The Forest
Publisher:
Endnight Games
Developer:
Endnight Games
Platforms:
PC
Genre:Survival Horror
Release Date:2014
The Forest is an upcoming independent Survival Horror Adventure video game set in an open Sandbox world that is currently in development by Endnight Games (End Night – iOS), formerly known as SKS Games on the cross platform game engine Unity for Microsoft Windows.
The game currently has no scheduled final release date, it will instead be developed to completion and released through the Steam Early Access scheme. On May 22nd of 2014, The Forest will be released in its alpha stage on Steam.
Development
The Forest is an open world survival horror video game that is set in a large forested sandbox world that is generated by the Unity 4 game engine and can be operated with full Oculus Rift VR support. While we don’t know the exact date that development began, it was announced on June 14th of 2013 that The Forest was successfully Greenlit on Steam.
On December 11th of 2013, it was announced through Steam that the games first alpha build release was expected to arrive early in 2014, although slightly later than initially expected, the game does have an alpha release date set for May 22nd of 2014. An experienced development team are in control of the title which has been called an “ambitious open-world horror game”. Coming from a varied background of respectable work such as the hit films The Amazing Spider Man 2 and Tron Legacy, the games’ visual influences are many and diverse.
Developer David Miranda developed an impressive skin shading system specifically for The Forest which will allow the game to have a more life like depiction of how light interacts with characters skin and materials in the game world. As the team mostly come from a visual effects background they were excited about new technology and lighting and shading techniques. Realism and immersion are said to be two important factors for the development team.
The game is also being developed with the intent of implementing Oculus Rift support to further increase player immersion, since the Facebook acquisition of Oculus and their Rift device there has been no news of this implementation being scrapped. There has been rumours of a multiplayer component being added to the game, but there is no confirmation yet.
Story
While not much information is available regarding the games plot, we do know this much. Players will take control of an unlucky survivor of an aeroplane crash that wakes up in the wreckage of the plane on an island that is inhabited by cannibals that kill out of necessity to eat rather than any actual evil intent.
Gameplay
Gameplay in The Forest is handled from a first person perspective and from the moment the player begins the game in their plane wreckage the task of survival begins. Whilst you may survive on what was on the plane for a short while, resources will start running out and the player will need venture out into The Forest. Here is where the crafting system will kick in which involves making a spear. The gameplay mechanics involve setting up fire to protect you from cold and base building.
Players must ensure they obtain drinking water from lakes to stay alive and protect themselves from dehydration. Cannibals that inhabit the island seem to act in a largely nocturnal manner, meaning that the player is safer during the day giving them plenty of prep time for the ever closing night. The Forest will indeed have an “ending”, but the developers want it to be a non essential part of the game, saying that some players will get so involved with just surviving that the actual ending will be lost on them.
Characters
Little is known about the characters in the game, presumably to better allow for the player to imprint themselves upon the in game character.
Player Character/Survivor – The main players character is the sole survivor of a plane crash which leaves him stranded in a cannibal ridden forest.
Cannibals – Although these cannibals are trying to kill the player as a source of food, they aren’t inherently evil. Showing compassion to their comrades, crying over the death of friends and even protecting others from your attacks.
Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.