The Forever Winter is clearly an anomaly in today's videogame landscape:
Here we have a game that has taken the stance of going all the way with what it sets out to do, both artistically and in terms of gameplay, without giving in to any market concessions.

And because of this, because of this discourse, this game is invisible in the mainstream press. It's a total injustice, given that the game's qualities, even though it's not really in beta stage, are undeniable and moving in the right direction:

Art direction/Lore:
I'll start with this point, because it's the most striking: It's a post-apocalypse dystopia, but not in the direction of Mad Max or Walking Dead: take Terminator, add a touch of “BLAME!” (or any of Nihei's works) and “Sons of Man”, and you've got a nightmare as rarely concocted.
The atmosphere is heavy and oppressive, the air full of despair and darkness, and you're a looter whose main objective is to... survive.
You know all those soldiers we've played through our favorite games? You know, the heroes and heroines of action war games? Well, imagine even crazier versions of them, sent out onto a battlefield, slaughtering the enemy and any scoundrel standing in their way, even on sight.
See the scoundrel? Well, that's you.
You won't be the main character in this story.

Gameplay:

This is a third-person shooter where you can switch to first-person shooter to aim accurately.
Although the characters seem heavy at first (depending on the archetype chosen), you get used to them, and the shooting sensations are pleasant.

You select your character from 5 basic archetypes (a 6th is in work in progress):
- Old Man: specialized in healing
- Scav Girl: Scout with phenomenal speed, but shaped like a sheet of paper. Able to spot loot at longer-than-average range.
- Maskman: Weapons specialist, able to handle any weapon. Can spot evacuation points at a longer than average distance.
- Shaman: A jack-of-all-trades, with an eye for speed. Stronger than Scav Girl, but a little slower.
- Bag Man: the game's tank and heavyweight carrier: can carry items in larger quantities, and specializes in heavy weapons.

These archetypes can level up, as can the weapons you use.
As far as characters are concerned, leveling up will increase the archetype's general stats (health, speed), while weapon-related xp will enable you to upgrade them with more possibilities and thus maximize their effectiveness.

Now for the flow of the game:
You select a map and an entry point.
Once on the map, there will always be an active battlefield that doesn't care about you at first.
Your goal is to get around it as quickly as possible, loot like a bastard/slut (but then really ... and water first.), try to complete your objectives if you have missions in progress, AND GET THE ♥♥♥♥ OUT!
You won't win.
There will always be someone stronger than you on the map. So, at the slightest opportunity, at the slightest suspicion, at the slightest NOISE that seems suspicious (helmets are a must), you scram.

Period.

If you make it back to the evacuation point, you get all your loot and xp.

If you die, you just get your xp and weapons back, the rest is lost. (You can, however, get your weapons back in the field if you return to the location of your body.)

Stored water goes into your reserve, essential to the survival of your base of operations (water at zero = LOSS OF ALL BASE IMPROVEMENTS. YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN ... but water isn't hard to find. And in case it does, you keep the XP of your archetypes). Other uses for water are to be expected in the future.

With the items and weapons you don't use, sell them to merchants!
These merchants belong to the different camps in the game, and you should be careful about your in-game reputation, because the more you antagonize them, the more items you'll be able to buy, and the less interesting ones you won't be able to access.

This reputation can be influenced by three points in the game:
- The missions of each faction, which, once successfully completed, give you access to monetary rewards, items, weapons and reputation.
- Killing units from one faction or another has a BIG impact! If your missions don't involve killing, think twice before shooting.
- Sell items to merchants (also works).
This money will be used to buy weapons, weapon parts, ammunition, healing and other goodies, as well as to upgrade your base.
Basically, it's the lifeblood of the game, along with water.

One thing to bear in mind: the game is in early access, in the most exact definition of the term “early access”:

Cracking under the enthusiasm of their growing fan base after their closed beta, the developers decided to release the game in early access, with all that that implies.
So, many aspects are still to be worked on, some maps are not yet available, as well as units, bosses, various and sundry bugs... But the developers are working like demons, and are really listening, trying to make Q/As to answer as many questions as possible from players, and solve what can be solved.
And when you see what we've already got, it's really impressive.
So, hats off to Fun Dogs for getting it right the first time.

So, really, for that price, this singular proposition in the world of extract-shooters (which presents increasingly interesting projects), if games with “hardcore” difficulty don't scare you, and you're in the “advised viewer” category, then go for it, really.
And don't forget to talk about it, because what's happening with this game right now in the mainstream press (or not happening) is abnormal.

Edit : truly, this game is a gem who needs to be crafted.

The Forever Winter is clearly an anomaly in today's videogame landscape: Here we have a game that has taken the stance of going all the way with what it sets out to do, both artistically and in terms of gameplay, without giving in to any market concessions. And because of this, because of this discourse, this game is invisible in the mainstream press. It's a total injustice, given that the game's qualities, even though it's not really in beta stage, are undeniable and moving in the right direction: Art direction/Lore: I'll start with this point, because it's the most striking: It's a post-apocalypse dystopia, but not in the direction of Mad Max or Walking Dead: take Terminator, add a touch of “BLAME!” (or any of Nihei's works) and “Sons of Man”, and you've got a nightmare as rarely concocted. The atmosphere is heavy and oppressive, the air full of despair and darkness, and you're a looter whose main objective is to... survive. You know all those soldiers we've played through our favorite games? You know, the heroes and heroines of action war games? Well, imagine even crazier versions of them, sent out onto a battlefield, slaughtering the enemy and any scoundrel standing in their way, even on sight. See the scoundrel? Well, that's you. You won't be the main character in this story. Gameplay: This is a third-person shooter where you can switch to first-person shooter to aim accurately. Although the characters seem heavy at first (depending on the archetype chosen), you get used to them, and the shooting sensations are pleasant. You select your character from 5 basic archetypes (a 6th is in work in progress): - Old Man: specialized in healing - Scav Girl: Scout with phenomenal speed, but shaped like a sheet of paper. Able to spot loot at longer-than-average range. - Maskman: Weapons specialist, able to handle any weapon. Can spot evacuation points at a longer than average distance. - Shaman: A jack-of-all-trades, with an eye for speed. Stronger than Scav Girl, but a little slower. - Bag Man: the game's tank and heavyweight carrier: can carry items in larger quantities, and specializes in heavy weapons. These archetypes can level up, as can the weapons you use. As far as characters are concerned, leveling up will increase the archetype's general stats (health, speed), while weapon-related xp will enable you to upgrade them with more possibilities and thus maximize their effectiveness. Now for the flow of the game: You select a map and an entry point. Once on the map, there will always be an active battlefield that doesn't care about you at first. Your goal is to get around it as quickly as possible, loot like a bastard/slut (but then really ... and water first.), try to complete your objectives if you have missions in progress, AND GET THE FUCK OUT! You won't win. There will always be someone stronger than you on the map. So, at the slightest opportunity, at the slightest suspicion, at the slightest NOISE that seems suspicious (helmets are a must), you scram. Period. If you make it back to the evacuation point, you get all your loot and xp. If you die, you just get your xp and weapons back, the rest is lost. (You can, however, get your weapons back in the field if you return to the location of your body.) Stored water goes into your reserve, essential to the survival of your base of operations (water at zero = LOSS OF ALL BASE IMPROVEMENTS. YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN ... but water isn't hard to find. And in case it does, you keep the XP of your archetypes). Other uses for water are to be expected in the future. With the items and weapons you don't use, sell them to merchants! These merchants belong to the different camps in the game, and you should be careful about your in-game reputation, because the more you antagonize them, the more items you'll be able to buy, and the less interesting ones you won't be able to access. This reputation can be influenced by three points in the game: - The missions of each faction, which, once successfully completed, give you access to monetary rewards, items, weapons and reputation. - Killing units from one faction or another has a BIG impact! If your missions don't involve killing, think twice before shooting. - Sell items to merchants (also works). This money will be used to buy weapons, weapon parts, ammunition, healing and other goodies, as well as to upgrade your base. Basically, it's the lifeblood of the game, along with water. One thing to bear in mind: the game is in early access, in the most exact definition of the term “early access”: Cracking under the enthusiasm of their growing fan base after their closed beta, the developers decided to release the game in early access, with all that that implies. So, many aspects are still to be worked on, some maps are not yet available, as well as units, bosses, various and sundry bugs... But the developers are working like demons, and are really listening, trying to make Q/As to answer as many questions as possible from players, and solve what can be solved. And when you see what we've already got, it's really impressive. So, hats off to Fun Dogs for getting it right the first time. So, really, for that price, this singular proposition in the world of extract-shooters (which presents increasingly interesting projects), if games with “hardcore” difficulty don't scare you, and you're in the “advised viewer” category, then go for it, really. And don't forget to talk about it, because what's happening with this game right now in the mainstream press (or not happening) is abnormal. Edit : truly, this game is a gem who needs to be crafted.