The Forest (2014)

 PC
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 650 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 400 out of 650
  2. Mixed: 179 out of 650
  3. Negative: 71 out of 650

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  1. ZaPaAl
    Feb 10, 2019
    9
    It has a rough and confusing start, but once you have the basics of survival down you can have many, many hours of base and network building, a typical survival game. Until you discover the caves ...
    Cave are really interesting and fun (and horrifying) to explore, requiring many hours and progression by unique items. Best done by marking explored areas with self built lamps, and with    It has a rough and confusing start, but once you have the basics of survival down you can have many, many hours of base and network building, a typical survival game. Until you discover the caves ...
    Cave are really interesting and fun (and horrifying) to explore, requiring many hours and progression by unique items. Best done by marking explored areas with self built lamps, and with constant reacquiring resources.
    Finally in the end you discover a unique area where you discover the background and immensely deep story.

    Atmosphere with visuals and sound are nice, but not perfect with latest technology. It runs extremely well on older hardware.
    Building is not always perfectly under control, but quite workable. Some minor bugs and no save point for the end (which was difficulty wise not needed and gave the final decision impact. But made for a very long final run).
    It has some useful mods you should look into.
    Prepare to study up on game basics and look into it's wiki, or else you likely will have some quite frustrating experiences.

    In summary it was a very impressive experience.    … Expand
  2. JMKM543
    Dec 21, 2018
    9
    What can be seen as a difficult and buggy experience at first, quickly evolves into hours of game play and countless questions about the lore. The Forest is an immersive experience that slowly drags players into a sense of comfort only to take it away with new horrors unleashed. Easily one of the best survival/horror releases of this year with an intriguing story to boot.

    Reviewed on PS4
  3. winzentween
    Mar 31, 2019
    9
    Amazing !

    Seriously half the people including myself initially don't understand this game. Anyone who claims there isn't enough crafting is wrong , as after 55 days in im still finding cool stuff from a secret evil church to a full on glider. It's not minecraft but once you finish it you'll get that mode which is cool. Or the horde mode that's crazy. Because its not Ark it    Amazing !

    Seriously half the people including myself initially don't understand this game. Anyone who claims there isn't enough crafting is wrong , as after 55 days in im still finding cool stuff from a secret evil church to a full on glider. It's not minecraft but once you finish it you'll get that mode which is cool. Or the horde mode that's crazy. Because its not Ark it actually works and works well which means it's a scary horror story which has two endgames based on choices.

    The optimisation isn't great and there's a few glitches but nothing bad considering how much is going on.
    The music is none existent outside of musical tapes but the sound is terrifying ..truly scary.
    The gameplay is high mearning curve and finickity at times bur plenty of options.
    Lastability is months or years as every time you play its different with random starts and locations and new updates. No microtransactions at all.

    The combat isnt destiny but its brutal and fast with awesome weapons.
    Overall the attention to detail is spectacular with many stories told through the environment as much as the lore through collectibles.
    The multiplayer is a little buggy but amazing fun and an entirely different experience.
    So i'd say buy it as it's cheap and play it and dont give up.
    Use your second device as a game support tool as there are interactive map apps. And the wiki is cool though don't spoil many of the brilliant secrets and surprises.

    I've played games for 20 plus years on all formats and across every genre and i was amazed to find it is one of the best game experiences i've every played and beyond value for money. Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  4. Tk4Bullet
    Mar 7, 2020
    5
    Was a decent game, but it feels unfinished and abandonded till this day. Building was long and boring, you couldnt destroy your building to get at least some of the materials back. I don't recall many bugs to be honest. Maybe when multiplayer mode was first introduced. Still, it was nice going back to build a base but was boring after a few hours and there was no incentive to go back and continue.
  5. wakimani
    Jan 14, 2019
    9
    I played the game back in 2016 and as a single player experience I was fairly satisfied with the result. But the multiplayer experience make it a real hidden gem for coop fans. I'd been looking a loooong time for a captivating multi of the likes of this one. Yeah it's buggy as hell and there aren't many added features from the singleplayer, but roaming around with four of my best gamerI played the game back in 2016 and as a single player experience I was fairly satisfied with the result. But the multiplayer experience make it a real hidden gem for coop fans. I'd been looking a loooong time for a captivating multi of the likes of this one. Yeah it's buggy as hell and there aren't many added features from the singleplayer, but roaming around with four of my best gamer buddies charting caves and unveiling the island misteries is just something that I was longing for for a long time! Give the developers credit and get the game (if you convince some friends to do the same, of course)… Expand
  6. ryanparkes100
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    It has a fun vr mode, It is a lot of fun gameplay, the gameplay never gets boring and the lore is fresh and interesting
  7. Bodislav
    Jan 16, 2022
    7
    Timmy is kinda sus .
  8. Flaks
    Apr 12, 2022
    7
    Relatively, I haven't played it much. But I enjoyed the game. It was scary to experience every night. But the games have problems and disadvantages. One of which is a small variety. The first days everything happens very quickly, but later everything abruptly becomes a routine and the game becomes very boring.
  9. TheSikvel
    Sep 28, 2021
    5
    Nice survival game, but very boring gameplay. The plot is generally good, but unfortunately very commonplace and predictable. The game is exclusively for co-op entertainment. I doubt it will be really fun to play it solo.
  10. NoobTooberton
    Apr 6, 2017
    8
    A game certainly not meant for everyone but for the folks who like survival games; it's a must own. For people who have a CPU strong enough to handle this game on full visual; you won't be disappointed! The atmosphere and lighting effects are amazing!

    The crafting system is good but not great; I wish with the updates they would add more things to craft. My main gripe is the fact that    A game certainly not meant for everyone but for the folks who like survival games; it's a must own. For people who have a CPU strong enough to handle this game on full visual; you won't be disappointed! The atmosphere and lighting effects are amazing!

    The crafting system is good but not great; I wish with the updates they would add more things to craft. My main gripe is the fact that there really isn't much of a back story to drive you through the game. Whether or not this will come once the game is officially launched; I suppose we all wait and see. That last phrase has seemed to be on repeat for me with this game..."we'll wait and see".. there are alot of elements to this game that could be added to..but...we'll wait and see.

    The Forest has been in "development" for a long time now. One thing that worries me is the fact that this game was picked up by consoles. Once that happened it seemed as though the devs stopped adding content to the PC version.

    Because of the solitude this game exudes; I would strongly recommend playing online with a friend! Connectivity has always been strong with minimal to no lag or frame rate issues.    … Expand
  11. BadboyStelin
    Apr 1, 2020
    1
    I don't get the hype. This game is so irritating I'd rather stick pencils in my eyes. Barely clad enemies resist multiple slashes of a Katana, Little Bambi deer run off after being slashed multiple times with a Katana. You need to craft two deer skins and rope to make a water canteen yet you can't empty a beer bottle and fill that up with water to carry. Night mode is far too dark and tooI don't get the hype. This game is so irritating I'd rather stick pencils in my eyes. Barely clad enemies resist multiple slashes of a Katana, Little Bambi deer run off after being slashed multiple times with a Katana. You need to craft two deer skins and rope to make a water canteen yet you can't empty a beer bottle and fill that up with water to carry. Night mode is far too dark and too long meaning too much of the game is a drag to play. I could go on. A supposedly intelligent survival game is let down by stupidity and thoughtless game mechanics.… Expand
  12. abbadenbach
    Jun 5, 2014
    10
    This game is Insane, is just the 0.01 alpha version, and looks amazing. Yeah it IS buggy, but c'mon, the game is in ALPHA, when people will understand that Alpha = Bug/glitch. The game is being developed by 4 people, so, if you are looking for an AAA game, go somewhere else
  13. usa1234
    Dec 27, 2017
    8
    Dude **** Timmy. That little **** never took the trash out, never did the dishes, and left his room a mess CONSTANTLY. His mom dies and you know what that little cum stain asked me? "Where's mommy's life insurance money?" Like idk Timmy, I banged your mom behind a 7/11 because she was the only girl at this bar I was at that was drunk enough to start crying and start spewing on about herDude **** Timmy. That little **** never took the trash out, never did the dishes, and left his room a mess CONSTANTLY. His mom dies and you know what that little cum stain asked me? "Where's mommy's life insurance money?" Like idk Timmy, I banged your mom behind a 7/11 because she was the only girl at this bar I was at that was drunk enough to start crying and start spewing on about her life issues, nine miserable months later she shat you out. So the kids birthday is coming up, his mom is dead from a Xanax overdose I think, and my son and I hate eachother. I say to myself, you know what? **** it, let's get some real father and son bonding time so maybe he'll stop being such a little **** So I go and ask that fairy **** where he wanted to go for his bday and out of every generic place you could possibly think of, the little **** says "Madagascar". Like who in the **** comes up with that?? Well rather than explain to his poorly developed brain on why that's the dumbest **** he could've said, I tell him **** it" and book some tickets to Hawaii. That prepubescent cock **** wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. So we're flying over some ocean, idk, the Atlantic Ocean, American Ocean, who gives a **** just some ocean where they got sharks and **** Well while I'm reclining back in my card board seat with the leg space so tight I can feel my balls pressing up on the front tray table, I guess those two dimwitted "pilots" we're getting more wasted than a sorority girl at a frat party and crash the ****ing plane. As I'm waking up from what feels like the worst hangover of my life, other than the time I woke up after ****ing Timmy's mom (still can't remember her name) this kid pulls the ultimate middle finger. Some savage Neanderthal looking ****s (thank you God to Christopher Columbus for taking care of that problem back home) come aboard the plane that looked worse than my studio apartment during my repeated freshman year of community college, and grab Timmy. Out of all the rational responses you would expect that potential blowjob to have, you know surviving a plane crash killing almost everyone only to be met by some random canniabls. He gets carried away in their arms, only to look back at me, smiling, and then gives me a little wink. That ungrateful **** left my ass stranded with nothing more than some sodas, snack bars, pieces of cloth and a random axe. Whoever got that pass TSA btw, kudos bro. It's been about a month and through the countless amounts of cannibals I've killed, still no sign of Timmy. Pretty sure he joined them just so he could eat some of my flesh one day and actually become a ****ing man. I swear once I find him, I'm gonna give him one good last spanking.........with that axe.… Expand
  14. TurtleBurger
    May 31, 2014
    9
    So far it's fantastic. It's very well featured for an alpha, with a good crafting system, great AI, and above average graphics. Standing by your fire watching one of the inhabitants search around (I even went to sleep in a shelter I made, and when I woke up there was one of them standing by my fire) is very creepy. I've also had them climb things and jump around. I made tons of MolotovSo far it's fantastic. It's very well featured for an alpha, with a good crafting system, great AI, and above average graphics. Standing by your fire watching one of the inhabitants search around (I even went to sleep in a shelter I made, and when I woke up there was one of them standing by my fire) is very creepy. I've also had them climb things and jump around. I made tons of Molotov cocktails to defend myself and ended up burning myself (and them) a lot. The crafting is balanced and not too difficult and I haven't found any real bugs except for falling through the floor in the room of death, lingering fires, enemies occasionally jumping up really high or sometimes teleporting near you (startled me so much I accidentally dropped a Molotov and hurt myself) and miscellaneous UI bugs, such as rocks being called "RAW FISH." The bugs are nothing (not only because they're not very severe, but also because the game is in very early alpha).

    Graphics: 9/10
    Gameplay: 9/10
    Mechanics: 9/10
    Environment: 10/10
    AI: 10/10
    Balance: 10/10
    Ambiance: 10/10
    Settings: 9/10
    Features: 10/10
    Functionality: 9/10
    Controls: 8/10 (having different buttons for so many things, such as sleeping using the Z button rather than E is confusing)

    Do not judge this game severely yet, as it is in very early alpha.    … Expand
  15. Sutherland
    May 30, 2014
    9
    Beautiful world with a vast sense of scale from the beginning. The inhabitants of the jungle are completely terrifying and will climb trees and hunt after you, leaving you in a cave surround by bodies. The crafting is interesting and well formed. Trees toppling is amazing to watch and I can't wait for more features, including CO-OP to be added to this alpha.
  16. RBxTaco
    May 31, 2014
    7
    First-off this game is buggy as hell. Don't buy this game if your looking for a nearly completed game. I got a LOT of bugs, including randomly dying, and no way to save my game. Items combine, duplicate, etc. Also, the game performs really badly atm. I'm running it on a GTX 760, and i get about 30 fps on the highest settings, while I get around 45 in Battlefield 4. If you have a low endFirst-off this game is buggy as hell. Don't buy this game if your looking for a nearly completed game. I got a LOT of bugs, including randomly dying, and no way to save my game. Items combine, duplicate, etc. Also, the game performs really badly atm. I'm running it on a GTX 760, and i get about 30 fps on the highest settings, while I get around 45 in Battlefield 4. If you have a low end PC, don't expect to run this game at high frame-rates. The combat is also pretty clunky. The flare gun shoots as fast as you can click with no reloading or cooldown, and infinite ammo.
    All of that being said, this game definitely has huge potential. The time the game wasn't completely bugging out, it was actually decently scary. And it looks like it probably has a good story behind it. The survival elements are pretty cool as well. It allows for custom buildings, which is always a plus side. The team seems like its very open to bug reports as well. Basically the point I'm trying to get across is, if you can get passed the incredibly low frame-rates, massive amount of bugs, and clunky combat, I can definitely recommend this game to you.    … Expand
  17. SpoonJuggler
    May 30, 2014
    8
    Seeing as it is in the first public alpha stage, i will not let my score be effected by all the bugs (which i have encountered only a single one), missing content that are on the way and such.

    Boy oh boy, it's really impressive. If you didn't know any better, you'd probably think that this game is the next big step by the makers of Amnesia but oh no, it is indeed an indie title. The    Seeing as it is in the first public alpha stage, i will not let my score be effected by all the bugs (which i have encountered only a single one), missing content that are on the way and such.

    Boy oh boy, it's really impressive. If you didn't know any better, you'd probably think that this game is the next big step by the makers of Amnesia but oh no, it is indeed an indie title.
    The world is absolutely lush and beautiful, apart from the occasional low textures. The inhabitants of the island are not very friendly (and creepy as all hell) and that is made clear from the very beginning. The crafting system as well as the inventory system is top notch.
    Crafting shelters, traps and storage units takes a lot of work, as it should! You have to keep getting food or resources constantly at least in the beginning, they really captured the essence of survival.
    Really looking forward to future updates as well as the full game!    … Expand
  18. vegetablecat
    May 30, 2014
    9
    Very nice game with great graphics and a nice environment. As expected for and early access it has some bugs but on the whole it is still a fun and enjoyable experience. I do not feel mislead at all and got exactly what I expected from the trailers.
  19. ImFireblade
    May 31, 2014
    9
    fantastic game whit a very good graphics apart some low textures.....The ambient is so beatiful and immersive.The mutant are very creepy and they're stronger than you.There are so many bugs some little and some very annoying but considering that is a very early alpha the game is in a great development....
    Great job to the developer :D
  20. TenchuuKhan
    Nov 4, 2017
    5
    While the game is initially fun to get up a running camp and getting food - it soon turns out to be lacking in terms of crafting options.
    You can build custom buildings and what not but there's nothing like metal forging or actually getting up some cool equipment to run around with to beat up the hostiles.
    Combat is really unforgiving and exploring the caves next to impossible. You can    While the game is initially fun to get up a running camp and getting food - it soon turns out to be lacking in terms of crafting options.
    You can build custom buildings and what not but there's nothing like metal forging or actually getting up some cool equipment to run around with to beat up the hostiles.

    Combat is really unforgiving and exploring the caves next to impossible. You can build some bone armor but that lasts for about receiving 2 hits.
    Once you face these weird babies or the mutant, 3 hits and you are dead. I don't see the fun in that.

    It's likely more fun in Multiplayer but in SP it's just frustrating and not really rewarding.    … Expand
  21. darkfox12
    Jan 28, 2018
    9
    Didn't expect this game to be that good, animations, sounds, graphics, AI, effects, the 3d models etc... were really well done, I never had seen a unity game to be this good since most are simple or with mediocre content at best even more when it comes to open world games like this, for a small team of devs this is really impressive work and shows their real passion of making games, whichDidn't expect this game to be that good, animations, sounds, graphics, AI, effects, the 3d models etc... were really well done, I never had seen a unity game to be this good since most are simple or with mediocre content at best even more when it comes to open world games like this, for a small team of devs this is really impressive work and shows their real passion of making games, which can lead them to a great and successful future in the gaming industry.… Expand
  22. mightylordchas
    May 6, 2018
    9
    The Forest is a great game with a lot of polish for a survival game. The AI is phenomenal and it is extremely intense in single player. However, the multiplayer is far less intense, and there are some bugs still left in from early access. Overall though it is a fantastic game for the price and you should definitely give it a good shot. Not a game to pass up.
  23. leaveit
    Jan 3, 2019
    6
    Pros:
    - Relatively unique building mechanic feels more immersive than the deluge of voxel games
    - There are several avenues for survival to where you don't have to do anything too contrived to survive - though as usual it is apparent that the developers are not survival experts - Many basic tasks are made more immersive than the usual fare, like chopping down trees or spearing fish -    Pros:
    - Relatively unique building mechanic feels more immersive than the deluge of voxel games
    - There are several avenues for survival to where you don't have to do anything too contrived to survive - though as usual it is apparent that the developers are not survival experts
    - Many basic tasks are made more immersive than the usual fare, like chopping down trees or spearing fish
    - The game strongly encourages risky exploration
    - Not much tutorial is needed
    - Coop!

    Cons:
    - Bugs galore - structures disappearing, enemies running in circles, climbing spikes like they're nothing, the ability to fall a mile on a turtle shell and not die, a multiplayer exploit to dupe items that has existed for over 3 years, enemies spawning inside your walls, pots used for drinking water exploding when a fire goes out...
    - The lighting model, in its efforts to produce something cinematic, means your character is more blind than an ordinary healthy human
    - Dedicated servers are supported, but just barely, and by a horrendously barebones application that will have you scratching your head for a few minutes
    - Story strains credulity
    - The world is small and only gets smaller
    - The game was clearly given the 1.0 as a stop-loss so that the developers could quietly abdicate and any new feature takes months or years to be balanced and fixed, if it is ever working

    Overall, it's fairly dignified for a Unity indie early access survival crafting game (what a genre, eh) but most of the trappings are still there, just not as noticeably. On the splash page here you'll see a review from 2014 saying that it's acceptable for it to have bugs because it's an alpha. Well, it's 4 years later, we're several RCs past, the game is "out," and still buggy. Buy it on sale.    … Expand
  24. Miqht
    Jul 17, 2018
    9
    Remember when we all loved minecraft when we were younger? Now we get to relive that experience in this game.
  25. ireviewbadgames
    Aug 12, 2018
    9
    This game was in development for a few years, but these gentlemen did a fine job showing what it really means to be an Early Access Game. Consistent, incremental updates with well-detailed change-logs that really tracked their progress. Now that they're released, I would even support increasing the price by $10 or $15- they have certainly earned it. The end result is a relatively enjoyableThis game was in development for a few years, but these gentlemen did a fine job showing what it really means to be an Early Access Game. Consistent, incremental updates with well-detailed change-logs that really tracked their progress. Now that they're released, I would even support increasing the price by $10 or $15- they have certainly earned it. The end result is a relatively enjoyable game with a few minor flaws that can be easily overlooked. The Forest could have benefited from additional mutated monsters with more advanced mechanics, but overall the game is a solid pick-up.… Expand
  26. Tanjeers
    Jul 19, 2020
    0
    Imagine no turtles spawning for an hour so you spend 2 hours at see hallucinating with chapped lips and a heat stroke and realizing you can only gather 1 turtle shell at a time because the plane crash destroyed your shell stacking abilities so you build 5 rain collectors on a raft over a period of several hours to bring back to your civilization that you only remember in dreams because youImagine no turtles spawning for an hour so you spend 2 hours at see hallucinating with chapped lips and a heat stroke and realizing you can only gather 1 turtle shell at a time because the plane crash destroyed your shell stacking abilities so you build 5 rain collectors on a raft over a period of several hours to bring back to your civilization that you only remember in dreams because you have fused turtle dna now and roam the ocean naked in your human shell and you finally arrive and some idiot throws a firebomb and everyone is trying to peel the shells from the raft but they're fused on by the angry turtle gods and everything goes quiet and all you can hear is the blood pounding in your head and suddenly your vision is red and you're chopping up your friends, your raft, and the last vestiges of your mind breaks as you run on all fours into the wild.… Expand
  27. BFG-1337
    Apr 27, 2021
    2
    Inept developers, there is no fun in this game if you are a NORMAL human, its for those people who like to make others feel like **** This game makes you fee like ****.

    Gameplay: Chop tree, chop tree, chop tree - *Ad infinitum*
    Story: Kid stolen, save kid
    Sounds: *sound of trees getting chopped*
    Visuals: *visuals of trees getting chopped*

    2/10 - would not chop trees again
  28. Uarabei
    Feb 21, 2022
    6
    The game is fun but too short.

    Entertainment for a couple of evenings. Nothing special, just survival with a few interesting plot twists, nothing more.
  29. Zepwsuidan
    Aug 11, 2022
    0
    33 hours on record, worst game that I have played to date. The gameplay is awful, and it is a sorry excuse for a horror game.
  30. Samplerico
    May 3, 2018
    6
    The Forest its fresh in the first 5 hours, then it turns into a dull, pointless, and tedious experience. Graphics are fine, and it has some good design points, like the inventory, or the majority of items. But everything else its mediocre at best.
    Building and crafting is tedious as hell because developers thought it would be funny to make a game that feels like work. I played some    The Forest its fresh in the first 5 hours, then it turns into a dull, pointless, and tedious experience. Graphics are fine, and it has some good design points, like the inventory, or the majority of items. But everything else its mediocre at best.
    Building and crafting is tedious as hell because developers thought it would be funny to make a game that feels like work. I played some survival games before, but nothing like The Forest in terms of time invested to build a rather normal base, the material requirements for everything is nuts. Exploration is boring because navigation trought the island is flawed by poor maps, poor art design, very few iconic spots and the lack of real points of interest. It has ton of generic "always the same" caves that you need to cover in order to get some key items, while fighting hordes of enemys, with a very basic combat system.
    Story its non existant until the very end, and still then its really not explained at all, and thus not compelling at all. Ther is no text, no dialogue, no characters whatsoever. All in this games just feels dull and empty. And as of May 2018 still buggy. Not worth your time, believe me. If you wanna spent serious time in a good survival game with a good compelling story just get Subnautica.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best PC Game of 2018
24
#24 Most Discussed PC Game of 2018
42
#42 Most Shared PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Gamersky
    Jul 16, 2018
    90
    The Forest is an awkward open-world survival game. It's thrilling to play because of the intense atmosphere, but confusing maps and annoying enemies make it really hard for me to immerse into the game.
    Read full review
  2. DarkStation
    Jun 21, 2018
    80
    In a crowded landscape littered with a few too many survival crafting games, The Forest makes a pretty strong case for itself. With an open-ended world balanced by a story that moves forward, The Forest contains both freedom and mounting tension and provides not just the means for the player to survive, but a compelling reason to do so.
    Read full review
  3. GameSpot
    Jun 3, 2018
    80
    There's a lot to think about when it comes to surviving in The Forest, but the balance between each of its interlocking parts keeps the game moving at a riveting pace.
    Read full review
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