If you played the 2018 survival horror game The Forest, then you’ll know just how terrifying it was. The game casts you as a lone survivor (or one of a few if you played multiplayer) whose plane crashes in the middle of the titular forest. You must build a shelter and look for food and water in order to keep yourself alive, but you may not be alone in the forest, so you’ll also have to make sure you’re adequately protected if you want to see another dawn.
Sons of the Forest is an upcoming sequel to that game, so you can expect more of the same brutal forest survival against cannibals hell-bent on your destruction. Of course, the game will build on the legacy created by The Forest, so if you liked that game, you’ll find plenty to love in Sons of the Forest. Without further ado, let’s take a look at everything we currently know about Endnight Games’ upcoming open-world survival horror game.
Sons of the Forest release date – when is the game coming out?
The Sons of the Forest release date is February 23rd, or at least that’s the best information we have at the moment. According to a tweet by developer Endnight Games, the game’s “scope” resulted in delays, but the tweet lists the release date for Sons of the Forest as February 23rd and its price as $29.99.
However, right now, the Sons of the Forest Steam listing has the game launching in “February 2023”, with no specific release date given. This could just be a mistake; it’s possible Endnight merely forgot to add the specific release date in. However, don’t be surprised if you see a delay by a week or two so that Endnight can add some more finishing touches.
Sons of the Forest platforms – what can you play the game on?
At the moment, Sons of the Forest is only listed for PC. We don’t have any information on whether the game will be coming to consoles or not, so if you’re a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S player, you might be out of luck.
There are, however, some reasons to hope on this front. First of all, The Forest eventually made its way to PS4, so there’s a chance we could see Sons of the Forest on Sony’s console ecosystem at least. However, it’s unlikely that Sons of the Forest will appear on last-gen platforms like PS4 and Xbox One, and it’s almost certain we won’t be getting a Switch port. At the very most, expect PS5 or Xbox Series ports, but nothing has been confirmed just yet.
Sons of the Forest features – what will the gameplay be like?
As a followup to The Forest, Sons of the Forest will feature similar survival gameplay to the first game in the series. You’ll be gathering resources from the environment around you, building shelters, foraging for food, and trying to avoid being killed by cannibalistic mutants.
However, on Steam, Endnight promises some extra features and expanded additions that weren’t present in the original. Here’s a quick look at some of the things you can expect if you check out Sons of the Forest in February.
- Complete open-world freedom. Endnight says that this game will allow you to go wherever you want and do whatever you want from the very first moment. You won’t encounter NPCs telling you what to do, nor will you have any kind of mission log that will dictate your next action. As the developer says, “you give the orders, you choose what happens next”.
- Mutated enemies. It sounds like there will be plenty of monsters and mutated creatures to fight in Sons of the Forest. Endnight is promising “a range of mutated creatures”, some of which are humanoid and some of which will be “like nothing you have ever seen before”. If you’re easily scared, you should probably steer clear of Sons of the Forest.
- Crafting and building mechanics. This being a forest, there’s plenty of wood around, and Endnight says you can break sticks to create fires, use axes to cut out windows and floors, and build anything from a small wooden cabin to “a sea-side compound”. It sounds like Sons of the Forest will be the perfect game for you if you like to tinker.
- Different seasons. Of course, forests feel very different from season to season, and Endnight says Sons of the Forest will reflect that. For instance, during spring and summer, you’ll be able to pick salmon out of the streams for food, but in winter, you won’t have access to such a ready source of sustenance. You’ll need to stockpile food and resources for the winter months, but of course, you’ll be competing with your fellow island “inhabitants” for food.
- Co-op. The first Forest game was, perhaps, best enjoyed alongside a friend or a couple of friends, so it stands to reason that Sons of the Forest also supports this feature. You’ll be able to play the entire game alongside your buddies online, exploring everything Sons of the Forest has to offer both above ground and below ground. If you’re scared to take on the mutants by yourself, then you should definitely make sure you recruit a group of hardy explorers to help you out. Of course, bringing friends isn’t going to guarantee your survival, so you’ll still need to be on your toes.