A survival game in the jungle may not sound the most attractive and sexy, but once you try it, it is an incredibly immersive and enjoyable experience. Let me summarize my experience in a single sentence: Green Hell is one of the most immersive, realistic, and exciting games I have ever played, certainly in VR. Curious? Let’s take a look.
In Green Hell, You will play Jake, an unknown character set on an expedition to explore a remote Amazonian tribe that has never engaged with civilization. After brief lessons in lighting a fire and two other fundamentals, something extraordinary happens and you are left stranded deep in the jungle with no recollection of what happened. Your only aim is recorded in the diary: Find Help. You have no directions or hints as to how to do this; you must navigate your way through the environment and unravel its mysteries.
I chose to start the game in the “Welcome to the Jungle” mode, which is the third level out of five. Even with my previous experience with VR games, I continually found myself getting disqualified at first. The immersiveness of the game exceeded my expectations and made me wonder why it was so hard. The truth is that nearly anything in the game can be deadly: not finding food will mean starvation, eating without maintaining hygiene can lead to food poisoning, and consuming something forbidden might result in an upset stomach and vomiting. And let’s not forget that failing to build a shelter could leave you unable to save your progress! Despite all this, however, I still find it incredibly entertaining.
I was able to thrive and advance, only to be halted by a wound or infection I had no means of treating without establishing a shelter. This happened multiple times, however, the beauty of the game is that it never filled me with frustration; rather, it challenged me to attempt and succeed in future endeavors until I felt one with nature and confident in my capacity to overcome any obstacle. It’s an overwhelming yet deceptive sensation.
Beginner’s guide to survival
In order to survive, the game equips players with multiple items. These include a diary for tracking tasks, a plant guide that outlines what can be eaten and what will result in harm/death, and a map, as well as instructions for creating necessary tools, shelter, campfires, and weapons. Additionally, players have access to a smartwatch which provides useful information such as alertness status, nutrition, and a compass. There is also a backpack filled with objects, food, and weapons plus a walkie-talkie allowing communication with Mia who is in an unknown place. This conversation leads to advancing the story and conveying emotions such as fear, hope, worry, and happiness. Through their interactions, we can better understand the characters and our experience of the game.
As time moves quickly in the game, it’s worthwhile to take a break and set up a camp. This will provide you with shelter, a bed, and of course a fire to cook on, as well as a safe place to return to in case of an unexpected disaster. When it comes to nutrition, there are four categories – proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and liquids. To fulfill each of these categories you have various options available, for example, hunting for proteins and fats or finding mushrooms, bananas, and nuts for carbohydrates. Liquids can be easily found by collecting rainwater or from the juice of fruits. Don’t forget about coconuts – after drinking the liquid contained inside you can break them open and eat the fruit for additional carbohydrates and fat!
The game gives no quarter – it won’t provide assistance in your time of need. Prey will notice your struggle and take advantage, while hostile natives may attack. Under duress, you may even suffer hallucinations, adding a further level of complexity to the situation. Recognizing that you’re fighting a losing battle requires immense strength; survival may not be successful every time, but when it is you’ll experience immense satisfaction.
Jungle life
The game environment offers extraordinary detail: trees can be cut down and used for construction, fruits, and meat will rot after a certain period of time, dead animals may provide useful items, and the stars in the sky move according to the day-night cycle which affects the lighting and shadows in the jungle. This adds an added layer of realism that compliments the excellent graphics. Different areas have different characteristics; there are places with heavy rain enabling easier access to water sources while drier regions where staying hydrated takes priority over progressing the story. The natives also won’t take kindly to your presence and you’ll need to know how to fight with self-made weapons if you want to survive their attacks; they’re not especially smart but each hit may still cost you your life. After killing them, their remains can be used for food. Ultimately, it’s up to individual players’ discretion on how they react to the experience.
Animals come in a great variety – from tapirs to snails, birds, parrots, and crocodiles! – each species offering its own distinct nutritional values and psychological effects. The same can be said for plant life; with an array of trees and plants used for various purposes – from construction (palms and bamboo) as well as food in the form of nuts, mushrooms, and fruits – but some produce poisonous results providing caution must be taken. Engaging further with their environment players can create different sleeping areas, shelters, walls, cooking facilities, and more – detailing such information through a comprehensive guide within the game. This also offers advice on building water filtration systems, weaving instruments to sew seeds, traps, and other offerings needed to survive both in wildness and abundance.
At first, the game can seem a bit challenging to master, but designing the camp is delightfully enjoyable once you get over that learning curve. Crafting is part of the fun, and with the journal, you’ll find a crafting table that can be opened anytime without fuss – allowing you to craft different tools from axes to bandages. Furthermore, there are other objects you’ll come across throughout your journey which will help you reach new heights!
I Will Survive
Once you have perfected the art of survival, your attention can be focused on the game’s narrative. The map is vast and filled with sights to explore. The jungle is full of mystery, and I often felt as if I were playing Far Cry 3 minus guns – the sense of exploration was heightened. Additionally, Jake marks points of interest on the map but your exact location is not visible, so navigating by terrain features such as hills, rivers, swamps, and cliffs is the only way to get around. This gives a realistic feel to the game.
Mia’s dialogues, along with the psychedelic experiences, are crucial to remember your lost past (another feature taken from Far Cry). VR offers a great opportunity to take full advantage of these psychedelic journeys; colors and environment changing as you progress is immersed and engaging. The sound effects in the game are well-crafted and will let you know if any animals hide close behind you or if snakes rustle nearby. You’ll be able to make out wildlife making their way through the terrain, hear distant rivers with cascading waterfalls, and natives babbling and singing off-screen – all in correlation with the direction of the sound.
Almost nothing in the game is immune. In particular, there are moments when you might attempt to select a certain object but another is chosen instead. This can be particularly irritating when under attack, yet it’s an issue that’s ubiquitous across virtually all games where objects are close together. On top of this, combat mechanics are occasionally running into frustrations, particularly if death has occurred and there’s no guard around. AI is also lacking, with enemies often getting stuck in walls or simply running circles until they perish. Thankfully however these small hiccups make little difference when set against the grand scope of what the game provides in terms of detail and sheer volume.
Verdict: 9/10
Green Hell provides a seemingly real and immersive VR experience, making its players become hooked to their screens as they attempt the challenge of surviving in a harshly constructed jungle environment. It can be bought via SteamVR with Virtual Desktop or in the Quest store and played through Air Link. Its system requirements are basic.
Despite my initial skepticism, I ended up allocating myself hours per day of this highly experiential gameplay that kept me coming back for more. It may not sound like the most appealing game genre, but it is an impressive and entertaining journey once you’ve tried it yourself.
Pros
The game environment is great
Excellent VR graphics
A satisfying survival game
Deep dialogues
The sound design is commendable
Cons
Basic combat mechanics
The AI of the enemies is not convincing in the easier levels
