Green Hell

The survival game genre has had its fair share of hits and misses. You have the older classics such as Dayz, along with newer takes on the genre such as SCUM. If you’re going to introduce a new game into the genre, you better come with something fresh to get players excited. It’s safe to say that developer and publisher Creepy Jar succeeded with creating their own original spin on the genre in their release of Green Hell in 2019. Starting in early access on Steam, the 1.0 release in 2019 came with the introduction of a story mode. Shortly after came co-op update, as well as other content updates. Let’s get into what makes Green Hell a worthwhile addition to the survival genre.

Welcome to the Jungle

Most survival games take place near cities, with a forest or two, as well as open plains. Rather than follow this formula, Creepy Jar immerses the player into the dense Amazonian rainforest. That in itself is new to the genre, bringing its own unique obstacles and threats. Although there will be constant danger while venturing the rainforest, it’s hard not to appreciate the scenery along the way.

As you make your way through the game, they’ll be four important vitals to keep track of on your HUD. You have your food, which is broken down into three sub-groups: carbs, fats, and proteins. Then you have your water levels. If any of these vitals drops too low, you’ll lose health. If your health drops to zero, you either die or can be revived if playing co-op. The different types of food vitals is a unique take on the genre as you’ll be finding all sorts of different food to make sure those levels stay high.

Alongside food, water, and your overall physical health, you’ll need to stay sane. This is measured in the form your sanity level. If this drops too low, you’ll find yourself fighting not just the animals, environment, and tribespeople, but your own thoughts. These negative thoughts can lead to blurred vision and impaired hearing, also causing hallucinations. The last thing you want to do is eat raw food or skipping sleep as that lead to an even greater loss in your sanity.

Wait... What? Where Am I?

If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll know that most survival game lack a true story mode. The story in those games is usually what you make of it, which is great. However, Green Hell launched officially with a story mode that both doubles as a tutorial and a compelling adventure.

You play amnesiac American anthropologist Jake Higgins as he wakes up in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. At first, it starts as tutorial for the game’s mechanics, but as you progress through the game, you’ll learn bits and pieces of why you’re there in the first place. The story is actually very compelling, which is not what I had expected from a game in this genre. You’ll find yourself playing to the end just to find out what happens, along with the choice between two different endings.

Equally Beautiful and Dangerous

The Amazon rainforest is a great choice for a survival game. It’s actually a bit surprising that there hasn’t been a successful survival game based in a rainforest. Creepy Jar has really brought the rainforest to life in Green Hell. Although it’s not quite as beautiful as the newest next-gen games, I found myself stopping often to just enjoy the scenery. The jungle is lush and full of color.

Not too far behind is the game’s audio, which does a wonderful job of setting the mood. Once instance of this was while I was making my way through a stream, I heard a hiss that was starting to get louder and louder. As I sprinted out of the water, a snake had targeted me as the next prey to its venom. Luckily, I was able to escape and find shelter to regain my real-life sanity.

Pros

• Excellent story that is rare to find in the survival genre
• Unique take on survival mechanics
• Ability to play co-op
• Beautiful audio and graphics

Cons

• Can be a bit too slow at times due to so many mechanics
• No ability to play in larger servers with more people