There are few games I'm more curious about than The Forest, and every video I see about it only makes me want to find out more. Though there's no new video on the survival-horror game, but new gameplay and story information that emerged from an interview with Endnight at Eurogamer today fills in some interesting details.
To start with, Endnight Creative Director Ben Falcone says that The Forest will have a story and a proper ending, but that both of these will be completely optional. Falcone assumes that some players will choose to pursue them while others will focus on survival alone. The story is there, he says, with clues that can explain the nature of the enemy mutants on the island, for example, but it's up to you to find them and put the pieces together.
Falcon's description of these mutants and their behavior was also interesting. Rather than acting like dumb, evil monsters, they'll display caution and empathy for each other. They won't rush you and explode like Minecraft Creepers. They may follow you from afar, call for backup when attacked, and mourn their friends you've defeated.
If you looked at the Steam store lately, you may have noticed that we are in the midst of a rather large wave of games that are clearly inspired by DayZ and Minecraft. Between, Starbound, Rust, 7 Days to Die, Nether and others, there's no shortage of open-world survival games to choose from. The Forest seems similar as well, but its visuals and focus on single-player horror stand out.
In the first trailer for The Forest we saw the direct aftermath of the plane crash that leaves you stranded on the inhospitable island. In the second , we saw parts of the crafting and building systems, and also some combat.
Endnight is hoping to release an alpha early this year. It says that it's considering a multiplayer and cooperative mode, but that its focus for now is the single =-player. To find out more read Eurogamer's full interview .
