The Forest Cathedral Is Out Now, a Game About the Environmental Impact of DDT
There’s a new game with a unique adaptation of a book that shaped an important environmental movement.
The Forest Cathedral, a first-person thriller game with a real world environmental influence, launched on Tuesday for Xbox Series X|S and PC on Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game costs $14.99 to download.
In the game you play as Rachel Carson, who was an actual scientist from the 20th century. The Forest Cathedral features 2D platforming puzzles and a 3D environmental world to explore. The story is set on a remote location called Science Island. The setting takes inspiration from the real Forest Cathedral area of Cook Forest State Park in Pennsylvania. The story explores the effects that pesticides like DDT are having on the island and its wildlife as Carson goes deeper into her research while certain forces try to stop her.
The game’s platforming parts feature a character called the “Little Man,” where players will solve puzzles and levels inside a scanning tool on a separate screen by controlling this tiny protagonist. These 2D puzzles are connected to 3D challenges with Carson in the world as well.
The game is developed by Brian Wilson and published by Whitethorn Games. This is Wilson’s second title, the first being the puzzle adventure game Where the Bees Make Honey that released in March 2019. Whitethorn Games is a smaller, independent publisher based in Pennsylvania who have also put out games like Apico (2022), Wytchwood (2021), Lake (2021) and Evan’s Remains (2020).
The Forest Cathedral is based on and a retelling of Carson’s 1962 science book Silent Spring. The book detailed the harmful health effects and environmental damage from DDT and other pesticides. It also highlighted how companies and the chemical industry got away with using them. The book was influential on the environmental movement in the 1960s, getting public support for more regulations on chemical companies and the creation of regulatory institutions like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. The EPA formed in 1970 and DDT was banned in 1972 in the U.S.
Born in 1907, Carson grew up in Pennsylvania and died in 1964. She was an important figure in the scientific and environmental fields. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Jimmy Carter in 1980.
The Forest Cathedral features different accessibility options to make the game’s platforming puzzles easier to progress and for those with disabilities.
Watch the game’s trailer:
Quarter Disorder 
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[…] Forest Cathedral released on Tuesday for Xbox Series X|S and PC on Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game is a retelling of Rachel […]