Forest Hills: The Final Year – A Resurrected Good Horror Film from 2018

Undaunted Games, the developer behind Forest Hills: The Last Year, aims to achieve a rare feat by successfully launching an asymmetrical horror game that remains popular for years to come. Games like Prop Hunt, VHS, Evil Dead, and Friday the 13th have been popular in the past but are no longer as trendy.

The longevity of games like Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Killer Klown from Outer Space, and Hunt: Showdown is yet to be determined by time. Undaunted Games will attempt this by undertaking an unprecedented endeavor. The company aims to revive a video game that ceased to exist in 2021. It’s time to reminisce about the past.

Developer Unfazed by Previous Challenges

James Matthew Wearing launched a Kickstarter campaign for The Last Year in 2014. The developers requested a humble $50,000 CA. A total of $114,711 CA was raised by 4,099 supporters. This was when Dead by Daylight began its development.

The game’s Alpha version was launched in 2016 by Elastic Games. In 2018, Last Year: The Nightmare was exclusively launched on Discord’s gaming platform. Following the platform’s failure, Last Year: Afterdark was quietly released on Steam. In the year 2021, Elastic Games shut down.

When one opportunity is lost, another opportunity appears. On April 1st, 2023, the Last Year’s Official X Twitter account revealed that the game would be making a comeback as a free-to-play title on Steam, being developed by Undaunted Studios. Undaunted Games is currently in the process of reviving Forest Hills: The Last Year. The studio remains fearless despite past challenges, continuing work on this intellectual property.

Gameplay of The Last Day in Forest Hills

This game features five survivors against one killer in an asymmetric multiplayer survival horror setting. The killer’s primary goal is to eliminate, while the survivors must safely flee in a truck after completing specific tasks. The emphasis in gameplay was on decision-making instead of pursuit.

Since killers were intentionally made to be slower than survivors, attempting to pursue a cheerleader through a cornfield would be less effective compared to how it is portrayed in films. Instead, murderers would activate predator mode to disappear/appear in dark areas of the map in order to either eliminate survivors individually or attempt to kill them all at the same time.

Survivors collect various items to ensure the escape truck functions correctly. Choosing to resist is also a possibility. Although it is challenging to defeat a killer, the Survivors have the ability to create weapons to eliminate them. The murderer can impede the advancement of the Survivors in various ways. A map is powered by a generator. If there is a problem with the generator, the whole map will be plunged into darkness, requiring flashlights to navigate effectively in low light. The generator can only be repaired by a single group of survivors. Is the survivor class better off going solo and facing the risk of death or sticking together as a group?

Forest Hills: The upcoming year will feature improvements to the content from the previous game. Earlier models include just five survivors and four killers. Survivors had the option to take on the roles of Scout, Assault, Technician, Medic, and Support. Every class is symbolized by a typical high school stereotype. Forest Hills will include seven individuals who have survived and seven individuals who are responsible for causing harm. The previous year included maps set in a school. Forest Hills is depicted on maps throughout the municipality.

The team also has a plan stretching into 2026, promising additional maps, survivors, and killers to come. In order to bring this dream to fruition, developers are assisted by Sean Schemmel, famous for his role in the DragonBall series, serving as a voice-over director. Both Andy Belanger, an illustrator and wrestler, and Frank Tieri, a comic artist, are also involved in the development of the game.

The Issue of Harmful Effects

All multiplayer games grapple with the issue of toxicity in one way or another. The creators of Forest Hills: The Last Year are highly aware of this and are actively seeking a solution to prevent hate from arising in the first place. The initial method is via the game’s tone.

Many asymmetrical games tend to focus on the more serious aspects of horror. Forest Hills aims to replicate the atmosphere of cheesy horror films from the 1990s. This is evident in the layout of some of the survivors. A female character shows off a large headband on her head. The characters in the sequel also adhere to the typical high school clichés seen in the original game.

Another way is by being light-hearted. During a Gamespot interview, Brooke Eyler mentioned that they are emphasizing humor and light-heartedness. And hopefully, the light-heartedness can elevate it above any toxic elements that may be present underneath.

The third aspect is the game’s setup. Brooke compared Forest Hills to other asymmetrical games by mentioning that killers must go to great lengths to eliminate the survivors. This can ruin the enjoyment for both the survivors and the players acting as killers. Being a survivor involves both collaborating and competing. It is hoped that these three options will eliminate any toxicity before it starts.

Forest Hills: The Final Year is situated in a positive location. More and more asymmetrical horror games are gaining popularity. There are already several other options available in the market to Dead by Daylight. The previous Last Year game had a dedicated fan base that created a mod to keep playing together when the servers were closed. Developers are striving to eliminate toxicity. The game is engaging and enjoyable to play while also being educational to learn.

In horror films, it’s never safe to assume the murderer is deceased. The Last Year may be gone, but don’t think the game is dead. No, it is currently being revived as Forest Hills: The Last Year. Everyone is aware that this makes a murderer even more lethal. Forest Hills: The Last Year will release in October 2024 and will be launched on consoles in 2025.

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