The Forest
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Posted: 3 months ago.
Author: Andy Robertson.
Overview
Forest 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.
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, 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.
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, 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.
Details
Release Date: May 2014
Platforms: PC and PlayStation 4.
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fighting, Open World, Role-Playing and Simulation.
Tips
This game is good if you want to:
Commitment
Duration: This game will take between 20 hours and 25 hours to complete. It will take considerably longer to find all the extras and establish a strong and stable life on the island.
Players: You can play this with 4 players online. You can play online together with other people which enables you to construct more ambitious camps and have more resources to survive.
Players: You can play this with 4 players online. You can play online together with other people which enables you to construct more ambitious camps and have more resources to survive.
Costs
Does not offer in-game purchases, 'loot boxes' or 'battle/season passes'.
You will need PlayStation Plus (must be 18 to create, then create sub-accounts for younger players who need be set as 13 or older) to play online with PlayStation 4.
You will need PlayStation Plus (must be 18 to create, then create sub-accounts for younger players who need be set as 13 or older) to play online with PlayStation 4.
Age Ratings
Rated PEGI 18 due to strong violence and violence against vulnerable and defenceless characters. Violence in the game can at times be bloody. When fighting a mutant, dismemberment or decapitation does not occur, however, once the character falls to the ground they can be decapitated or dismembered. This is not instantaneous but will take several blows with each accompanied by voluminous splatters of blood. Human limbs, heads and cadavers in various states of butchery are frequently seen throughout the game.
ESRB MATURE 17+ for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore and Partial Nudity.
ESRB MATURE 17+ for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore and Partial Nudity.
Users Interact: The game enables players to interact and communicate with each other, so may expose players to language usually associated with older rated games.
Accessibility
Accessibility for this game is as follows:
System Settings
Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators. PlayStation 4 has a range of accessibility settings. Some are system only, some work in games (invert colours and button mapping)... read more about system accessibility settings.
Similar Games
The following games are like The Forest. They address a similar topic or offer a similar way to play. They are good options to play next and also good alternatives to The Forest for younger age ratings.
The Forest is in These Lists
In addition to the similar games listed above, which have been linked to this game specifically in the database, you may find games with a similar theme to The Forest in the following lists:
Branching Stories With Multiple Endings
All games offer you agency. You can win or lose. You can complete them or stop at any time. But there are some games that offer a story that genuinely branches. Where you end up will be different from other players. This not only makes your actions really matter but also gives you a reason to play them again.
Setting aside games that evolve through simulation, or games where once you die it's game over, these branching narrative games tell a story that ends in a certain way because of the choices you made.
Setting aside games that evolve through simulation, or games where once you die it's game over, these branching narrative games tell a story that ends in a certain way because of the choices you made.
Attempt The Impossible
How hard a game is considered to be depends on who is playing it. A three-year-old tackling Zelda will struggle. But equally a new-to-games-parents will find Mutant Mudds quickly gets beyond them. The games in this list are known for being difficult. They wear the difficulty as a badge of honour. "None shall pass," except this with the will, time and belligerence to get good enough at this particular activity to beat the high bar the game sets.
This might be grappling with the flying mechanics in Rocket League, getting endlessly lost trying to find the next guardian in Shadow of the Collosus or coming up with the right tactic to get enough money for the ship you need in Elite. Of course, some of these games can be made easier, but to play them at their best is to ramp up the difficulty to max (crushing on The Last Of Us for example) and let them give you all they've got.
This might be grappling with the flying mechanics in Rocket League, getting endlessly lost trying to find the next guardian in Shadow of the Collosus or coming up with the right tactic to get enough money for the ship you need in Elite. Of course, some of these games can be made easier, but to play them at their best is to ramp up the difficulty to max (crushing on The Last Of Us for example) and let them give you all they've got.
Survive The Night
Surviving in games is often a key element. Some games, however, make it the main focus. With minimal resources and little light can you make it through to the morning? Can you prepare a shelter as the daylight dwindles in time for you to cope with the lurking creatures of the dark?
Whether this is as simple as closing the door to keep the zombies out in Minecraft or as complex as crafting food, clothing and medicine to cope with the freezing blackness of The Long Dark these games are exhilarating as they pose a strategic puzzle with personal consequences.
Many of these games offer an open world in which to survive, which opens up more ways of preparing for and then making it through the night time. This, of course, leads to another day where you need to spend time and resources wisely while exploring your surroundings.
Whether this is as simple as closing the door to keep the zombies out in Minecraft or as complex as crafting food, clothing and medicine to cope with the freezing blackness of The Long Dark these games are exhilarating as they pose a strategic puzzle with personal consequences.
Many of these games offer an open world in which to survive, which opens up more ways of preparing for and then making it through the night time. This, of course, leads to another day where you need to spend time and resources wisely while exploring your surroundings.
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