Werewolf: The Apocalypse — Heart of the Forest Reviews

Short, lacking a bit in substance when it comes to characters and the central conflict, and such a beautiful depiction of the spiritual connection between the Werewolf and the ancient forest that it managed to make me cry. Werewolf: The Apocalypse is an RPG setting which centers the connection between the protagonist Werewolf and the natural world, both on a spiritual and material plane. And if you want a sense of that magical reality where you can not only sense a spiritual connection to the old forest but through showing it proper respect earning the favor of the [i]sublime being that is the forest[/i], Heart of the Forest delivers so well on that fantasy it's spectacular. God I really need to go outside more often. Overall I absolutely think this magical at what it does. The music and art accompanying the story does so much to elevate the atmosphere, and as long as you're in for the Werewolf: The Apocalypse kind of storytelling where we pray to the spirits of the world to give us the strength needed to fight for Mother Earth this is an exceptionally emotionally rewarding game. To me this really weighs out the shortcomings of the game. I've had one play through as of now at 3 hours, so it's a shorter game alright. Into these 3 hours is so much content packed that some of it certainly suffers. There's a character gallery that's relatively huge in scope, and the small amount of space some of the characters just feels so inadequate. However, the writing is really good at giving the characters distinct personalities and voices, so even though you definitely want to get [i]more[/i] of them they really feel like a group of unique people and not just a collection of names. Similarly the central conflict suffers from the briefness of the narrative. You're tasked with disrupting a borderline illegal logging operation, which can be done through peaceful protest, less peaceful protest or violent sabotage. I don't think the narrative gives enough matter to give the conflict and the agency you have within the narrative the weight it deserves. What's the often repeated Žižek line, "I want a movie that shows me the day after the revolution"? The story cuts off before you can get a sense what actually happens as a consequence of your actions, and the background and buildup does feel a little bit thin. That being said, it's still a very Werewolf: The Apocalypse kind of conflict, and it certainly makes you feel a whole lot for what is at stake. I can strongly recommend this game if you think you're going to be receptive to the story that is told.