Polygon.com / 30.04.25

Here's how Akira, District 9, and British police hats inspired the look of this apocalyptic extraction shooter

The Forever Winter is far and away one of my favorite games Ive played in 2025. Since publishing my review in March, Fun Dog Studios has continued to roll out several quality of life improvements and content additions. A recent update includes several new character animations, map variants, and a new unlockable questline designed around a powerful weapon. But when I think back on the hundreds of hours Ive put into playing The Forever Winter so far, its the core visual elements that continue to draw me back in. I love the games overall look and character design. Its all a byproduct of an exquisite mash-up of influences, drawing from Japanese anime, kitbashed model kits, military sci-fi novels, and apocalyptic landscape portraiture. The result is an aesthetic that at once pays homage to its forebearers while looking unlike anything else in gaming. Riloe, a YouTuber and video essayist who specializes in breaking down the mechanics of extraction shooters (and whose videos first put The For...
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