How deep will you venture in The Sinking Forest – 沈む森? A couple of hours’ worth, methinks. So, if you have a dicky ticker or a habit of filling your underwear when encountering jump scares, know that the ordeal won’t be for long.
I have mixed feelings about this game. While the tags indicate that it’s a survival horror, which it is, I’d say it’s more on par with a walking simulator. Now, before you think that’s poo-pooing it (why would that imply a negative?), it’s the levels of interactivity that make it feel on rails and limited in scope.
The story begins when you head to your sister’s apartment, as she’s gone missing and nobody is doing anything about it. The Sinking Forest – 沈む森 has a slight P.T. vibe to begin as you tiptoe through the abandoned shithole of a home (nobody leaves pot noodles on shelves), looking for lights and clues, and hearing your person mutter ‘Fuck’ at the beginning of almost everything he says.
The dialogue isn’t so bad, but there are a few sketchy phrases and mixed languages in the menu. This is a solo effort, and budgets are limited, so if you’re overly critical and find fault in everything, leave this alone and make your own game. Of course, you could do better. I can’t make a game, so I admire how this looks and feels to begin with.
As an ex-pat, I get a bit nerdy about Japanese representations in a game, as they’re so cliché. The setup is alright, but as the locale changes, it’s a little out there. This is the bit where we find out @TonyDevGame has lived in Japan since those weirdo monks set up their commune. And there we have our premise.
Through a bit of snooping through emails, we discover that your sister, Sayuri, is a bit of an amateur urban myth hunter and is in pursuit of an area where monks have practised some truly barbaric mumification processes. Not that mumification is glamorous to begin with. We follow the breadcrumbs, enter a not-so-secret area, experience a brief Indiana Jones slide scene, and then we’re in the land of the dummies.
The survival horror element you get from The Sinking Forest – 沈む森 is two key things: the fear that something bad will happen, and reanimated mannequins, or angels, that protect the area and may or may not be after you. Again, not a developer, but the mannequins seem weird and arguably an easier option for animating? But stick with it, and there are a few more nasties that are very animated.
So, sneaking is one option; the other is picking up an urn, lighting it, and throwing it at the enemies. This is great for clearing an area, but getting caught leads to insta-death and them reappearing all over again. At least the lighter and torch available have infinite energy. This isn’t only a godsend because the game is dark, but it also means you aren’t scavenging for batteries.
This mechanic that The Sinking Forest – 沈む森 employs is decent and means you’re more likely to see this through than most games of its ilk. It has a good atmosphere, the presentation is excellent, and it’ll hopefully serve as a cautionary tale not to snoop around and just rely on the police. Who cares if it’s your sister?
Some of the puzzle elements are a little out there, and there’s no handholding. The first hurdle was at the very beginning of the game, where I couldn’t open a simple door or move some boxes without them frantically twerking. The game sort of utilises a two separate action button setup, which, once you’re familiar with it, no longer poses a problem. Another factor is the lack of objectives, though dipping into your inventory, your diary actively updates with some relatively clear information. This then frees up real estate for you to admire the excellent visuals once more, and resign to the fact that the mannequins of The Sinking Forest – 沈む森 aren’t as vacant as they appear.
