedly dying. The game is a horror/survival game. This means you have to watch stats like health, food, and water, as well as any sicknesses you get. You can build bases and craft traps or items. From chopping trees to spearing fish there is quite a few things to do.
The inventory, building, and defense
The inventory and the building in this game is pretty unique. The inventory is a clutter of items that you gather that can be combined in the middle mat. This means that crafting is as fast as you can go. As for the building, you cant just auto-build walls or traps. You put down a ghost-like blueprint and take the materials, then physically put the items on the ghost blueprint. It is very interesting to say the least. Lastly there are the traps. These are used to catch the cannibals as they enter your base. You can use snared, dead fall traps, and even burning leaves to stop them.
Now onto the multiplayer/save system
This is where this game takes a turn. The multiplayer is basic, a normal join and leave the host world, but the save system is hell. Not only can you only save a max of 5 worlds, you must create the save point yourself. Also, the game often glitches, and when the game does not auto save this can lead to problems.
Overall
Graphics: 8/10 (The enemy models are great, but the game can sometimes glitch and cause unrendered chunks to appear plastic-like)
Gameplay: 9/10 (The mechanics are unique and work relatively well)
Story: 9/10 (Even though you are a man of little words, the story does have deep and intriguing lore that makes me want more. There are even alternate endings)
Fun: 9/10 (Great game to mess around and have fun with)
Overall: 9/10 (Somewhat lacking after you finish the story, but overall great fun)
Reminder
This game is a horror survival, it IS scary and it IS repetitive at times
