Imagen being stranded in a remote island which seems ordinary at first glance. But as the days pass, you discover that the island is inhabited by macabre cannibals, and is hiding a dark story waiting to be uncovered. This is the experience the survival horror video game The Forest provides to everyone looking for an intriguing, blood pumping experience.

The Forest is a survival horror video game created by Endnight Games. Although the game has been in early access since May 30, 2014, the final version of the game has been recently released on April 30, 2018. The story begins with the player taking the role of a famous actor named Eric LeBlanc, who crash landed with his son in an unknown island after their plane encountered an mysterious phenomena while while in the air. Soon after the impact, the player gets to see how one of the local inhabitants picks up his unconscious son and walks away with him before passing out. It’s the player’s task to rescue his son while surviving the hoards of cannibals trying to end his quest.

A video game is composed of multiple parts, and the composition of these must meet certain standards in order to determine the game’s overall quality. The Forest easily meets and excels at many these standards, which is impressive considering that the game is developed by a team of 4. The game development is so well executed that it can easily create memorable experiences, even for players who think they have seen it all.

The most important aspect of a game is its gameplay. This is due to the fact that the gameplay is responsible for keeping the players entertained. The Forest has a complex gameplay constructed using both survival and horror elements. This is a common trend in the modern video game industry, as other titles such as Dying Light or DayZ follow this genre hybrid. The survival aspect of the game is carefully constructed to include multiple mechanics that correlate with one another. This means that objectives the player must perform are related to each other, keeping the gameplay experience entertaining and fluid. This can be demonstrated by two different activities that have some connection, like the scavenging of materials and the construction of a camp. The world is also free to roam, giving the player endless exploration opportunities.

Horror is also a crucial part of this game as the hostile cannibals the player encounter are unique. These enemies are constructed to simulate thinking beings, inspiring fear in anyone brave enough to play the game. The cannibals can do a wide variety of actions such as stalking or ambushing the player, or even run away and return with a bigger group to take the player down. This accurate development of enemy AI (artificial intelligence) will keep the player at the edge of his seat at all times, as you never know what is watching you from behind the trees. This fear is increased by the incredible graphics and sound design, which completely immerse the player. Thankfully, this game also features multiplayer allowing anyone too scared to play alone to hop in with a friend, and survive the hordes of enemies together.

The game does have a weak point, as its story lacks both clarity and importance. This is because the core of the game is exploration, not the story. The only thing reminding the player of the main story is the clues scattered around the world. Yet. these clues don’t provide much, leaving the player to figure it out on his own. Completion of the story doesn’t feel as rewarding either as it failed to impact the player.

Overall, The Forest is a great game to which its developers have invested a lot of time and resources. Although the game might lack a few important elements, it still provides a fun and memorable experience for the fair price of 31,000 pesos. A price worth paying for countless hours of entertainment.