Faisal Ghaffar 
Released in 2018, The Forest proved to be one of the best survival crafting games and its sequel, Sons of the Forest has done a great job at building upon its story, gameplay and atmosphere. The sequel has been set several years later and it brings new challenges that you have to survive and there are new mysteries to be uncovered on a temperate and lush island. It is about four times the original’s size and is absolutely breathtaking.
It has a great variety and amount of vegetation, which not only serves as a food source, but can also be used for making medicines. It also has incredible lighting and has a richness and fullness that adds to the entire gaming experience.
Seasons
One of the elements that add to the hostility and believability of the environment in this game are the seasons. Sons of the Forest boasts all the season, which include snowy winters in which most of the edible vegetation is killed off and you have to continue checking your body temperature. This change of pace is quite nice, but these weather effects could have been used for more difficulties as well. Nonetheless, they do provide a shift in difficulty and the visual variety is also appealing.
Cannibal AI
The cannibals were one of the most prominent elements of The Forest and the same remains for its sequel. However, Sons of the Forest has given a significant upgrade to the cannibals AI, as they seem to have made improvements in terms of stealth, social dynamics as well as varied group behavior.
The cannibals are able to jump on you from above, climb trees and even disguise themselves in order to ambush you. This can be quite terrifying, particularly if you are out at night and can hear them, but cannot see where they are. Plus, they continue to surprise in different ways.
Other challenges
You will also find that cannibals end up being the least of your worries when you are playing Sons of the Forest because the game has horrible and hulking mutants that are a lot more dangerous. The sequel seems to focus more on combat and instead of just providing cheap thrills, it has been used for building tension rather effectively.
It is quite a thrill to fight with a large group of enemies, or a powerful opponent. You can stay out of anger with ranged weapons, but it is difficult to find ammo. You are going to suffer some damage in a melee, which means your armor breaks and healing items are used up. Flashlights also need batteries, or you are likely to die.
The ending
You will find the ending of the game quite mind-blowing because it includes building a fortress that is cannibal-proof. The modular and new building system allows you to place structural elements, such as support beams and windows, wherever you like.
The Verdict
Sons of the Forest has done everything that its predecessor had to offer, only better and those who enjoyed The Forest are bound to have fun with this as well.
