The Forever Winter Early Access Review – A Flawed But Decent Extraction Shooter

After diving deep into the chilling, post-apocalyptic world of “The Forever Winter“, I must say that this Early Access gem has left me both terrified and captivated. As an old-timer who’s seen his fair share of wastelands and fought against the odds, I can honestly say that this game has managed to strike a perfect balance between tension and beauty.

After the debut of “Escape From Tarkov,” the extraction shooter category has predominantly been dominated by multiplayer games. Although many aspects of this genre involve battling AI opponents, much of its allure stems from the anxiety players experience due to the constant threat that another player could secretly infiltrate their area, swipe their hard-earned loot, and kill them before they’re even aware of the intruder’s presence.

It’s intriguing to note that not many developers have explored the possibility of creating engaging single-player or cooperative experiences within the extraction shooter genre, despite its potential appeal. Instead, these games often prioritize player versus player (PvP) elements, leaving those who prefer playing alone without worrying about other players feeling somewhat overlooked and underserved.

Players who have previously played games such as Escape From Tarkov will find the main gameplay mechanics of The Forever Winter to be reminiscent and quite similar.

Title “The Forever Winter” is a recent one, debuting in September as an Early Access launch by experienced developers at Fun Dog Studios. They aim to cash in on the individual-player and teamwork aspects of extraction shooters by intensifying the suspense through a darker, more horror-themed visual style. In “The Forever Winter”, players assume the role of a humble scavenger with minimal possessions beyond a gun and ammunition. Their mission is to venture into a post-apocalyptic landscape, devastated by war to such an extent that it’s indistinguishable who emerged victorious.

In the game The Forever Winter, the central play mechanic will be reminiscent for players who have played games such as Escape From Tarkov. Scavengers embark on assignments from various factions and venture into one of several maps, with a sole goal: accumulate loot, whether it’s new weapons, ammunition, or essential supplies like water. If you die during these expeditions, you lose almost everything you were carrying, including any high-end weapons you might have chosen to bring. Gradually, through each mission, players can expand their arsenal, acquire passive abilities that enhance performance with specific weapon types, and upgrade their equipment, making future missions smoother.

“Dying on one of these excursions means you lose pretty much everything you were carrying on you”

As a gamer immersed in The Forever Winter, I’ve noticed that the gameplay loop evolves in such a way that what once seemed like an insurmountable horror, battling regular foes, becomes merely a minor hurdle, easily overcome with a few well-aimed shots. However, as my character gains strength and skill, so too do the missions ramp up in difficulty, pitting me against formidable adversaries like tanks and even mechanized suits.

Regarding the real-time gameplay, The Forever Winter could benefit from some refinements. The base combat system works fine, but lacks the expected polish given that most of the encounters in this game are long-range. If players don’t advance far enough to purchase a new sight replacement, they may struggle with accuracy. Moreover, the hit indicators sometimes seem incorrect because they factor in elements like bullet drop. This can lead to situations where you’re unsure if you’ve hit an enemy until it’s too late – they’ve heard your shot, summoned reinforcements, and are now targeting you.

Instead of it feeling too harsh at first, the progression seems quite satisfactory. Initially, you’re equipped with very weak weapons, but as you delve deeper into the game’s diverse stages and undertake tougher missions, you’ll find yourself wielding better weapons. These improvements come not only from loot drops, but also from your base’s vendors who consistently refresh their inventory.

In the game, the AI behavior of the enemy can be unpredictable, sometimes demonstrating advanced strategies like attempting to expose your hiding spot, but at other times, they may charge straight towards you, offering easy targets for precise headshots.

As the player becomes stronger, the missions gradually become increasingly difficult, requiring you to confront formidable opponents such as tanks and mech suits.

Collaborating with another player significantly reduces the challenge level of The Forever Winter game. Playing cooperatively offers numerous advantages such as shared loot, increased carrying capacity during missions (which grows with the number of players), and the ability to strategize and tackle enemies more effectively together.

In “The Forever Winter,” an intriguing twist is introduced concerning one of the fundamental resources players search for: water. Initially, water is the most valuable resource you can acquire for your base, with numerous upgrades becoming accessible only when you reach a specific water threshold. However, water is not just crucial in the game; it’s a scarce commodity that continually decreases. The game includes a large screen to monitor the number of days’ worth of water remaining. Remarkably, this scarcity persists whether you play or not; even if you pause your game, your water levels will dwindle. If the water supply reaches zero, the phenomenon known as “Water Death” is triggered.

Originally in the game several months back, experiencing “Water Death” essentially signified defeat, forcing you to start anew, discarding all progress made during your gaming session, including character advancement, collected items, and base equipment. While the Water Death concept was initially intriguing, many players voiced concerns about being penalized for taking a break from the game for weeks or even a month. Eventually, the developers adjusted how this mechanic functions to address these concerns.

You can significantly reduce the challenge level of the game by playing together with someone else.

In terms of overall structure, The Forever Winter seems robust, excluding its water mechanics. Initially, it’s quite tough, but as you make successful extractions, your character becomes stronger. This empowerment enables you to explore and upgrade various aspects of your character, such as enhancing aiming skills and boosting SMG damage, for instance. Additionally, these upgrades can also enhance utility, like increasing your carrying capacity, enabling you to gather more items during a mission.

As I compose this critique, “Water Death” signifies a situation in which a player who has no remaining water supply will face their base being attacked when they resume gameplay. By successfully defending their base against this assault, players can avoid Water Death. Unfortunately, if you fail to defend your base, you’ll need to begin anew. It’s worth noting that the present iteration of Water Death is a significant improvement compared to its earlier versions because it now provides players with an opportunity to retain items they’ve worked hard to acquire, even when they succumb to this mechanic.

This modification in Water Death’s functioning as a game mechanic underscores one crucial feature of The Forever Winter: the development team appears to be attuned to the desires of its players. Though the notion of a resource that diminishes even when the game isn’t being played is an idea the studio seems fond of, their responsiveness to player concerns about losing all progress unintentionally suggests they are also keen on making other enhancements to the game.

“The studio does seem to have an ear on the pulse of what its players want.”

As a gamer, I’ve been diving into this game that offers an intriguing mix of diverse characters and a richly detailed universe with a deep backstory. However, for all its captivating elements, it’s hard to ignore the telltale signs that it’s still in Early Access. The action itself is thrilling and suspenseful, but there’s a certain rigidity to the gameplay that I can’t help but notice.

The game “The Forever Winter” excels in its artistic design, creating a post-apocalyptic world that is both beautiful and chilling. Despite not relying heavily on blood and gore for decoration except for certain rooms within the base, the game still manages to evoke fear in players through various elements such as enemy designs and the environment itself. The eerie movements of some enemies, the ongoing war that continues mysteriously, and colossal entities like giant AI automatons contribute to a visual experience that is as captivating as it is unsettling.

In plain language: The Forever Winter openly acknowledges that it’s currently in Early Access, but instead of being held back by this status, it thrives on it, consistently adding improvements and new elements via updates. Although the game is relatively new, its rapid response to player feedback in revising one of its core mechanics, as well as the developers’ focus on player preferences, indicates a promising future for the title. It delivers an intense single-player or cooperative experience, with high stakes because losing even once can mean you lose all your valuable loot. Combined with stunning visual design and a chilling atmosphere, The Forever Winter is certainly a co-op shooter that fans should watch closely.

This game was reviewed on PC.

2024-12-21 20:11

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