Forest Reigns is a STALKER-style FPS in which Paris has been conquered by sentient trees

I’m equally excited and disheartened by Forest Reigns, feeling both exhilaration and letdown following the release of the announcement trailer. As a lover of unusual forests, or any forest for that matter, I’m intrigued by the idea of a first-person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic Paris overrun by sentient, angry trees. The fact that it’s being developed by a team headed by a former S.T.A.L.K.E.R. developer, who are renowned for crafting excellent apocalypses, makes it even more enticing. However, the video trailer implies a game where you primarily use the agitated foliage as a means of finding “spontaneous” cover and setting up terrain traps, which seems a bit limiting. Take a peek.

Forest Reigns – Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer

In the game’s description on Steam, it’s clarified that the dominant forest isn’t merely a component of the setting, but rather an autonomous entity with its own wishes and goals. You will engage with this entity to uncover its secrets, employ it as a means to defeat adversaries, or endure its consequences as it responds to your decisions. As of now, your choices primarily revolve around “shoot it/not shoot it”. However, the trees expressing displeasure when shot feels somewhat unsophisticated in terms of portraying complex “desires and intentions”, considering that I don’t necessarily want to communicate with them, but their aversion to being hit by AK-47 rounds doesn’t strike me as particularly mysterious.

It seems there might be hints of Gaia theory at play, yet the actions of setting off fiery, luminescent substances or manipulating plants to attack enemies appear similar to Far Cry’s explosive oil drums and predators that can be lured. However, this isn’t necessarily a drawback as it could lead to building a stronger bond with the trees than a gameplay overview might suggest. Here’s hoping for more depth in the final product.

This game appears to be linear rather than an open world, yet it boasts of being non-linear and mission-driven, offering multiple factions for both alliance and rivalry to influence diverse story endings. Additionally, it features a crafting system and an array of customizable firearms, some of which might even resemble wooden creations, though that seems questionable given the trees’ perspective. Quite inconsiderate, wouldn’t you agree?

Forest Reigns doesn’t have a set launch date yet. In the meantime, let me guide you through the foliage by discussing other games centered around trees. The most ominous one that comes to mind is Darkwood. It portrays the trees in Forest Reigns as menacingly as Sonic The Hedgehog’s cute geometric palms seem in comparison. There’s also Witch Strandings, an intriguing tribute to Kojima from Strange Scaffold, and Roots Devour, a future title where you play as a tree that consumes blood.

2025-01-15 20:25

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