My emotions about Forest Reigns are equal components enthusiasm and disappointment, inflation and deflation, straight off the again of the announcement trailer. On the one hand, as a fan of bizarre forests, which is to say all forests, I am eager on the prospect of an FPS set in a post-apocalyptic Paris that has been overrun by sentient, pissed-off bushes. It is from a staff led by a former S.T.A.L.Ok.E.R. developer, too, and people S.T.A.L.Ok.E.R. alumni actually know how you can publish a superb apocalypse. Then again, the announcement video suggests a recreation during which you’ll principally deal with the frenzied flora as a supply of “emergent” cowl and terrain traps. Take a look.
The sport’s reigning forest is not “simply a part of the surroundings,” intones the Steam web page, however “a acutely aware entity with its personal needs and intentions”. You’ll “work together with it to disclose its mysteries, use it for defeating enemies, or face its wrath because it reacts to your decisions”. Up to now, your decisions appear principally to encompass “shoot it/do not shoot it”. The bushes do not like being shot, which appears a bit elementary as “needs and intentions” go. I do not wish to speak to them, essentially, however their objecting to being pumped filled with AK47 rounds would not really feel very mysterious.
There’s the suggestion of some Gaia idea happening right here, however the act of blasting unstable glowy bits or luring vegetation into strangling foes simply appear like variations on Far Cry‘s exploding oil drums and baitable predators. Nonetheless, that is not essentially a foul factor in itself, and it is attainable you may develop extra of a relationship with the bushes than can actually be proven in an edited gameplay overview. Fingers crossed.
I do not suppose that is open world, nevertheless it’s marketed as non-linear and mission-based, with factions you possibly can cooperate or compete with to unlock completely different story outcomes. There’s additionally a crafting system and a wide range of weapons to switch and coo over. Hah, I wager a few of these weapons are made out of wooden, aka bushes. I wager the bushes do not like that both. So unreasonable.
Forest Reigns would not have a launch date. When you look ahead to one, let me attempt to lead you into the undergrowth with speak of different tree-themed video games. The plain and most horrible one is Darkwood. It makes the bushes in what I’ve seen of Forest Reigns appear like the lovable, geometric palms from Sonic The Hedgehog. There’s additionally Witch Strandings, a curious Kojima homage from Unusual Scaffold, and the forthcoming Roots Devour, during which you’re a tree that drinks blood.
