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I completed the first game earlier this year, and finally, my friend invited me to play the sequel to The Forest, Sons of the Forest. The latest iteration of The Forest series, based on the trailers and gameplay I’ve seen, is a huge leap forward from the first game. Honestly, I’m absolutely addicted and thoroughly enjoying this game.
In terms of gameplay, it retains the soul of The Forest—chopping down trees, building structures, cooking food, and surviving cannibal attacks. Let’s start with the enemies: this game has a wide variety of foes, from intelligent tribal cannibals to ape-like creatures and terrifying demon variants you’ll encounter while playing. There are also multiple ways to defeat them, depending on their weak points. What I really praise is the AI of the cannibals, just like in the first game. They’re highly responsive and adapt to how you survive in the forest. If you kill one of them, they become aggressive and attack in large numbers.
The building mechanics have also been updated. For example, structures now require supports, and there are fewer blueprints, giving players more freedom to build whatever they want. The blueprints themselves have been revamped, with options like weapon racks, beds, small camps, and many others you can discover.
What I love about building in this game is the addition of AI companions who help out, like Kelvin, who can assist with chopping trees or repairing damaged structures. Kelvin is very responsive—if attacked, he’ll hide, and his tree-chopping animations feel realistic and logical. Then there’s another AI companion, Virginia, who can aid in battles against cannibals and demons. You can equip her with a pistol or shotgun to help fight off enemies. Both AI companions are incredibly useful in almost every aspect, as they lighten the workload and reduce the feeling of loneliness.
Exploration is also a blast, especially since this game introduces an online map that makes navigation easier. Placing markers is simple, and exploring caves offers a variety of weapons and blueprints to discover.
Weapons and items are mostly similar to the first game but include new additions like the stun baton, shotgun, crossbow, night vision, and more, which make progressing through the story easier.
Another addition compared to the first game is the variety of vehicles, like golf carts and the Knight V, which make traversing the map much easier. There’s also the glider—unlike the first game where you had to craft it, here gliders are scattered across high grounds, making travel and exploration more convenient.
The graphics are absolutely stunning and satisfying, a massive leap in the game engine from the first title. Every time of day—morning, noon, evening, and night—looks gorgeous, especially during rain. The changing seasons, including an extreme winter, make survival incredibly challenging and immersive.
Overall, I’m thoroughly enjoying this game. It’s consumed so much of my time that I often lose track of it. I’ve been busy with activities like building structures, exploring caves, and hunting for rare items scattered across the map. My advice: play with friends, as this game thrives on cooperation between players, from building to fighting.
The downsides, in my opinion, are the limited content and a lackluster story, especially the ending, as well as a disappointing final boss fight. The cave boss fights are challenging, especially solo, but the last one feels underwhelming.
I hope there will be updates to add more content in the future because the story feels unresolved. I’m also hoping for a sequel, as the story leaves a lot hanging, and I desperately want to see where it goes next.