Green Hell
Creepy Jar
It seems like every time I turn around, there’s yet another survival game being released. And that’s really no surprise. If you take a quick gander at Steam, you’ll see a veritable plethora of survival title plastered everywhere. Some of them are of the newer variety, like little chicks that have just been hatched. On the other hand, there are heaps upon heaps of survival (and survival horror) games, such as 7 Days to Die and Osiris: New Dawn, that seem to be stuck in perpetual Early Access hell.
One survival game that really piqued my interest was Green Hell. Its developers Creepy Jar promised a new kind of survival game. One which took survival to the next level and made surviving the game’s environs much more realistic. For instance, instead of a little indicator popping up on your HUD telling you that you’re infested with leeches, in Green Hell you actually have to physically check each of your body parts in order to determine in leeches are attached to you or not.
I really had high hopes for Green Hell and hope dearly that it wouldn’t get stuck in Early Access hell, like so many other games before it. Luckily, Creepy Jar stayed right on point with their release schedule and have just officially released Green Hell Version 1.0.
1.0’s new Story Mode is the most anticipated feature of the update. Story Mode will test more than just your survival skills (as if that isn’t hard enough); you’ll have to traverse new areas of the treacherous Amazonian Forest map in order to find your lost girlfriend, Mia. I only wish that Mia hadn’t been voiced by what sounds like a young lady with a really bad Valley Girl and Uptalk accent—like…come on?
Green Hell is an excellent example of how well Steam Early Access works for developers. A year after hitting Early Access and the full release adds the long-anticipated story mode. It successfully stands out in the overcrowded survival genre by smoothly blending story and survival.
The new Story Mode eases you into the deadly Amazonian Rainforest gradually. You’ll learn the basics of survival games 101, such as food, water and shelter. You’ll also encounter many of the denizens—some hostile, some docile—and get a feel for which ones you shouldn’t mess around with. Let’s just say that you definitely don’t want to try to pet a jaguar.
I liked this sort of semi-tutorial because it makes getting acclimated to this ultra-dangerous world much more merciful. There are so many ways to die in Green Hell that I’m sure other will appreciate this new mode as well.
Here’s a rundown of the Green Hell 1.0 Update as well as the features of the new Story Mode.
Story Mode — Just how did you end up in the Amazon and why are you there? What happened to your girlfriend with the annoying voice and accent, Mia? Is there a way for you to escape? Will you survive? You must seek out the answers to these questions, but doing so will take you to the brink of sanity as embark on your quest.
New Map Areas — The lush Amazonian Rainforest just got even bigger with new Wetlands area for you to explore. You can also access and all-new in-game map.
Perma-Death Difficulty Level — For the truly foolhardy out there, gear up and head out for the game’s most dangerous challenge yet. There’s no coming back once you expire.
New Graphics Options — Optimize your visual experience with new FOV, Vsync, antialiasing, texture quality, and even shadow distance options.
New Plants and Animals — Introducing the Banisterposis Caapi , the psychosis-inducing Psychotria Viridis, and the lethally poisonous (yet cute) Dart Frog.
Decay Timer— Many of your items in the game will now begin to wither and decay. You’ll have to be extra vigilant and learn how to use these items before they expire.
Green Hell has just gotten bigger and bolder. An already challenging game, Creepy Jar has allowed for the truly brave to test their mettle in the harsh environs of the Amazon Rainforest. However, they’ve also allowed the new Story Mode to gradually acclimate you to the game before throwing you off the deep end.
SCORE: 85%
Green Hell has some pretty nice looking graphics that make its survival-based gameplay truly shine. However, you want to have a pretty beefy gaming PC or gaming laptop in order to play it at a decent framerate. So, you may just want to invest in a decent gaming rig:
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