The Cursed Forest Review

Take a walk on the wild side in this new version of a very fun (and scary) adventure

Category: Review
Written by: Cindy Kyser on March 26, 2019
Genre: 3D Horror Walking Simulator
Developed by: KPy3O Noostyche
Published by: Noostyche
Release Date: February 26, 2019
Platform: Windows

In 2015, Russian developer KPy3O released a horror adventure called The Cursed Forest which was well received by the gaming community. They then joined forces with Nootstyche to recraft their game using an updated version of Cryengine. The storyline was expanded, the graphics enhanced, and new features were added.

In February of 2019, The Cursed Forest was re-released. I tend to shy away from horror titles because my survival skills under pressure are less than stellar. However, the release trailer did not appear to involve weapons or too many creatures with murderous intentions, so I decided to give it a whirl.

This adventure starts with a phone call and a road trip. One gets the impression that you have received upsetting news and are rushing to be with loved ones. Your trip takes you through a shadowy forest and the sudden appearance of an apparition sends you careening off the road. You awaken and begin a hair-raising journey, on foot, through The Cursed Forest. At its heart, the game is a 3D exploratory romp through the woods with jump-scares (and plenty of them!). It is an extremely interesting walk/run/crouch/jump with lots of objects to examine and places to explore. There are multiple paths to follow and the landscape is eerie and diverse. You trek along twisting paths, enter dark corridors of stone, cross creeks, swim in lakes, teeter along rock ledges, and jump through dank marshes. You find abandoned houses, campsites, and items left behind by prior visitors. The game is fairly forgiving for adventurers such as I who do not have perfect coordination and, although I died often, I never lost heart.

The story is told through a series of notes that are strewn along your route. As you collect and read them, a narrative begins to take shape and you learn that the forest has dark secrets. You also sense that you may have a role to play in this tale. Shadows cross your path and you occasionally collide with dark forms. It is obvious that you are not alone in the forest and that strange forces are at work. This, coupled with an occasional surprise from a large forest animal, kept me on my toes. KPy3O has done a marvelous job of creating a game environment that is both captivating and startling.

There are sets of bones, crystals, and artifacts that you discover and collect. In each segment of the game, you are told how many objects exist in the segment and how many remain undiscovered. There is an occasional inventory item to find and use such as a key to unlock a door or gate and a mysterious teddy bear. There are also flames to light that provide explicit save points (in addition to the automatic save on exit).

The endgame is very satisfying as the story concludes in a way that makes sense and validates your journey. If you’ve done everything right, peace is restored to the forest.

It took me just under 5 hours to complete my journey and I enjoyed every minute I spent in The Cursed Forest. I explored every path I could find, located every required item, and avoided most obstacles (although I did step in a few bear traps along the way!). My only complaint is that sections of the game are very dark (as in the absence of light) which was a struggle at times.

This new version of The Cursed Forest was a delight to play and I became totally immersed in it. The forest is a dark, creepy place and the feeling of suspense and dread it creates is reinforced by an outstanding original soundtrack (which will be released as a future DLC option). Kudos to the composer of the music, who is not explicitly identified in the game’s credits. Overall, the game is just extremely fun to play and should not be missed by those who love a good adventure.

Grade A-

+ A complicated forest created with great attention to detail + Soundtrack and graphics create a very immersive environment that will keep you on high alert + Diversity of places to go and structures to explore keeps things interesting + Compelling original soundtrack – Very dark scenery makes it difficult to navigate at times

Trailer: