I just finished "The Forest" - holy crap

Anyone else played this to completion?

I thought this was just a crafting builder game with a few story snippets to add some color. I had no idea how much story was in the game and how finely crafted the experience ended up being. I hate cave spelunking cause I get lost so easy, but even using a map guide to help me pick things up I was not prepared for what happens leading up the climax.

Also have to say this game scared me almost as much as System Shock 2. In the end, it shares a few little things with that title. Some of the mutants reminded me just a tad of some of their enemies.

BTW how do I do spoiler tags?

Awesome post, I remember buying this in early access the day it became available like half a decade ago and never playing it, so thanks to you I am putting it in my backlog.

Haha duh. I thought I had to type some code in manually. Txs!

I had no idea! If you figure out spoiler tags can you tell me what happens. I got bored and didn’t finish it and don’t really have the will to go back to it. But now I’m curious.

I think I wishlisted this game but never got around to it.

I wish I could. It’s scary as hell. Didn’t make it through just one cave. It’s a great game nevertheless, reminded me a bit of Subnautica in terms of crafting/story/exploration-balance.

The story part of this intrigues me.

I had kind of ignored this title since it seemed like another Survival Craft-em-up clone from the period on Steam when that genre of games were being pumped out endlessly.

What other games do you consider “scary as hell”? I didn’t make it far enough in Subnautica to see any monsters.

This game scared me a lot more than Subnautica. Something about the way things are able to come up on you, you turn around and they’re there ready to be freaks. The thumps of the mutants moving around. The unpredictability of the AI which often didn’t feel like “AI”.

About the story, as you start putting the scraps of stuff together (literally in the notes section of your survival guide) - its clever and deeper than I would have ever thought.

The developers are much more talented than I initially gave them credit for, and I’d previously thought they did a very nice job with their “atmospheric builder”. The caves are a nightmare for someone who is directionally challenged.

Awesome post jp. Had my eye on this for a while and invoking Subnautica is my weak spot!

I remember playing this after Subnautica and getting confused as to what I was supposed to do or where I needed to go. Then I got attacked and gave up. Probably need to give it another shot, perhaps with some sort of beginner’s guide to get me started.

btw is this finished and abandoned or are they still updating it with new stuff?

Totally finished ie. fully complete and mature. There is a hint at the end of the game that there might be a sequel featuring a new island so the developers are definitely working on some project, we just don’t know what.

E.g. recently Amnesia and Darkwood I considered to be scary as hell. Subnautica was different. Those open deep seas were another kind of horror but doable. System Shock 2 turned out to be quite harmless for me. Condemned 2 might be my scariest finished game.
I do not like jump scares and darkness and… caves. Well, that is pretty much The Forest at some point.

Yeah, they got me big time.

I’m convinced that good horror is almost entirely sound design; Amnesia, Silent Hill and Dead Space all really freak me out, where I find most horror games just needlessly stressful due to their mechanics rather than actual atmosphere.
Putting the standard survivo-craft-em-up mechanics in survival horror trappings is an interesting idea, though. I’ve had my eye on The Forest since it was announced but the whole Early Access cycle put me off it I think.

I had a lot of fun playing this when it was halfway through EA but it was still obviously unfinished and only basic hints as to the story. Great to hear I need to play through it again, now that you can finish it.

I definitely remember it was was immersive and nerve wracking moving through the trees at night. It did a good job with the tension level and the base building was amusing if janky back then.