In our preview for Werewolf: The Apocalypse- Heart of the Forest, I talked about the sudden demand for the Werewolf IP in the video game spectrum, how it tackles environmental issues, and my love for the WoD setting. After finally playing through the full game the past week, I’m glad that Different Tales was given the chance to make this reactive visual novel as it provided for a short but very enjoyable experience that tackles the real-life issue of the degradation of natural resources due to anthropogenic activities.

You play as 24-year old Maia Boroditch who is plagued by ominous dreams and traveling to a remote village in Poland to discover her bloodline’s dark past. For reasons unknown, she is drawn to Puszcza Białowieska, one of the last primeval forests in Europe is situated just outside the village. Most of the plot revolves around Maia exploring the various locales in and out of the village to find out more about her family while also taking part in the environmental protests surrounding the forest that’s gaining steam rapidly. Sooner than later, Maia discovers that she doesn’t come from your typical European family. What follows is a series of events that will shape her destiny as well as the fate of the Białowieża forest.

For a visual novel based on the WoD, Heart of the Forest nails the writing and atmosphere while tackling larger real-life issues in a meaningful manner that you don’t see much in games of this genre. The story is highly reactive, meaning that your choices have the gravitas to drive the narrative in different directions to make for a highly replayable experience. Sure, the characters aren’t really that memorable – but the real star is the Puszcza forest and the emotional synchronicity between nature and the Garou. Throughout the journey, players will get the chance to shape the personality and Auspice of Maia as well as the direction of the protests. The first hour of the game is easily the best, as it seamlessly transports the player to the eerie European countryside as well as introducing the ecological themes without coming across as a blatant political statement. The final sections of the game do feel a bit rushed and each playthrough clocks in under 3 hours. But, the branching storyline and permutations sort of make up for it. I also appreciate how noob-friendly the game is for newcomers to the Werwolf setting thanks to the context-sensitive glossary.

Complementing the narrative of Heart of the Forest is the superb audio-visual presentation. Each frame is presented to the player in the backgrounds of highly detailed abstract art on which consequent scenes are superimposed. It’s backed up by high-quality ambient sound effects and ominous music. Kudos to the art team and the sound designer for making each frame carry the mystic qualities of the source material. It’s easily one of the most aesthetically pleasing visual novellas I’ve ever played. I’ll let some pictures do the talking.

Since it’s based on a tabletop RPG, Heart of the Forest does try to incorporate elements from the source material in its choice-driven narrative. Rage, Willpower, and Health are the three main resources in the game – represented in the form of individual bars. The higher your Rage, the less empathetic you become and give in to your primal feelings. Willpower is the exact opposite – helping you keep your urges in check, as well as thinking rationally. Dialogue options give the player chance to spend or gain these resources. Complementing these are Personality Assessment skills such as Brave, Inspiring, Analytical, Spiritual, and Cunning. Each decision you make in the game affects the two attributes. as well as the proficiency of your skills – ultimately leading to the formation of specific character archetypes aka auspices, which determine the ways you can approach any character, obstacle, or situation.

There are also other reactive elements in the game such as your goals as well as your relationship status with various NPCs and the forces of nature. However, the main drawback here is that there are so many of these crammed into the criminally short campaign that the checks do not come up as often as you’d like. Furthermore, dialogue options do not telegraph Personality Assessment point gains effectively. It becomes a matter of choosing a dialogue option you like and seeing whether it gives you a point in the respective skill or not. Another complaint I have is more of a subjective nitpick – I wish there were more werewolf segments in the game. I don’t expect it to be a power fantasy at all, but seeing how you can choose from different Gaoru forms at one point makes me think that more could have been done with it. The story comes to a halt when things start to get really interesting as the game comes across as the first chapter in an episodic series. I hope Different Tales release a DLC that continues Maia’s adventures in the future.

Real Talk

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest is a short experience backed by high replayability and stellar audio-visual design. Don’t go in expecting a werewolf power fantasy and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The game instead tackles environmentalist themes by using Werewolf lore in an effective and thoughtful manner. I really hope Different Tales follows this one up with an even better Werewolf game.

FINAL RATING: RECOMMENDED