this game is awesome btw. In case there was any doubt. 

I got hold of it somehow, but didn't play because it got a mixed review here. 

I can see how some people wouldn't like it, but it really depends on what you are expecting.

To be clear, this is not in any way like Stalker other than it has the same post-ap feel.

This is a linear, heavily story driven game with some light rpg-like elements (purchasing weapons, minor inventory).

Also, my only complaint with this game is the gas mask filter mechanic... it's pretty weird.
1. The counter on the HUD is the number of filters you have, but this is completely useless. Ignore it.
2. The time on your watch is how much time in total you have left with all your filters
3. You do not need to replace filters, they automagically get used in sequence
4. Only the filters you buy from the first two shops in the game have their full duration on them.
5. Filters found in the world have random durations on them (can be as short as maybe 10 seconds I think, it's hard to tell).
6. After the first two shops, you can NOT buy filters for the rest of the game.
With all the above: when you are on the surface, the temptation (at least for me) is to look around and absorb the level... don't. You can make the level unbeatable by running out of filters before you can get back below ground.
If you're really stuck, you can take the mask off for a bit and put it back on after a bit (you can live for maybe 20 seconds without it?) but the instant you put it back on, the timer is reset so you can take it off again. I had to do that in the first level because I was looking around and ran out of time...... 

The Forest
http://survivetheforest.com/trailers/

Watch trailer 1 first (bottom of the page. Really great look, grounded in realism. So when it gets weird its actually a shock.

Generally fantastic visual design and some beautiful details.

From the About page:

The Forest is an open world survival horror game currently in development for PC.

Build, explore, survive in this terrifying first person survival horror simulator.

The world
Enter a living, breathing forest with changing weather patterns, plants that grow and die. Tides that roll in and out with the day/night cycle. Below ground explore a vast network of caves and underground lakes.

Complete player freedom
Chop down trees to build a camp, or start a fire to keep warm. Scavenge food to keep yourself from starving. Find and plant seeds to grow food.

Build a small shelter or a large ocean side fortress. decorate your home with found items. Lay traps and defenses to keep a safe perimeter.

Gameplay
Explore and build during the day. Defend your base at night. Craft weapons and tools.Bunker down during the evening or bring the fight directly to the enemy.

Fight or Hide
Use stealth to evade enemies, or engage them directly with crude weapons built from sticks and stones.

A new type of open world, survival horror experience
Defend yourself against a clan of genetic mutant enemies that have beliefs, families and morals and that appear almost human.

For PC and Oculus Rift - Alpha Version Coming May 30 2014
 

i've seen let's plays on youtube...

concept looks kind of cool, but the monsters seem to have a hard time pathfinding around the areas.

i'm waiting for the long dark, myself... 

great example of how Early Access can ruin a game.

Great concept, nice gfx. Full of unfinished features, bugs, terrible performance and lack of stuff to do.

I'm waiting to pick it up when it's "done" :) 

well... early access lets me see other people play it without me having to pay or waste time trying it myself.

youtube "let's plays" are like the best way to preview a game! 

the AI buddy at the start is cool :) 

 

and like it. Graphics are fairly lo-fi though if that bothers you. 

 

The Swapper owns. It is about 5 hours long, which seems the right length for a puzzle game, unless you want to find all the secrets.

My review of it on Steam literally only says "scary rocks :(" which is fair, as I do remember the rocks being scary. 

oh, and the graphics are cool because they are literally hand made. With clay! 

Great game, nice atmosphere, I really enjoyed it. 

Oooh nice handmade graphics, a bit like The Neverhood? That was an old classic puzzler which unfortunately no one has ever tried to do since, from what I've seen. 

BTW I've finally finished playing Fallout New Vegas. only tried a few mods. Project Brazil is completely overrated and just an ugly unfinished vault quest. Might be good when parts 2 and 3 are done, if ever, but at the moment it's pretty boring.

But Beyond Boulder Dome was awesome. As good as the official DLC's.

http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/46907

Anyway back to the real world of playing full titles in a single sitting, played James Bond Blood Stone today in 6 hours. Nice game, like everyone says Splinter Cell with better environments, slightly more forgiving combat (in other words less stealth), boring story, linear levels. 7/10. 

are definitely unique and good (in the same way quake's graphics are) but I would still call them lo-fi to temper someone's expectations. 

impressed me a lot. Good stylish visuals, great sound and atmosphere 

I've been playing The Swapper throughout the last night. As of now, it looks like it'll be another favourite indie sci-fi game of mine after Waking Mars. 

weird controls? 20 degree fov? insanely slow movement? i'm so glad i didn't pay full price for this. is this worth muddling through? it's really awkward just playing the intro. 

i've been told it has a terrible PC port, due to control issues. 

That definitely seems to be my take on it. I got this funky 'widescreen fix' memory editing hack utility so I was able to increase the FOV to more normal levels, but all the menus are very very awkward to navigate and the game doesn't pause while you're doing it so you can get attacked while struggling to get an item.

don't get me wrong, that is an AWESOME mechanic. I loved it in system shock 2, for example. But not when the UI is working against you. :( 

FWIW, i think it's a good game and might be worth buying it for console, if you have a console. 

 

I don't have a console and am not willing to take the time to learn how to play with a gamepad (I'm absolutely terrible at shooters with gamepads).

It's ok though. I can stand not playing it as I only got it as part of that EA bundle from a while back.