Sons of the Forest - everything we know so far
Sons of the Forest is the long-awaited and much-anticipated sequel to 2014's The Forest. Among the new games for 2023 on our radar, Endnight Games' next venture is essentially The Forest 2 and expands on just about everything its forerunner gave us – in narrative terms, the size of its world, and the myriad weapons, tools and gadgets that we'll need to survive on a cannibal-ridden island.
The Forest sits among some of the best survival games we've ever played, and Sons of the Forest is shaping up to follow suit. Below we've gathered all the latest Sons of the Forest news for the horror survival game, including story beats, release date information and platform details. To the latter end, Sons of the Forest will launch exclusively on PC, but given the fact its predecessor made its way to PS4 in the end, we reckon a console port down the line is more than possible. Read on for everything you need to know about Sons of the Forest.
Sons of the Forest release date
While originally planned to launch in full on February 23, 2023, Endnight Games recently announced Sons of the Forest will arrive on the same date but in Early Access form. The devs stated its reason for doing so was to avoid delaying the game further, and allow players to get their hands on it at the end of February as promised. Prior to this, Sons of the Forest was due in May, 2022, then October later last year. In an official statement delivered at the end of last summer, the studio explained it needed "time to complete the polish we feel is needed" due to the increased scope and fidelity of the final product.
Sons of the Forest platforms
The only confirmed release platform for Sons of the Forest is PC, and it sounds like the developers at Endnight are solely focused on PC development for the time being. With that said, ports for Sons of the Forest on PS4, PS5 and Xbox might arrive in the future. The Forest did launch on PC and PS4 in 2018, so there is some hope that this small team will get around to bringing the sequel to PS5 and Xbox Series X at some point. Endnight has also confirmed that the Sons of the Forest price is $29.99.
Sons of the Forest trailer
There have been three Sons of the Forest trailers released so far, each of which highlight just how far developer Endnight Games is pushing the visual fidelity, depth of its systems, and enhancing the immersion. You can watch the most recent trailer above, and it's a fantastic showcase for what's to come in 2023 – keep an eye out for the more intuitive building, and a scene where a group of mutants is scared off after the player decapitates one of the group and flashes the skull back at them.
Sons of the Forest gameplay
The Sons of the Forest gameplay is built on the foundations that helped set The Forest up for success. It's an open world survival game where you're empowered to use the weapons, tools, and environments around you to fight back cannibal mutants and mitigate the effects of the elements. You'll be able to play solo or in cooperative multiplayer sessions, although Endnight is yet to confirm whether this sequel will support eight-player groups like its predecessor.
Much like The Forest, this sequel will focus heavily on crafting, cooking, and combat – the latter of which has been massively expanded to encompass more weapon types. Guns will be more prevalent, although ammunition will be limited, so Sons of the Forest will have a melee-focus. Given that Endpoint is also massively expanding the size and variety of the mutants here, having a shotgun on hand to help you out of a sticky situation is never a bad thing.
Sons of the Forest story
The Forest featured two endings, and Sons of the Forest effectively makes the first canon – where an older Timmy is seen struggling to suppress his mutation and investigating an island labeled 'Site 2.' That's where the Sons of the Forest story unfolds – you're sent to the remote island to locate a missing billionaire, and quickly find yourself trapped in a cannibal-infested nightmare. Like The Forest before it, this sequel will focus on visual storytelling more so than scripted encounters or lengthy cutscenes, with the core focus being on survival against the horrors of the island.
Sons of the Forest map and setting
The Sons of the Forest map will be roughly four-times the size of the playable space seen in The Forest. The area is loosely based on the Site 2 map you may have glimpsed at the end of the first game, although it has been subsequently expanded as Endnight makes it a reality. This survival game is once again set in a Pacific Northwest style environment, although Sons of the Forest will feature dynamic seasons to help introduce more variety. This will not only impact the visual design of the island, but your approach to survival – food sources will be different between summer and winter, for example, while the elements themselves will alter the behaviors of enemies and present further challenges.
Sons of the Forest AI
One of the more significant changes between The Forest and Sons of the Forest is a new AI system which developer Endnight has dubbed 'V.A.I.L.' – a tool which governs the behavior of those who inhabit the island. Characters will be impacted by hunger, thirst, and their mental state, which can alter their routines and reactions to events. Enemies will also have their own ecosystems, with your actions helping to influence whether mutants are more likely to stick to the network of underground caves or roam the wilds above; the developer has also teased that the cannibals will find expansive ways to coordinate their attacks, and that you can even use fear as a weapon against them if you're smart with your resources.
There are also Sons of the Forest companions that you can get to help you out by issuing commands. These AI helpers can gather resources and do other time-consuming jobs, which will help you out a lot in your survival efforts.
Sons of the Forest building and crafting
Sons of the Forest will feature more robust cooking, crafting, and building systems. Endnight has introduced a digging mechanic, and the ability to use a 3D printer to create more elaborate and complex items – be it to help aid your survival, or to create different colored objects to help you stand out from your friends in multiplayer sessions. The studio has also confirmed that it dropped the Sanity system entirely as it couldn't find a satisfying way to intertwine it with the core survival loop.
Building will still be a core focus in Sons of the Forest, and you should expect a more grounded series of systems to help further immerse you in the world. For example, if you want to add a window to the base you're building, just pull out your axe and chop in the space for one; spears are created by sharpening wood, and campfires are created by snapping twigs and lighting them. Sons of the Forest is still a survival horror game at heart, so managing your resources and conditions will still be key, even as more challenging crafting systems are implemented.
While you wait for Sons of the Forest to release in 2023, why not check in on one of these great games like The Forest.
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