The Cursed Forest
- February 26, 2019
- KPy3O
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"The Cursed Forest Remake" is a horror-adventure game that takes you back into a haunted forest with enhanced graphics and a new storyline, using the updated CRYENGINE. The game now includes localization in Hungarian, Italian, French, Polish, and Turkish, all provided by dedicated fans. Embark on a chilling journey through the woods, overcoming obstacles and uncovering the mysteries within.
Reviews
- The atmosphere is very well-crafted, both spooky yet oddly cozy, creating an immersive experience.
- The game features stunning graphics and a captivating story that keeps players engaged.
- It offers a unique blend of humor and horror, with well-timed jump scares that enhance the gameplay.
- The storytelling relies heavily on scattered notes, which can disrupt the flow and immersion of the game.
- There are several technical issues, including crashes and bugs that can hinder gameplay.
- The gameplay can feel shallow at times, lacking interesting mechanics and a clear purpose.
- story166 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "The Cursed Forest" is generally praised for its captivating and atmospheric qualities, with many players finding it engaging despite some criticisms of its reliance on scattered notes for storytelling. While some reviewers noted that the narrative can feel clichéd or simplistic, others appreciated its emotional depth and the way it unfolds through exploration. Overall, the game offers a visually stunning experience complemented by a story that, while not without flaws, manages to keep players intrigued.
“The story is enchanting and in places immensely atmospheric.”
“The atmosphere, graphics, puzzles, genuine scares that made me jump out of my skin, creepy sections, music is amazing, level design is outstanding, story is interesting.”
“The story is carefully written and the sound effects and music work perfectly to create a hauntingly beautiful, but still creepy atmosphere with some almost fairytale-like qualities.”
“Yet, storytelling solely happening through scattered notes is unimaginative and often ruins the vibes you're into when you constantly have to stop and read.”
“The start was strong, intriguing, but then it all just turned into a walk-everywhere-pick-everything routine with no sense of danger or suspense, and a story that was turning more and more predictable with every page I found.”
“The backstory is bland and incoherent and leaves nothing to the imagination.”
- atmosphere127 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and beautifully crafted design, combining elements of spookiness with a cozy feel. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the graphics, sound design, and music, which enhance the eerie and engaging environment, making it a standout experience in atmospheric horror. While some find the gameplay simplistic, the overall ambiance and storytelling create a captivating and haunting experience that resonates with many.
“The atmosphere is very well-crafted, both spooky yet oddly cozy.”
“The game oozes with dark atmosphere, CryEngine 5 makes the game look very realistic.”
“The atmosphere, graphics, puzzles, genuine scares that made me jump out of my skin, creepy sections, music is amazing, level design is outstanding, story is interesting.”
“The atmosphere was so thick, you can barely breathe.”
“Instead of keeping the atmosphere creepy, the game just throws in some cheap jump scares that are mostly noise-based and the character heavily sighing.”
“Jump scare after jump scare with little to no atmosphere in between, an incredibly shallow and repetitive story.”
- graphics93 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning visuals, atmospheric lighting, and detailed environments that rival those of contemporary AAA titles. The use of CryEngine 5 has been highlighted as a significant factor in achieving these high-quality graphics, creating a beautiful and immersive experience, particularly in the horror genre. However, some users noted occasional graphical glitches and performance issues, particularly on certain hardware configurations.
“First of all, I'd like to say that the graphics are amazing, one of the most beautiful games I've ever played.”
“Absolutely gorgeous visuals and environments which are the highlight of the game.”
“The graphics and art style/direction really stand out about this game; it's actually really beautiful, especially for a horror game.”
“You know it's going to be a crap-fest when the opening screen is a list of issues that they cannot and/or will not fix (depending on the issue), known bugs, what graphics cards it doesn't work with, etc....but this isn't an early access game.”
“However there's times where objects were disappearing due to a graphical glitch and not a crafted horror experience even though the patch notes dictate it's been resolved.”
“All in all this game just feels like no one really put any thought into anything (besides graphics) and it was made with a 'let's get this over with' mentality.”
- gameplay45 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is primarily characterized as a walking simulator, focusing on exploration with minimal puzzles and mechanics, which some players find shallow and lacking in challenge. While the atmosphere and graphics are praised, many reviewers express a desire for more engaging gameplay elements and originality, noting that the experience can feel monotonous and underwhelming. Overall, the game offers a straightforward experience that may appeal to those who enjoy exploration and narrative over complex mechanics.
“This game is from 2019 but feels like a newer game graphically and mechanically still 5 years later and very fun.”
“Gameplay itself is your typical walking simulator with emphasis on exploration and no real puzzles, but I think it's what makes it fantastic and allows you to play without ever getting stuck.”
“Great graphics because of the CryEngine and sounds, fluid gameplay, decent story.”
“Gameplay is shallow, lacks interesting mechanics, and fails to give you a specific purpose.”
“There is absolutely nothing special about the gameplay.”
“A very generic story from start to finish; furthermore, there weren't any gameplay mechanics, it felt more like a walking simulator, nothing added or original to the story.”
- music38 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its beauty and effectiveness in creating tension and emotion. While the soundtrack is often described as excellent and fitting, some players feel it can be sparse at times, leading to moments of silence that detract from the experience. Overall, the audio design, including the music and sound effects, significantly contributes to the game's haunting and immersive ambiance.
“Great audio design, nice music, and well-written texts make the atmosphere even better.”
“The music and sound design overall is a highlight as well; I would recommend the soundtrack for sure as it fits the game very well and adds a lot of atmosphere.”
“The ending made me cry; starting the final level, the music was perfect as you were coming into morning again after a very difficult night, fear was being pushed back as daylight returned, and the music reflected that.”
“The music takes on incredibly random, dramatic scores throughout your progression, which more often than not leaves you feeling lost and confused.”
“On the other hand, the soundtrack leaves much to be desired as there is very little ambience, which leaves you to wander around mostly in silence; save for a few sound effects and an actual music track here and there.”
“The game gets better towards the end, and it also has a little more eerie soundtrack there, which was pretty nice (too bad most of the time you just have sound effects with no music).”
- stability17 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and glitches that disrupt gameplay. While some users experienced minor issues and found the overall experience enjoyable, others faced significant problems, including game freezes and rendering errors. Overall, the game is considered buggy, particularly as it is still in early access, but it features impressive graphics and storytelling.
“Super buggy.”
“It's alright but it's still buggy, and it's been a long time.”
“Game freezes randomly.”
- humor13 mentions
- 92 % positive mentions
- -15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a notable aspect, with developers incorporating lighthearted elements throughout the experience, balancing the darker themes with moments of fun and creativity. Players appreciate the blend of eerie atmosphere and comedic moments, particularly in the achievements and character interactions, although some found certain humor elements less effective. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm to the game, enhancing its appeal despite mixed opinions on specific instances.
“The developers obviously don't take themselves too seriously as there are humorous elements dotted through each of the five main sections.”
“The game world is lavishly designed, full of magic and creepy atmosphere, eerie music, fun jump scares, hilarious humor, and an unnerving mystery that slowly unfolds over the game.”
“The atmosphere, creative scares, humorous elements, and story all work together to make a really good game.”
“Not funny.”
“The jokes fell flat and lacked originality.”
“I expected more clever humor, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability, with many users noting that once completed, there is little incentive to play again. Most reviews indicate a playtime of only 3-5 hours, and while some enjoyed the experience, they felt that the lack of additional content or challenges significantly diminished replay value.
“Not a lot of replay value except for achievements, but I liked it a lot all the same.”
“But once I had everything, there really isn't any replay value.”
“But there's just not a lot of game here and pretty much zero replayability.”
“Unfortunately, the entire game can be beaten in 3-5 hours; not sure about the replay value.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while the atmospheric visuals and touching story evoke strong feelings, the flatness of the protagonist hinders deeper emotional connection. However, the game successfully elicits intense feelings of fear and ultimately delivers a moving, wholesome ending that resonates with players, particularly through its impactful music.
“Short but very atmospheric, also had a more wholesome ending than expected.”
“The game looks beautiful, the story is touching, the sound is great, achievements are fun, barely visible bear traps are annoying though...”
“The ending made me cry, starting the final level the music was perfect as you were coming into morning again after a very difficult night, fear was being pushed back as daylight returned and the music reflected that.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game offers a relaxing experience without the need for tedious grinding, allowing players to enjoy beautiful scenery and collect achievements effortlessly. However, some users find the pacing slow, likening it to a lengthy walking simulator. Overall, the game seems to balance immersion with minimal grinding requirements.
“It's a tedious forest walking simulator game with beautiful scenery.”
“Was the tediously long wait worth it?”
“Grinding immersion.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many users reporting significant performance issues and optimization problems, as noted in various forums. However, some players have experienced a smooth gameplay experience, maintaining a stable 60fps without crashes. Overall, the optimization appears to be inconsistent across different systems.
“As I see some of the other reviews seem to have some performance troubles, I have to say that I had no crashes and maintained a good 60fps while recording. It was a smooth experience for me.”
“Not optimized very well.”
“Optimization problems (reports on the forums).”
“Bad optimization.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is not a primary focus, with players advised not to expect the depth found in titles like Soma or Amnesia. While the plot is engaging, the characters themselves lack significant growth or complexity.
