Survival video game The Forest was initially launched on Windows PC four years ago and yet, it is still popular among video game enthusiasts until now.
Thanks to its recent release on the PlayStation 4 and VR platforms, the title even offers a fresh, nightmarish gaming experience. Developed and published by Endnight Games, The Forest first hit the shelves for PC in May 2014.
Since then, The Forest has still gained a massive following and received a warm reception from the avid survival horror game fans. The development team has not rested on its laurels, however, and continued to provide updates for the game's fan base, including the free virtual reality (VR) support to the survival horror sim title in May 2018.
Endnight Games has not stopped to improve players' experience with the recent VR upgrade. It also released the new December 2018 update that features a new set of tweaks and bug fixes.
'The Forest' VR Upgrade
In a new review article published by PC Gamer, Samuel Horti wrote that the VR version is a go-between a clumsy port and brilliance of VR that can enhance the player's gaming experience. Horti pointed out how VR version made some things greater than the original, saying he likes the creative watch-based HUD in each VR game.
He added that the experience becomes even more horrifying and "atmospheric," although he feels the studio could not get away from the limitations of the base game where plenty of its VR elements seems to be "afterthoughts." This goes to show the degree of changes required when creating a video game for VR. The current VR version, he commented, was a more up-to-date accessory to the base game.
On the other hand, Ben Falcone, the game's creative director, said the VR makes the player's experience of the horror game feel a lot more realistic.
"You're instantly in the game and playing in VR from the first moment you turn it on, there are no tutorials, no forced missions. In our minds this makes it the perfect type of game for VR," Falcone said.
1.09 Update
Back in August, Endnight Games rolled out 1.09 update that introduced various improvements such as faster loading times for large save files. It also added a slew of changes that are intended for the VR version. For example, gamers can switch hands for melee weapons, an add-on feature that would help left-handed players perform things much easier.
The Forest receives a new update in early December, which includes loads of new content to the game. Although the December 2018 update did not initially come with patch notes, Endnight released a trailer giving a peek at the latest add-ons and changes.
Following its official launch on Sony's current-gen console early last month, it has already sold more than 5.3 million copies worldwide.
