The Forest, developed by Endnight Games, is a survival horror set on a remote island overrun with cannibals. Eric LeBlanc, the main protagonist, crash lands on the island during the opening of the game. As if things weren't bad enough, a cannibal immediately enters the wreckage and takes Eric's son, Timmy.
To save Timmy from being killed by cannibals, Eric needs to come up with a way to survive. Outlasting The Forest requires the player to create an effective base, acquire the necessary survival tools, and of course, locate a reliable source of both food and water. Finding food is relatively easy, but sourcing clean water can take a bit more effort.
The Importance Of Clean Water
Eric awakens shortly after his son is taken into the woods and learns that no one else survived the crash. With no one else competing for food, Eric can feel free to take whatever sustenance survived the landing. The food on the plane respawns after a set period, so it can be a great source of nutrition, depending on where the player chooses to build their base. However, those who wish to explore the island's far reaches will need to devise a more reliable means of acquiring sustenance.
Food and be obtained easily by picking berries and hunting animals. If the player is desperate enough, they can even cook the limbs of the cannibals they encounter, but this isn't the healthiest way to survive. Clean water can be quite difficult to obtain at the beginning of the game as the player will not yet have the required resources to obtain it. There are two ways to get clean water in The Forest, but one method is much easier than the other.
Boiling Polluted Water
Eric will happen upon many ponds throughout his journey to find his son, but drinking from them will have an adverse effect on his health. Thankfully, collecting this polluted water and boiling it will remove its toxins. To boil polluted water, Eric will need to find an Old Pot. There are five Old Pots spread across the map, but the easiest one to find is located on the coastline northwest of the yacht at an abandoned campsite.
Once the polluted water has been collected, the player will need to boil it by placing its container on top of a Basic Fire or a Fire Pit. After approximately thirty seconds, the water will become purified and will no longer have any adverse effects when consumed. Boiling contaminated water is a great way to stay hydrated, but there is a simpler method.
Collecting Rainwater
The easiest way to get fresh water in The Forest is to create a Water Collector. The player will need to collect four Sticks and a Turtle Shell to create one, but it's worth the effort in the long run. Turtle shells can be obtained by scouting a beach, finding a turtle, killing it, and removing its hard exterior. Once done, the option to create a Water Collector will become available.
The best thing about the Water Collector is that the player doesn't need to do anything to make sure it works. The empty Turtle Shell will automatically fill up with clean water whenever it rains, so Eric can feel safe in the knowledge that he no longer needs to go out of his way to stay hydrated. This passive means of water collection makes it so the player can focus primarily on searching for Timmy.
The Forest is available on Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4.
