The Forest

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 109 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 77 out of 109
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 109
  3. Negative: 18 out of 109

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  1. Windlight
    Nov 11, 2018
    9
    This game is hard but well worth the effort, there isn’t a better survival game on PS4. The amount of things to build, craft, defend against, are enough to keep anyone busy.
  2. MarkStevens
    Nov 14, 2018
    10
    Fun game. Excellent developer that doesn't bleed the customer dry. Good performance on the base PlayStation 4. Nice price.
  3. maes1890
    Nov 16, 2018
    8
    It was a long wait, and a game that was oft described as being stuck in "development purgatory," for years. However, now that it's finally been released I can say that it was worth the wait. This is a shining example of a game where the developers took the time to actually see their full vision come to fruition, rather than just prematurely release it to sate impatient fans.

    The Forest    It was a long wait, and a game that was oft described as being stuck in "development purgatory," for years. However, now that it's finally been released I can say that it was worth the wait. This is a shining example of a game where the developers took the time to actually see their full vision come to fruition, rather than just prematurely release it to sate impatient fans.

    The Forest is a white-knuckled survival horror that features gameplay depth, stunning aesthetic, and a strong story, all while sending chills down your spine. You play as a plane crash survivor on a remote peninsula filled with cannibals and strange mutants. Your two goals are to survive and to find your missing son, Timmy.

    The actual gameplay involves four basic gameplay mechanics: 1) hunting and gathering to maintain your hunger and thirst stats; 2) building a shelter and defenses to keep safe from enemies and have a place to save and sleep through the night; 3) combat, to fight off the hordes of enemies; and 4) exploration, to find better equipment and clues that help you to find Timmy, and learn the lore of the peninsula.

    Each mechanic adds a new, unique layer of depth to the gameplay, and all of them are well-conceived, exciting, and rewarding to partake in. This game does have a few issues. The difficulty is not well balanced, particularly for beginners; there are structured enemy patrol routes, which lead to some problems with enemies bombarding certain areas way too often; and there are some technical issues related to enemy/animal spawning, and a few related things. However, these do little to overshadow the strong, and memorable gaming experience that comes from the Forest.

    Final Score: 8.4/10    … Expand
  4. nexus151196
    Nov 30, 2021
    7
    Очень и очень пугающая игра, Атмосфера - сумасшедшая. Жаль, что локализацию не завезли.. Играли с другом, нам понравилось. Исследовать пещеры - очень интересно.
  5. JimmieReview
    Nov 25, 2018
    4
    This game is a lot of fun the first couple of hours, then the infuriating problems with this game becomes obvious and the fun to be had is ruined.
    The first hours, you can craft simple stuff, hunt some animals and feel like your making some progress.
    But as you want to advance, you will suffer from the overly annoying hunger and thirst system and the way to short day/night cycle. It is    This game is a lot of fun the first couple of hours, then the infuriating problems with this game becomes obvious and the fun to be had is ruined.
    The first hours, you can craft simple stuff, hunt some animals and feel like your making some progress.
    But as you want to advance, you will suffer from the overly annoying hunger and thirst system and the way to short day/night cycle. It is also impossible to know how to craft things in this game, unless you want to google and read the wiki - this should all be explained in a tutorial! There is a guide book in the game - but it dosent explain how to craft for example different weapons - it doesn't even let you know which wepons you can craft! The user interface is cluncky as hell, example: you hold thec compass, by pressing use in the selection gui - then press the same button to put it down - nothing happens. You have to go into the selection gui, assign it to a key, then press that key to put it down. There is no visual indication what is assigned to what key when your in the game either.
    In this game, I always find myself trying to go into example a cave to find some new cool equipment, but im always stopped in my tracks by either getting to hungry/thirsty on my way to the destination, or day turns to night, or im attacked by the annoying cannibals during day time. Trying to orientate yourself in this game is also extremely infuriating - usually cause while your trying to do it, your suddenly surrounded by cannibals or you have to stop and hunt something to eat.
    And as for the cannibals, im so far not enjoying them at all. I always feel underpowered and end up running away from them. Combat is no fun, cause I got no good weapons to deal with them.
    Somewhere hidden under all these annoying things is a good game, but as it is now, its just to infuriating to play. And yeah, you can play with the cannibals turned off - but then it just becomes to blend and pointless.    … Expand
  6. Lonit
    Sep 15, 2019
    5
    The only reason it's even playable is because of the passive mode, in survival it's just tedious dealing with the *constant* stream of enemies
  7. Benderforpres
    May 21, 2020
    2
    I’m sorry I just don’t get it. I gave it a real chance. I like the idea and the nights are pretty scary the first few times, but the exploration got stale real fast. The caves all basically just look like dark rocks and the combat is truly boring. The crafting aspect was definitely nothing special, and the survival aspect was pretty easy since every cave is somehow stuffed with snacks andI’m sorry I just don’t get it. I gave it a real chance. I like the idea and the nights are pretty scary the first few times, but the exploration got stale real fast. The caves all basically just look like dark rocks and the combat is truly boring. The crafting aspect was definitely nothing special, and the survival aspect was pretty easy since every cave is somehow stuffed with snacks and sodas. I rarely delete a game a before finishing the main story but I felt like I was doing a chore when I was playing this game. The pay off of slogging through a cave is to find a photo or see some mysterious painting on the wall. Honestly fallout 4 does everything better than this game, and it was an RPG.… Expand
  8. Steve_tr
    Apr 29, 2021
    0
    I just bought the game and I can't even join a friend. It is stuck on "starting client" and it doesn't want to let me play with people from my friends list
  9. Lycanthropunk
    Feb 6, 2019
    9
    Priced well, and a surprisingly small file size, I was pleasantly surprised at how good this game is. Great atmosphere and pretty decent graphics, and some of the best AI I've seen in a while. The enemies don't blindly charge at you like so many games- sometimes they are hesitant, keeping a distance whilst watching what you will do next. Other times they will flank you, or run away andPriced well, and a surprisingly small file size, I was pleasantly surprised at how good this game is. Great atmosphere and pretty decent graphics, and some of the best AI I've seen in a while. The enemies don't blindly charge at you like so many games- sometimes they are hesitant, keeping a distance whilst watching what you will do next. Other times they will flank you, or run away and hide behind trees. Definitely the best survival game on the PS4 by a long way.… Expand
  10. Dal_ReviewedDat
    Jan 25, 2019
    8
    I saw the Forest in the Jan'19 sale, having not known much about it - but thought at £12 it was worth a try. I was really pleased I did.

    Make no mistake, this is an indie game and not AAA. But, there's a lot of points throughout where I wouldn't have realised that. The basics of the game is your plane crashes, your son is taken and you have to find him. He's been taken by the    I saw the Forest in the Jan'19 sale, having not known much about it - but thought at £12 it was worth a try. I was really pleased I did.

    Make no mistake, this is an indie game and not AAA. But, there's a lot of points throughout where I wouldn't have realised that.

    The basics of the game is your plane crashes, your son is taken and you have to find him. He's been taken by the local inhabitants - who happen to be 3 tribes of cannibals, nice. Your first day is manically scrounging basic resources together so that you can last the night in some relative safety. The chances are, you may not really see a cannibal on day one unless you go looking for them. Crafting is pretty deep, and early on I relied on putting things on my crafting matt and looking at the list of what it can be used for, but outside of crafting real assets can be found scattered around the island - and mainly in caves.
    This is a horror game.
    I went in my first cave and had a few cannibals run at me in the almost pitch black. My lighter (you start with) barely lit up anything apart from these faces jumping out at me, and I laid a few pant-eggs the first time down there. This is where the game excels. The AI of the cannibals is almost perfect. They don't just see you and run at you, they are inquisitive. They may follow you, stalk you, weigh you up. They may run at you and retreat if you (bravely) stand your ground, or, if your out numbered they'll divert your attention face on whilst others try and flank you. It's a nightmare I've loved. Fighting is pretty hard to start with, but after doing "cave 3" and getting the Katana weapon, and building a reasonable base with traps, it becomes less of a stress.
    Survival elements are pretty basic. You eat, drink and if you don't catch enough rain water - maybe drinking found cans or worst case, dirty stale pond water - which can give you infections etc / result in slow death without meds. The balance of exploration, survival and fighting is excellent, and you are free to build camps anywhere in the game, even caves. As the days go by, the mutants arrive, and they are a new level of weird and crazy looking - but with these you can make new armours with their skins, and even allow your character to go mad by becoming a cannibal and becoming more 'basic'.
    After my first week of playing solo, I joined up with players I met on a PS4 Forest Facebook closed group. You can have up to 4 people in a server as it stands, and the company makes the game slightly less intense as you discuss your daily missions and work together to make kills. With this though, you need more food, more water to all survive, and doing 'cannibal raids' on their villages becomes necessary more often. I spent weeks playing this with others, making cool camps, ziplines from cliffs to 2nd stories of our bases, and it was really good online fun. The lack of pvp actually adds to the Forest.
    In summary - the game is excellent. Seeing the Cannibals run their patrol routes whilst I'm hidden in a bush, filling my pants, is an experience I'll go back to again and again. It's a great survival horror and the developers are adding more fixes and updates all the time - including new enemies. I've read people complain about online duping bugs - but this isn't an MMO, so it's only down to the friends playing with each other that matters. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a new frill but isn't looking to spend £55 on a AAA title. It does help to watch a few YouTube videos of the basics etc - Farket is excellent for builds etc. Performance has been great, I've had 2 blue screens on other peoples servers in MP - which was probably because of the size of their build plans (laying blueprints everywhere) and because that guy duped a lot!! That's in 100+ hrs of the Forest, which I think is fair performance these days.... go check it out    … Expand
  11. Sky-Line___
    Jul 30, 2020
    8
    Out of coop games during the lockdown, my friends and I decided to give The Forest a try. It turned out te be very worth it. The game has a great sense of detail, especially when it comes to sounds and the caves, of course, which are the most interesting part of the game. Graphically, despite not being the most beautiful game I’ve seen on PS4, it looks very good, especially in the cavesOut of coop games during the lockdown, my friends and I decided to give The Forest a try. It turned out te be very worth it. The game has a great sense of detail, especially when it comes to sounds and the caves, of course, which are the most interesting part of the game. Graphically, despite not being the most beautiful game I’ve seen on PS4, it looks very good, especially in the caves with all the water and light reflections.

    What The Forest does that other games don’t is to make the player feel that he is really surviving. The need to build a camp is felt as from the first minutes of playing. And since nothing is Fedexed in this game (which is perfect because you don’t rely on anything but yourself exploring), we decided that the first thing we’d do was to build a camp with walls. It took a while because we made something that is large size, but that was not a problem since the need of everyone contributing was strongly felt.

    Another point on which the game excels is surprising the player. My first encounters with some enemies in the game was a shock and I was mind blown. Especially throughout the beginning of the game where the player is still getting acquainted with it, the sense of surprise is extremely present (reason why I love myself for not having done the mistakes to watch long videos of the game). After that, it is true that it might start feeling more repetitive.

    In what regards gameplay, I like the fact that most of the objects of the inventory have a unique purpose. Moreover, things are very intuitive to build, and the player gets used to crafting stuff very fast without any tutorial. Moreover, this might sound as something that should be a standard, but the coop works very well on the game. Everything is doable with 4 players and the sense of « living » together on that island is strongly present.

    Before I finish, I would also like to note some negative points of the game.
    - Lots of freezes.
    - Enemies spawning inside the walls you built for your camp.
    - Too many mobs spawning just next to our camp. It takes the vacant feel of the island away and really gets irritating after a while. We progressively started to consider them more as zombies than anything else.
    - Construction system has its limits when you build custom houses.
    - Map almost empty if it was not for the caves.
    - Hunger/thirst happen too often
    - Many questions are left on the context of the game, even after finishing it.

    All that said, the game remains extremely worth it and was a unique gaming experience. Intriguing, surprising and smart. I am excited for the second opus in development.    … Expand
  12. David80
    Nov 14, 2018
    8
    Spiele es auf der PS4 Pro und es ist alles vorhanden was man auch von der PC Version kennt, zumindest was das Gameplay angeht. Manko ist die Grafik, die FPS sind einwenig instabil und es wirkt etwas "unscharf" was sich mit der Schärfe-Einstellung am TV kompensieren lässt. Desweiteren sollte man sich darauf gefasst machen, dass man auch die Farbsättigung am TV um einiges hochstellen sollte,Spiele es auf der PS4 Pro und es ist alles vorhanden was man auch von der PC Version kennt, zumindest was das Gameplay angeht. Manko ist die Grafik, die FPS sind einwenig instabil und es wirkt etwas "unscharf" was sich mit der Schärfe-Einstellung am TV kompensieren lässt. Desweiteren sollte man sich darauf gefasst machen, dass man auch die Farbsättigung am TV um einiges hochstellen sollte, da das Spiel doch recht Farbarm geworden ist seit der Umstellung auf die Unity5. Leider gibt es wohl keine Optimierung für die Pro, nur eine Option VSync zu deaktivieren, was zu starkem Tearing führt, da die Pro es nicht schafft das Spiel bei konstanten 60FPS laufen zu lassen . Auch eine Option zum abschalten des Motion Blur fehlt leider. Trotz dem, das Feeling ist großartig und Survival Horror war nie unterhaltsamer.… Expand
  13. Realreviews7
    Jan 6, 2019
    8
    Putting an item on the blanket shows a gear that lists items to build and other materials needed. With up to 4 players it makes the game even more fun to build and survive together.
  14. Drummerboy51088
    Feb 20, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've always been intrigued by the survival genre, but whether on PC or console most of them are always these buggy messes that hardly function. This game is not that. Sure it has some issues here and there but it's a rather well polished game, particularly for a PS4 survival game. What's more is that this game is also quite literally a horror game as well. A good one at that! That's coming from a big fan of horror games. The caves in particular can creep the ever-living hell out of you when you're low on resources and light.

    The game consists of a lot of the usual survival elements like managing hunger, hydration and energy as well as a pretty robust crafting system and base-building mechanic. What I like about the game is the fact that there are no genuinely wrong ways to play. I've got several save files so far each with different methods of surviving/playing and the differences between can be quite staggering. Everything from where you choose to build your base, how big you make it, how much noise you make, how aggressive you are towards the inhabitants of the island will affect how the forest will react to your presence. I've even had some good success playing as a very nomadic character with no permanent setup but a few hunting huts that are hardly noticeable in the thick of the forest. This is a bit of a thinking man's game. Found a cool place you'd like to call home? Scout the area a bit and see how many human effigies you see nearby because they seem to indicate the presence of patrol routes, as though they are marking their territory. The AI seems smarter than you might initially believe. Your actions determine whether or not they consider you to be a major threat. I've seen people complain that after 15 days they can hardly get anything done because they're constantly being attacked from all angles. You CAN have a more passive playthrough. One of my saves I'm at 46 days and have hardly had to kill any cannibals outside of the caves, which almost seem to be seperate from the outside world in that killing them doesn't seem to increase aggression while out in the forest. I achieved this by being stealthy as often as possible. It actually took a few in-game days before i was even spotted by a cannibal, at which point he took a look at me and ran off. If you want them to be more agreeable, you basically have to out-macho them haha. stand your ground when they get aggressive, mostly block and whack them over the head with sticks or other low damage weapons and they eventually back off. Over time they'll end up being almost indifferent towards you unless you do something they don't like. For example cutting down trees right in front of them. Not big fans of that! I also built a house boat rather than a tree house or ground-level base as they absolutely hate water, so my presence there doesn't affect their way of life or their territory. Along with a small paddle raft to get me to and from my little home on the lake it's really quite cozy and wildly safe. Nighttime isn't a thing to fear unless I neglect heading to a safe area before its too late to avoid the dark entirely. All-in-all the main thing to consider is how you want to play. High-action and aggressive, peaceful and chill or somewhere in-between? your choice! It seems that if you respect their way of life, they will respect yours. The smaller your footprint on their turf the less they'll bother you. Build a giant fortress of solitude and they'll definitely take notice and start calling backup to help tear it down. Usually in the dead of night. Keep in mind that all playstyles end up being rewarding in their own way. High chaos may lead to things like better armor and some resources whereas a passive playthrough will make things like hunting for food far easier as you'll be able to focus on your hunt rather than consistently checking behind you because you think you heard something.

    Verdict: This is a really fun, terrifying and exciting game at times. The framerate on my PS4 PRO is silky smooth and the graphics at times when walking through the woods look almost photorealistic thanks to a really good lighting engine. The gameplay is tight for the most part with some clunky mechanics here and there but certainly nothing game-breaking in any way. The story is actually quite fascinating as it feels like you're genuinely discovering something new while observing the behaviors and patterns of the creatures, and the environmental storytelling is quite great too with wreckage and other things you find on the island suggesting that you're far from being the first person to crash here as you'll even see old wooden ships coming from different parts of the world as well! really cool stuff. The crafting is deep and intelligently designed, and most of what you can make in your backpack feels like the ingredients used and the results make some real-world sense. Overall really good game if you've been craving a quality survival game!    … Expand
  15. RickyCombat
    Apr 29, 2019
    10
    Unbelievable game. Myself and my buddy finished it together, and we've been looking for something to fill the void since! I'd recommend trying not to spoil any of the story for yourself by wikipedia-ing anything about it, until you've completed it. Once I finished it, I felt like some of the mystery/wonder of the game wasn't there anymore. Definitely worth trying if you like survival gamesUnbelievable game. Myself and my buddy finished it together, and we've been looking for something to fill the void since! I'd recommend trying not to spoil any of the story for yourself by wikipedia-ing anything about it, until you've completed it. Once I finished it, I felt like some of the mystery/wonder of the game wasn't there anymore. Definitely worth trying if you like survival games in any capacity. Not as harsh as the Long Dark but definitely some similarities.… Expand
  16. Sehr_Wolf
    Feb 24, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Brilliant game. Cheap, but still a cool story. Poor ending though.. Chill to move around in the world and the building is epic. Possible to build bases almost without any restrictions. Some poor content regarding weapons. All in all highly recommended.… Expand
  17. FORREST_006
    Aug 5, 2020
    10
    This game is truly masterpiece now waiting for sons of forest . True love .
  18. Nextrow
    Jun 23, 2020
    7
    Very good good if you like survival games. One of the best games out there.
  19. 13thfriday
    Jun 26, 2020
    9
    Positives:
    Excellent Horror & Survival Mechanics
    Excellent Base Building
    Excellent AI
    Single & Co-op Options(CO-OP RECOMMENDED)
    Useful crafting

    Negative:
    Moderate Graphics
    Nothing guides you to finish story
    Feels aimless while playing solo after 20 hours of play
  20. Xatan
    Jul 7, 2020
    10
    I download it because it was on sale last month and it turned out to be the best investment I have ever done. This Game is incredibly beautiful and thrilling. Its Story mode is great and it's difficulty on the building system and how to get good items just adds up to its reality simulation. I love the fact that this game uses a real complexity at the time of surviving on a wild place withI download it because it was on sale last month and it turned out to be the best investment I have ever done. This Game is incredibly beautiful and thrilling. Its Story mode is great and it's difficulty on the building system and how to get good items just adds up to its reality simulation. I love the fact that this game uses a real complexity at the time of surviving on a wild place with threatening menaces surrounding you at all times while trying to achieve your escape or rule over the place. I love the game and it's design at its most!… Expand
  21. Forrest9999
    Jul 31, 2020
    10
    It's a great survival game . Love this so much . Waiting for sequel . It's a great
  22. Redfloda
    Feb 17, 2023
    3
    Still glitchy, every 5 minutes rain , rain and rain . You build a cabin but you still get wet . Lol . You have to build a fire place in the middle of the rain to stay dry?!haaahaaaahaaaa what a joke ! The AI is ver dumb and the cannibals are very annoying. In peace mode you still have the same problems with the rain and the fireplaces. A cabin nor a boat that should can give you shelter,Still glitchy, every 5 minutes rain , rain and rain . You build a cabin but you still get wet . Lol . You have to build a fire place in the middle of the rain to stay dry?!haaahaaaahaaaa what a joke ! The AI is ver dumb and the cannibals are very annoying. In peace mode you still have the same problems with the rain and the fireplaces. A cabin nor a boat that should can give you shelter, can’t save you from getting wet. I played it for like 8 hours and I deleted it.… Expand
  23. GuiStrontje
    Dec 28, 2020
    9
    The forest is the perfect example of what a game should be: mysterious, clever, original, generous. The experience is giving emotions on a large scope, from happiness to fear. Enjoy finding lost items or flowers by a beautiful day with green grass and blue sky, until you're hearing a scream from far and realize, some steps getting closer, that yes you are chased. The night falling is aThe forest is the perfect example of what a game should be: mysterious, clever, original, generous. The experience is giving emotions on a large scope, from happiness to fear. Enjoy finding lost items or flowers by a beautiful day with green grass and blue sky, until you're hearing a scream from far and realize, some steps getting closer, that yes you are chased. The night falling is a constant concern.

    It can be considered as a masterpiece, but the game has still some issues: terrible controls, repetitive landscape, mediocre quality of polygons and textures, not talking about collisions, a few different enemies, a caricatural yet confusing final chapter.

    But overall, it's a "must-play" without a doubt. Special respect for the sound and music management. It's just perfect.    … Expand
  24. elcriticolatino
    May 6, 2021
    10
    es un excelente juego, sin mecánica tediosa y se hace divertido al jugarlo, es simple y divertido
  25. valente_nebula
    Aug 18, 2021
    9
    The Forest is an absolutely immersive experience, that will suck you in from the beggining to the very (quite unsatisfying) ending. Despite its many quirks, there is a beauty I have yet to find in another world. You will live inside this game for a few weeks, until you solve the enigmas that fill the island. Survival & hunting is quite satisfying too, although the combat system falls a bitThe Forest is an absolutely immersive experience, that will suck you in from the beggining to the very (quite unsatisfying) ending. Despite its many quirks, there is a beauty I have yet to find in another world. You will live inside this game for a few weeks, until you solve the enigmas that fill the island. Survival & hunting is quite satisfying too, although the combat system falls a bit short when facing tougher enemies. Free yourself of any expectations and give it a go... it may blow your mind.… Expand
  26. CtHx
    Jul 24, 2022
    0
    0 for no russian translation on PS. (on PC they have it). I think this is stupid.
  27. Haris_k
    May 25, 2023
    3
    These kinds of games aren't really my cup of tea, so naturally I didn't have a great time.
  28. uoKAOS
    Oct 20, 2022
    10
    Very amazing game, love to play to this game with my brother. Big fan of survival games since day one and this one doesn't disapoint me at all!!! Would recommend this game to anyone who truly loves the genre! Go for it, it's worth it!!
  29. Nikolaz13
    Feb 23, 2023
    10
    El juego es muy bueno el lore es god no solo el principal de que caes en la isla y te raptan a timy , otro punto fuerte es que es un juego que es adictivo su bariedad de monstruos es demasiada
  30. aczinoepc
    Dec 18, 2022
    8
    The Forest is a hard survival game but with a good variety of mechanics, crafts and builds. Its a good survival game, probably the best one to play on PS4. It is most enjoyable with friends.

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Best PS4 Game of 2018
86
#86 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Impulsegamer
    Dec 11, 2018
    82
    The Forest is a true test for anyone playing. Thank goodness Eric is supplied with a guide book showing home how to effect craft, and show him just what is needed in the wilderness. Pay heed to this book as it is going to save your skin over and over again. I would contend that there are so many challenges in this title that gamers who do complete through to platinum (on PS4) can and should brag about it. It will be no small feat.
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  2. PlayStation Universe
    Nov 25, 2018
    95
    Nerve-wrackingly terrifying, highly polished and boasting one of the cleverest takes on the survival genre in years, The Forest is one of finest survival horror titles available.
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  3. Vandal
    Nov 23, 2018
    73
    The Forest is a very good surviving game, although now some of its mechanics feel a little bit updated. However, this PS4 version is a great way to enjoy one of our favorite survival games.
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