Green Hell
- September 5, 2019
- Creepy Jar
- 19h median play time
+ Superb atmosphere + Enthralling story + Multiple game modes + Allows players to play at their own pace + Accessible - A couple of bugs - Manual saves only at fixed points - Combat doesn’t add much
"Green Hell is an open-world survival simulation set in the Amazonian rainforest, where you must fend for yourself with no outside help. Using real survival techniques, players build shelters, craft tools, and hunt for food, while facing threats from wildlife, illnesses, and traps. The game also simulates the psychological effects of isolation, adding an extra layer of challenge to this intense wilderness experience."
Reviews
- story6,067 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in "Green Hell" has received mixed reviews from players, with many praising its depth and emotional impact, while others find it predictable or lacking in clarity. The narrative follows Jake Higgins as he searches for his wife in the Amazon rainforest, intertwining survival mechanics with a compelling storyline that includes psychological elements and unexpected twists. While some players appreciate the immersive storytelling and character development, others criticize the pacing and the reliance on exploration to uncover plot details, suggesting that the survival aspects can overshadow the narrative experience. Overall, the story mode is seen as a significant strength of the game, offering a unique blend of survival and narrative that keeps players engaged.
“The story is amazing and I love how in-depth survival is, even when it's downright frustrating at times with how hard it is.”
“The story mode is immersive and well written, providing a compelling reason to explore the world and find out more about what happened.”
“The story was captivating! I didn't expect it to be so engaging, and it kept me on the edge of my seat until the end.”
“The story is just not good.”
“The storyline is mediocre; it's very well done in practice!”
“The story was so stupid that I feel it was appropriate to single them out.”
- gameplay2,292 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Green Hell" is characterized by its challenging and immersive survival mechanics, requiring players to manage hunger, thirst, and health while navigating the dangers of the Amazon rainforest. While many players appreciate the depth and realism of the mechanics, including the unique injury inspection and nutrition systems, others find the gameplay cumbersome and frustrating due to a steep learning curve and occasional bugs. Overall, the game offers a rewarding experience for those who enjoy complex survival challenges, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its demanding nature and some clunky mechanics.
“The gameplay itself is fun, diverse, and requires some effort.”
“The survival mechanics are robust, requiring players to manage hunger, thirst, and health while crafting tools, building shelters, and foraging for food.”
“Its deep, realistic mechanics, combined with the stunning, immersive setting of the Amazon rainforest, make it a standout experience for fans of survival games.”
“Sluggish gameplay and optimization.”
“The entire menu system is cumbersome, the crafting interferes with gameplay, and the whole thing just seems like a grind to make small progress.”
“The gameplay loop is as dull as sucking a rusty nail, avoid trying to die literally all the time from the lack of macronutrients, while moving forward on the storyline.”
- graphics1,395 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Green Hell" are widely praised for their stunning realism and attention to detail, effectively bringing the dense Amazon rainforest to life with vibrant flora and fauna. Many players appreciate the immersive atmosphere created by the visuals, although some report performance issues and graphical glitches that can detract from the experience. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered excellent, optimization remains a concern for players with lower-end systems.
“As you navigate the dense jungle, the game's stunning graphics bring the lush environment to life, complete with vibrant flora and fauna that create a truly atmospheric experience.”
“The graphics are absolutely stunning, the gameplay super realistic.”
“The attention to detail in the visuals is nothing short of breathtaking, making every moment spent in the game a visual treat.”
“Currently the graphics are bugged to the point that it is ruining the game experience.”
“The visuals are mediocre at best (yes, even at high settings) with Green Hell looking worse than The Forest did 10 years ago.”
“The game did a terrible job of establishing any mood or atmosphere, due to a combination of awful graphics, mediocre voice acting, and the extreme jankiness of all animations.”
- grinding449 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in resource gathering, crafting, and building mechanics. While some appreciate the realism and challenge it brings, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the gameplay feel more like a chore than a rewarding experience. Overall, players suggest that the game requires a significant time investment, often leading to frustration due to its cumbersome mechanics and lack of quality-of-life features.
“You'll need a second life for grinding, reincarnation level.”
“Resource gathering is not that grindy while building takes time, a good balance in my opinion.”
“I have only played the game for a few days now, and so far I'm loving it. I'm hoping the updates keep coming. I am very intrigued with survival/crafting/building games; it's just so hard to find one that has good crafting and building and doesn't become too mundane and repetitive. Finding one that is fun and not grinding and boring is hard, but I think Green Hell has some awesome potential.”
“It's just... boring and tedious.”
“The game is very grindy and it can get frustrating at times but to me that's a positive because it makes you really have to play it more to get what you want.”
“The survival aspect of this game can be tedious but the story drives you forward and there's a decent payoff when you complete the story.”
- stability342 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting significant bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer mode. Many users have experienced game-breaking problems, such as disappearing items, freezing, and crashes, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. While some players noted minor glitches that did not severely impact their enjoyment, the overall consensus is that the game remains in a buggy state, reminiscent of early access titles, and requires substantial improvements from the developers.
“Multiplayer runs great and the story still works.”
“The story mode was extremely fun and I encountered no glitches even while playing with my friends.”
“For an early access game, I ran into no glitches and was able to run the graphics on their highest setting.”
“The game started out buggy and has only gotten more unplayable with each patch.”
“How buggy it is when playing with friends, they freeze in place and tell me they're still moving when they're clearly frozen, and it appears this has been a problem in the game for over 3 years, horrible development team when you've had over 3 damn years to fix a simple bug.”
“This game is buggy as hell and I don't know how it made it out of early access.”
- optimization310 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 35 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frequent stuttering, frame rate drops, and crashes, even on high-end systems. While some users have noted improvements after updates, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization to enhance the gameplay experience. Despite its potential and engaging mechanics, the current state of optimization detracts from the enjoyment for many players.
“Finally, I fixed it and it runs smoothly.”
“It's a good survival game and it's really well optimized; I don't have the best of computers, so I was really surprised that it runs so smoothly!”
“Performance is very well tuned and works without problems at full details even on older PCs.”
“The game has horrible performance and is fairly jank.”
“It's extremely poorly optimized (like I'm pretty sure it's what's been making my PC crash so often lately), very irritating, kinda gross, somehow still mildly addicting.”
“The worst Ryzen optimization I've ever seen, control problems, on Ryzen 4800HS and GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q, 30 FPS on low graphics.”
- atmosphere193 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and realistic depiction of the Amazon jungle, enhanced by stunning graphics and detailed sound design that evoke a sense of tension and danger. Players feel a deep connection to the environment, experiencing both the beauty and the peril of survival in a dense, vibrant setting. Despite some technical issues, the overall atmosphere is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, making it a standout title in the survival genre.
“The atmosphere is so immersive that you truly feel like you’re alone in the heart of the jungle, struggling to survive.”
“The game's lush, detailed environment is its strongest asset, creating a truly captivating atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere and sounds are amazing - it's kept me engaged.”
“The game did a terrible job of establishing any mood or atmosphere, due to a combination of awful graphics, mediocre voice acting, and the extreme jankiness of all animations.”
“The atmosphere is horrible; I played this on hard mode.”
“Looks awful... no atmosphere and lousy animations.”
- music105 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating the atmospheric soundtrack and its effective use during key moments, such as combat and storytelling. However, some users noted that music is sparse throughout the gameplay, which can detract from the overall immersion, while others highlighted the quality of ambient sounds and voice acting as significant strengths. Overall, the soundtrack is considered good but could benefit from more frequent integration into the gameplay experience.
“Both the ambient storytelling and the more cinematic sequences that move the main plot along are very well done, and the visuals, soundtrack, and audio design for them are very effective.”
“The developers really paid additional attention to the music during combat, hunting, and relaxing, ensuring this game is as realistic and exciting as possible.”
“The game's sound design is also excellent, with realistic animal noises and atmospheric music that enhance the immersive experience.”
“I would love to hear music from time to time in the game, not just when there is a special event.”
“A few music pieces, but music was noticeably missing in most of the game.”
“Sounds and music are a negative score from me; sound and music is what sets the mood in most games, and this game was lacking music and sounds.”
- replayability104 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its high replay value due to impactful choices and various modes, while others criticize its limited replayability once the story is completed. Many suggest that the lack of random generation and variety in gameplay can diminish the experience after multiple playthroughs. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replay, such as survival modes and challenges, the consensus indicates that it may not offer the same depth of replayability as other titles in the genre.
“The choices you make have a real impact on the story, offering infinite replayability.”
“This game has so many mechanics that it makes it nearly infinitely replayable.”
“The game also features a story-driven campaign and various survival modes, such as a 'permadeath' mode that adds to the game's replayability.”
“I think we're close to finishing the game and unfortunately I'm not sure there will be much replay value.”
“Love the survival part and feeling like lost in the jungle, but the replayability felt limited once you finished it and knew the story.”
“The biggest thing that this game struggles to achieve is replayability.”
- emotional103 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- -2 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its deeply engaging and heartbreaking storyline, which resonates with players and often elicits strong emotional responses, including tears. Many reviews highlight the narrative's ability to blend survival mechanics with a compelling story, creating an immersive experience that leaves players reflecting on their journey long after playing. While some critiques mention issues with pacing or predictability, the overall sentiment is that the emotional depth and impactful storytelling significantly enhance the gameplay experience.
“Players are drawn into the emotional journey of the characters, with story-driven quests that add depth to the survival gameplay.”
“The story is deep, emotional, and honestly quite depressing once you start to figure out what's happening, but damn is it good.”
“The story mode is absolutely beautiful, full of stunning scenes and a heart-wrenching narrative that after finishing it, instantly had me wanting to play again.”
“The story is boring and not very well written.”
“The emotional moments feel forced and lack depth.”
“I didn't connect with the characters at all; their struggles felt superficial.”
- humor94 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often described as hilarious, particularly in multiplayer settings where players can laugh at each other's misfortunes and absurd situations, such as dying from infections or encountering quirky wildlife. While the comedic elements, like exaggerated character reactions and unexpected glitches, provide initial amusement, some players feel that the humor can wear thin with repetition, especially during frequent survival tasks. Overall, the game successfully blends challenging mechanics with a lighthearted tone, making it a fun experience for those who appreciate its quirky humor.
“From homing capybaras, killing them because you forgot to clean their poop, to running across the rainforest desperately trying to figure out how all the maps connect, this game is the most haphazard, difficult, yet hilarious survival game I have ever played.”
“I found Jake quite funny; he will shout curses when trying to light a fire (every time), and the panic in his voice when you break a tool is quite amusing.”
“One of the things I enjoyed the most about Green Hell was playing with friends and watching each other die in hilarious ways.”
“I've died so many times to infection it's not funny.”
“There is so much potential for this game, it's not funny.”
- monetization11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 55 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is generally praised for its lack of paid DLCs and microtransactions, with many players appreciating the continuous free updates. However, some users express skepticism about the game's long-term value, suggesting it may ultimately feel like a cash grab despite its initial promise of a complete experience. Overall, while the absence of aggressive monetization tactics is noted positively, concerns about the game's depth and longevity persist.
“Additionally, the game has no paid DLCs, offers a lot of free updates, and continues to receive updates without any microtransactions or anything like that.”
“In a world of microtransactions and lists of a dozen+ DLCs, Green Hell has delivered a complete experience that continues to grow for less than half the price of one that you have to buy fragments of for a year.”
“It is really great to see teams who put in this much work without gouging prices or asking for microtransactions (there aren't any).”
“All in all, boring after only a few hours and it comes off like a cash grab.”
“Nice cash grab devs.”
“The roadmap shows it's a cash grab, nothing more will be added.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development for its depth and originality, highlighting how it enhances the overall narrative and complements the game's engaging setting and survival elements. The strong storytelling is noted as a significant strength, contributing to a well-rounded experience.
“The setting is great; I enjoyed the character development, and the survival elements were a great challenge to nail down at first.”
“Amazing story! Kudos to the creators for making such an original narrative without sacrificing any plot or character development.”
Critic Reviews
Green Hell Review
Green Hell delivers a unique experience in the survival genre and adds a strong storyline on top. The impressive sound design immerses players in the rainforest through soft sounds and terrifying predators.
85%Green Hell review
Green Hell is the best survival game I’ve played since The Long Dark. It respects your time, doesn’t treat you like an idiot, and expects you to learn from your mistakes.
85%Green Hell Xbox One Review
Green Hell is off the charts; possibly the best survival simulator ever made, with the best marriage of an incredible story and game play style.
28%