Summary

The Forever Winterwas released in Early Access on Steam on Sept. 24, plunging players into a post-apocalyptic world where an economic collapse has resulted in a never-ending war between factions, and supplies are scarce. Human-machine hybrids roam the land, leaving mass destruction in their wake, and lowly scavengers fight to survive against the harsh climate, deadly mechs, and Hunter Killers. With so much at stake, it’s easy for beginners to find themselves overwhelmed inThe Forever Winter, especially as there are so many treacherous enemies to evade and resources to keep track of.

For players going in blind,The Forever Wintercan be overwhelming. It’s not immediately clear whether players should skulk about and pickpocket from enemy compounds or go in guns blazing and kill everything in sight. There are also specific survival methods that make navigating the open-world environment much less strenuous. Beginners givingThe Forever Wintera try will no doubt find themselves making these rookie mistakes, but it’s best to avoid them for any hope of outlasting the tide of war.

Two characters sitting on the Ashen Mesa map with a dog

1Being Too Passive

Don’t Be Afraid To Get A Silencer

AlthoughThe Forever Winterdoes encourage stealth approaches to evade or take down enemies, there is such a thing as beingtoopassive.In a world ravaged by war, it makes sense that getting one’s hands dirty is part of the deal. While hiding definitely takes the edge off and avoids any unnecessary confrontations, it doesn’t guarantee survival. Trying to hide from everything only gets the clock ticking as to how fast the Hunter Killers can move into an ambush.

It’s worthwhile to get a suppressor — or a silencer — as soon as possible. That way, any enemies blocking the route can be dispatched without alerting others. It isn’t always possible to sneak around. There’s a common saying that “the only way out is through” and those principles apply inThe Forever Winter. Suppressors can be obtained from the Eurasian trader, Aramaki, once there is at least four days' worth of water — at which point he will join the base. Joining matchmaking could also alleviate some of the pressure, asThe Forever Winteris enjoyable alone, butit does become a lot easier with a helping hand.

The player being picked up by a mecha enemy

2Prioritizing Combat Not Stealth

Don’t Go In Guns Blazing

The Forever Wintercertainly markets its appeal based on combat scenarios, which is why it can be tempting to gun down everything in sight. However, this is counter-productive in the long run as it not only wastes supplies, but any attempts to take on multiple mechs at once will be fruitless. It’s important to learn how close the player can get to an enemy before they are alerted, which makes navigating patrolling enemies a breeze. There’s no need to run in head-first when it would be much more efficient to take low-level gear onto one of the maps and simply learn the surroundings.

The Forever Winterplays like a horror game with some engaging gunplay, but it still feels — first and foremost — like a horror game.There aren’t too many of those that let players fight back, as horror games typically encourage players to sneak around to survive. This is something worth bearing in mind going forward, as there’s much less risk in retreating to an area of safety as opposed to loading bullets into a mech that’s three times larger than the average human.

The player creeping up on a giant mech on fire

3Choosing Fight Over Flight

When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going

That being said, in scenarios where players are spotted by mechs, Hunter Killers, or flanked by faction squads,the safest bet is to flee. If the fight or flight instincts are kicking in, choose flight every time. It doesn’t reflect badly on players — especially beginners — to admit that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. There’s no harm in admitting that a situation is too heated and not worth the risk. That’s just smart gaming.

If combat is absolutely necessary to secure some resources and restock, then it’s worth taking out weaker squads, especially when moving through narrow areas without too many spots to duck and weave. If something goes deeply wrong, there’s always the option of retreating to a cleared area without having to worry about being flanked. Always keep in mind that it’s easier to run away and regroup than it is to suffer the bitter disappointment of losing items and being thrust back to square one.

The player creeping up on one of the female mechs

4Staying in One Place Too Long

Avoid Sightseeing And High-Tail It

With all this talk aboutprioritizing stealth over combat, it might be tempting to sit still and wait out any danger. That’s not a bad approach per se, but it won’t do beginners any good in the long run.The Forever Winterpunishes anyone who stays still for too long by sending Hunter Killers after them in droves. Hunter Killers are triggered after looting crates, entering areas with high-value loot, and spending too much time on a raid — among other things — so that should tell any newbies that dragging their feet for too long is a big no-no.

It’s best to avoid sightseeing for too long. The safest and quickest method for outlasting enemies is to enter an area, complete the quest or salvage the loot, then high-tail it out of there at lightning speed. Characters inThe Forever Winterare essentially rodents, constantly picking off scraps and simply looking to make it through another day. It works for the rats, so it should work for beginners too.

The player crouching with two female mechs moving around a campfire

5Doing Anything But Running

Again, sinceThe Forever Winterrewards stealth gameplay, it’s understandable why beginners would think thatcrouching everywhere to stay out of sight would be the best way forward. That’s where the game gets a little tricky because it isn’t. Most of the time, running is absolutely fine. If anything, it prevents all the setbacks that come with staying in one place for too long. It’s always best to keep moving. If anything, players who slowly crouch or walk everywhere are just setting themselves up to be found by patrols in an instant.

It’s a lot easier to sprint out of immediate danger without triggering a squad than it is to deal with an ambush, so running is actually the safest way to get around. Be fast and don’t shoot at everything. If there’s one way to perfectly summarizeThe Forever Winter, it’s “loot and scoot.” It is possible to complete runs in less than two minutes and also salvage a lot of loot doing so, which means upgrades, better weapons, and more sustainability for future runs. Rinse and repeat.

The player waiting for a four-legged mech to pass by

6Not Having An Escape Route

Know Your Surroundings At All Times

If there’s one thing that’s important when scouting out locations and getting one’s bearings, it’s knowing the escape routes. The first couple of times that beginners spawn into a map, it’s good practice to bring sub-par gear and just try to learn the layout of the map to find exactly where the extracts are. Whether playing stealthily or aggressively (depending on personal preference), it’s important to have somewhere to retreat to at all times in the event of an emergency, either to fully withdraw or gain positional advantage.

When entering an unfamiliar territory, get into the habit of stopping and observing. It would be beneficial to learn where the reinforcements are coming from, where the hot zones are, and where there are safe places to lurk in the event of needing an easy out. It might sound far-fetched, but active combat zones are far safer than quiet areas. Enemies can engage one another to wipe each other out, but when enemies don’t have one another to shoot at,they’re much more likely to target whomever else lurks about, putting their full effort into tracking every little noise.

The Forever Winter Tag Page Cover Art