There aren’t a lot of games coming out that are truly about survival against the elements, and while The Forest does have some cannibalistic adversaries to be concerned with, it varies from the heavy dose of zombie titles that currently fill the survival-horror genre.
Currently available via early access on Steam, we wanted to take a closer look at this title, and in doing so, discovered that surviving even your first night is an overwhelming task. With that in mind, here are some tips to make sure you don’t survive a plane crash, then die all alone in a forest a few hours later.
A Rough Landing
When the game begins, you’ll be smack dab in the middle of a plane crash, with genuinely disturbing sights and sounds. As you finally gain control of your character, spend a few minutes searching in and around the plane, being absolutely sure to pick up the axe sticking out of a dead stewardess laying in the aisle. The axe will not only be an essential tool in creating a shelter, but also in fending off those who might wish to eat you.
Location is Everything
Our advice would be to immediately start looking for a location to build a shelter. To do this, head for the coast, then look for some high ground. The elevation will give you a better view of the area, and keeping your back a few feet from the edge of a cliff will eliminate 180 of a possible 360 degrees that you could be attacked from.
How to Build a Shelter in The Forest
When you find a place that looks like it might be ideal to hang your hat, press the B button on your keyboard to bring up the in-game manual, then look for the Hunting Shelter. By selecting it, a ghost image of it will appear and allow you to place it on the ground. Do this, then start scanning the area for the six sticks, four rocks and four logs required to actually build it. Some of these items will require you to chop down trees with your axe, but it’s worth it given that the shelter will allow you to restore your energy, hide from cannibals and even save your game.
Building a Fire
Once you have your shelter taken care of, it’s time to build a fire. It should be noted that cannibals don’t like fire, therefore it’s essential to get this taken care of before nightfall when they are bound to come looking for you. Fires can also be used to regain some energy and even do a bit of cooking. Open up your in-game manual and place your fire, then locate the seven leaves and two sticks required to build it. When you’re done, think about building several standing fires that you can also find in your in-game manual. Place them where you want, then find the three sticks and three rocks to craft them. Place these bad boys all around your camp the same way you would a perimeter fence.
Finding and Preparing Food
One of the more basic types of food you’re going to find are berries, but they can be poisonous if you don’t know what you’re looking for. We suggest consulting the in-game guide if you find some, but in general, you can eat the indigo colored ones, just not the black ones.
Beyond that, it is possible to fish and even kill animals that you can then prepare on a fire. To do this, you’ll need a spear, which you will generally find near ponds or even the ocean. With that in hand, head to a body of water and look for swimming fish. Once you spot some, spear one and you’re well on your way.
These tips should easily get you through your first and even second night. If you’d like to try The Forest, you can Purchase It in an early access stage on Steam.
