Sons of the Forestis a sequel to developer Endnight Games’The Forest,tasking players with surviving on a cannibal-infested island as they search for clues surrounding the location of a missing billionaire. While its core narrative and visuals appear quite similar toThe Forest, in which the main character searched for his lost son in the titular forest,Sons of the Forest- now the most-wishlisted game on Steam- features improvements in nearly all of its core gameplay elements. Given the shift produced by these changes,Sons of the Forestappears more like a horror-infusedDon’t Starvethan a direct sequel toThe Forest.
Nearly everything that fans enjoyed about the first game has been markedly improved, from the world itself to the dynamic AI ofSons of the Forests' NPCs. Many of the changes bring to mind elements ofDon’t Starve, which features a greater focus on surviving against the dynamic forces of nature and time, both alone and with companions. Dropping the sanity meter fromThe Forest,while adding advanced options for building and crafting, shifts the focus away from making it back to a single safe space and toward creating shelters along the journey, much like the gameplay inDon’t Starve.
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Sons of the Forest Features Multiplayer and NPC Companions
Endnight Games has confirmed fans will have the option to play solo or multiplayer, with up to eight players surviving together at a time.Multiplayer was added toThe Forestsix months after launch, but its inclusion from the start inSons of the Forestbrings to mind the shift in focus betweenDon’t Starveand its cooperative sequelDon’t Starve Together. Full details on how this changes the gameplay inSons of the Foresthave yet to be released, but there are sure to be unique elements.
In perhaps its biggest change to gameplay,Sons of the Forestgives solo-players the option to have an NPC companion. From the outset, players have the option to recruit a fellow crash survivor named Kelvin. Similar toDon’t Starve Together’s Followers, Kelvin will help to gather resources, battle, and build as the player attempts to survive. Also like Followers, Kelvin will respond dynamically to players and the environment, meaning they will need to be aware of Kelvin’s needs as much as their own.
There are differences, like Kelvin needing to be recruited using food, but details have not been shared about how a player’s relationship with Kelvin can change him.Sons of the Forestis set to include a complex AI systemcalled V.A.I.L., which will give both companions and enemies the ability to approach situations dynamically. NPCs inSons of the Forestwill experience different survival states, but V.A.I.L. allows them to go further and attribute emotion to their experiences.
This means NPCs will pursue goals that are directly tied to their “emotions” and experiences; Kelvin will not only be thirsty or hungry, but can react to feeling scared or bored. Enemies will pursue their own survival and use advanced methods to discreetly steal resources or directly attack the player. It remains to be seen if Kelvin’s emotions and experiences can result in aggression toward the player, as exhibited by some ofDon’t Starve Together’s Followers, but signs point to his relationship with the player being important for their joint survival.
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Sons of the Forest’s Open World Features Dynamic Seasons and Survival Mechanics
Sons of the Forestfeatures a map 4x the size of the original.The Forestfeatured a base camp from which the player sets out on their journey each day, one that has to be defended from enemies. With the massive expansion of its map,Sons of the Forestwill put a greater focus on finding or building shelters in addition to a home base. This component of survival is common inDon’t Starve, though it also leans heavily on the concept of “sanity” whichSons of the Forestis set to drop.
In another parallel to theDon’t Starveseries,Sons of the Forestwill up the challenge with dynamic seasons, during which a player’s survival skills will be put to the test. The original title featured a day and night cycle, as well as rainy weather, but depending on the seasonSons of the Forestfundamentally alters both combat and resource gathering. Food may not be as plentiful in the winter, but frozen bodies of water would allow for rapid traversal over certain areas. Enemy routines and approaches will change as well as they share similar advantages and disadvantages to the weather.
Seasons inDon’t Starvetask players with planning ahead, and the same will be required of those who take onSons of the Forest. Players will need to choose whether to stockpile resources in the calmer seasons or face the elements in harsher ones. UnlikeDon’t Starve Together,Sons of the Forestwill feature deeper horror elements in addition to this challenging gameplay loop. Survival is just part of players' objectives as they attempt to complete the game’s narrative, and they will not be able to choose between characters best-suited for survival in certain conditions as inDon’t Starve Together.
Sons of the Forestlooks to take the foundations set forth byThe Forest,and doubles down on its survival elements to draw comparisons with theDon’t Starveseries. Though not much detail is known about the title’s later segments,upgrades toSons of the Forest’s core gameplay look promising. Time will tell ifSons of the Forestcan live up to expectations, but luckily fans have only a few more days to wait.
Sons of the Forestreleases for PC on July 30, 2025.
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