There was a lot of anticipation surrounding Sons of the Forest prior to its recent Early Access launch, and it is clear to see why. A sequel to 2014's well-received The Forest, the new title maintains most of the popular mechanics and motifs from its predecessor while introducing brand-new ones to establish a survival-horror fracnhise worthy of standing alongside the genre's best.
Fan reception to Sons of the Forest's Early Access build already seems to be matching its high expectations. Sons of the Forest offers a truly commendable survival-horror experience thanks to the freedom it offers players, who can tackle the game's new systems together if desired.
Sons of the Forest Offers a Strong Level of Freedom
One of the main allures of 2014's The Forest was the amount of control given to the player, and Sons of the Forest maintains this aspect of its predecessor. As an open-world title, Sons of the Forest does away with the more traditional linear gameplay elements of the survival-horror genre, letting players explore and find the horrors at their own pace.
This more organic style of gameplay and storytelling massively increases the breadth of content the game can offer, with natural exploration and base-building set against the combat and horror elements. While traditionally linear survival horror experiences can provide more bombastic horror elements via constructed set pieces, the random and unpredictable manner by which Sons of the Forest's horrorific mutants are thrust on the player makes for a more replayable and tense experience.
The game's heightened level of exploration also benefits the narrative in Sons of the Forest. With the map available in Sons of the Forest being around four times larger than that of its predecessor, the title has a plethora of areas to employ its storytelling in bits that encourage players to explore further. This breaks the mold of the standard survival-horror experience, and the level of ambition put into Sons of the Forest's gameplay does pay off in the end.
Sons of the Forest's New Features and Co-Op Make For a Unique Horror Experience
To build upon the experience of The Forest, Sons of the Forest employs a variety of new gameplay elements that lend themselves to more comprehensive survival horror. With a new range of firearms, improved enemy AI, and things like a seasonal weather system in Sons of the Forest, the game's core framework is a robust and immersive one.
Like the original game, Sons of the Forest opens the door to cooperative multiplayer experiences in which fans can play in groups of up to eight players. The presence of other players greatly boosts how easily exploration across a wider area can occur, but this also easily translates to single-player games via the presence of friendly NPC companions.
Sons of the Forest's affinity for multiplayer is a massive draw for the title in and of itself, with not many other survival-horror titles boasting the same group-friendly experience. While the game's survival-horror elements can be overshadowed by Sons of the Forest's tamer mechanics, such as base-building and crafting, the lack of rigid structure makes its horror a constantly looming threat. Ultimately, this curates a fantastic survival-horror experience that is likely to get more robust as Endnight Games continues to push through its Early Access development.
Sons of the Forest is available now in Early Access for PC.