The Forest: How much wood could a dear lord, run!

Beginning with a plane crash which places you as the sole survivor on an eerie wooded island and ending á la Don’t Starve when your lack of forethought catches up with you, The Forest is a game very much of the post-Minecraft generation. As such there’s a danger it’ll be overlooked by those who never saw the lure of slapping cows to bits in bright colours, but that would be a mistake.

Developer Endnight Games doesn’t want to make a more realistic version of Notch’s blockbuster. And despite the presence of a very real threat to your life, it isn’t trying to make DayZ either. The aim here is a more curated survival open-world, easy on the trekking and dehydration and heavy on mystique and player-driven narrative. There are things we could spoil about The Forest’s ‘plot’, which in itself says a lot about the way it’s positioned differently to other open-world survival fares. This is as much a game about understanding the new rules of the world you inhabit as it is about chopping down trees. 

“it’s a game about understanding the new rules of the world you inhabit.”

It released in early access form on PC to widespread acclaim, despite the obvious frayed edges. There’s even been some experimental multiplayer implementation, and while some form of online play has been touted for the PS4 version the details have yet to be nailed down. For survival gameplay with a sharper focus than most, keep an eye on this one.

I’m alright, lumberjack
How to turn timber into home sweet home

Building a shelter is survival 101, and The Forest’s take on the process is pretty fun. First, find a sharp object and use it to chop down a tree or two.

Miraculously you happen to have taken a survival guide with you. Flip to the shelter section and hit the build option to choose its location.

Now it’s a simple matter of gathering resources and watching that translucent wireframe turn into a den. It’s most satisfying.