The Forest

The Forest (2014) is a survival horror game where you are the only passenger to live after a plane crash. You explore a mysterious forest to find food, shelter and safety but soon have to battle strange cannibalistic people.

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Although some will like the jump scares and creepy horror vibe, it's really the living, breathing world that is the most appealing. Every tree and every plant can be chopped down. You can build a camp, start a fire to keep warm, scavenge for food, and construct a small shelter or large ocean-side fortress. As well as lay traps and defences to keep a safe perimeter.

What's unusual about the enemies in the game is how their programmed intelligence means they don't always attack. Sometimes they keep their distance or follow you, or lure you into traps they have made. The game works to question whether it is you or them that are perpetrating violence. In combat, they regularly protect one another from injury, remove torches, surround the player, hide behind cover, drag wounded tribesmen to safety, keep their distance, use tactical decisions, not overextend into unknown territory, and occasionally surrender out of fear.

The game is open to how you want to play, although if you wish you can follow missions that lead to a conclusion of sorts with two different possible endings. The game features a day and night cycle along with varied terrain and locations. If you die in the game you are sent back to your shelter save point. To avoid dying you must manage your health, energy, stamina, hunger, and thirst levels.

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Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked The Forest 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Ben Kendall and updated 8 months ago.