After a four-year-long early access beta phase, The Forest was finally officially released in 2018, and gamers were impressed with the elements of exploration, the non-invasive but compelling story, and the freedom of the gameplay. But one of the most memorable aspects of The Forest was definitely the enemies that the player encountered.

With a few different enemy types to contend with, the player had to deal with a number of threats in their surrounding environment in addition to trying to survive on the remote peninsula. From cannibalistic tribes to deformed mutant humanoids, the constant threat of enemies encroaching on the player's base was a perpetual cause of tension throughout the game. The combination of unique enemy AI and terrifying designs helped to make The Forest a truly unforgettable experience, keeping players on edge as they controlled protagonist Eric LeBlanc on his search for Timmy.

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The Forest's Setting And Story

The Forest Game

Endnight Games' The Forest is a survival horror game with an open-world environment and non-linear gameplay. The protagonist of the game, Eric, finds himself stranded on a forested peninsula after he survives a plane crash. At first, it seems that he is alone in this unsettling environment, but it isn't long until the player encounters some of The Forest's other characters. While managing Eric's food and water gauges as they attempt to forage and hunt to ensure their survival, they have to gather resources to construct defensive bases to protect themselves against the enemies that prowl between the trees and in the subterranean caves.

In addition to fighting off cannibalistic mutants, the player must search for Eric's missing son who was taken after their plane crashed at the beginning of the game. Their search for Timmy reveals a shady underground lab complex owned by Sahara Therapeutics – a secretive research company whose experiments were responsible for the outbreak of mutants across the peninsula and are basically The Forest's answer to The Umbrella Corporation.

The Forest's Enemies Explained

The Forest Cannibals

For a horror game to be successful, it has to meet several requirements. It needs an intriguing premise and a compelling story that pulls in the player and immerses them in the world of the game, it needs effective sound design and unsettling environments, and most importantly, it needs creepy enemies for players to either run from or fight against. When a developer gets all of these elements in place, the game becomes more than just the experience of a few hours – it stays with the player long after they have put down their controller or switched off their screen.

While fast-paced enemies that run full-pelt towards the player in a slathering screaming horde can certainly be terrifying, it's when an enemy design adds something extra that they become truly unsettling. What makes the enemies in The Forest so effective at causing chills to run up a gamer's spine is that they don't immediately attack; at least not to begin with. They stalk, study, and surround the player with clear tactical strategies and adaptive AI. At the start of the game, most enemy types are barely hostile, but this soon changes as the player increases their base and encroaches on more of their territory. Nighttime also triggers more aggressive behaviors, and the combination of the growing darkness and the increased hostility is a classic formula to cause maximum terror.

The Forest's Creepiest Enemies

The-Forest-survival-game-cannibals-attacking-survivors

There are several enemy types within The Forest. The variety of cannibalistic mutants that patrol, skulk, and run about the forested areas are humanoid in appearance, but this does not mean their presence isn't unnerving. They can be male or female, pale, skinny, painted, masked, or "regular," with different types displaying differing behaviors and attacks. Undoubtedly the creepiest among these tribes are the leaders, often shown with decorative attachments like skulls held aloft above their heads on poles or severed limbs splayed out from their backs like some kind of hideous backpack. The sight of these cannibals is enough to strike fear into the heart of even the most hardened of players, but what makes them truly creepy is their behaviors. They can be hard to predict and can either be aggressive or more hesitant, strategic or more random.

While the cannibalistic enemies are unquestionably upsetting, the crown for the creepiest enemy has to go to their more mutated brethren: the Cowman, Armsy, and Virginia mutants. These more aggressive and disturbing antagonists are decidedly less human-like and sport a number of additional appendages that are not just fixed to their backs for decorative purposes. The often faceless, convoluted creatures are capable of inflicting much higher damage, and therefore the sight of them in-game causes more unease for the player. Their disfigurations are the exact definition of nightmare fuel, and once their presence in the game becomes more frequent as time passes, the snap of a twig or the rustle of leaves takes on much more sinister significance as the player is increasingly surrounded by these hideous enemies.

The Forest is available now on PC and PS4.

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