Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest is an impeccably written story that dynamically reacts to player input and choice. Though it presents no real challenge, fans of both visual novels and the World of Darkness tabletop game will find it a captivating and highly replayable role-playing experience.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest is a great visual novel when you put more emphasis on the novel aspect. Relatable characters, an excellent representation of marginalized communities, and a real-world setting make this a believable game that doesn't hang its entire worth on the supernatural elements. This game is absolutely worth your time.

Different Tales studio - as the name suggests - believes that there are still gamers who want something more from games than just Fortnite skins. Their games based heavily on text, like the ones from 1980, are for those very people. It's both a great thing and a huge weakness - Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest will probably stay in its dark pit. It's pretty and interesting but won't become a bestseller.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse-Heart of the Forest is an easy choice for me as far as text based games go. It ticks the boxes of a setting that I love, a plot that I enjoy, and most importantly I felt like my choices mattered even if some of them seemed more subtle and took a while to pay off. Is it a game for casual World of Darkness fans? Probably not. It’s not difficult by any means, but without the action that draws a lot of gamers this may not be for casual players. You’re probably better off waiting for 2021’s Werewolf: The Apocalypse-Earthblood and Vampire: The Masquerade- Bloodlines 2. But for those who are really finding themselves pulled into this universe, you should definitely check out Heart of the Forest.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel and I wouldn’t say it’s genre-defining, but it still manages to be unique in some aspects. End game pacing issues aside, the game tells a great story and offers enough choices that I never felt slighted. Even the small option of choosing which werewolf form to shift into was nice. Heart of the Forest is a simple and easy to follow addition to the World of Darkness games but still manages to avoid becoming boring or repetitive. It’s a fun, uncomplicated game and honestly, that’s all I want sometimes.

Heart of the Forest is an instantly gripping, beautifully illustrated visual novel with a nicely branching storyline, difficult choices, and skillfully introduced RPG elements. [13/2020, p.42]

Heart of the Forest is a unique game from the creators of the first Witcher. It’s basically a gamebook, which will turn away many, but the much bigger problem is its lacklustre ending. If you, however, crave a dark story in the middle of an ancient forest, this could be the adventure for you.