Sons of the Forest, the mutant horror survival sequel to The Forest by Endnight Games, left its Early Access period behind with the release of Patch 1.0 today. As usual, there are plenty of patch notes to parse, including everything from much-requested quality-of-life tweaks to major story revelations.
While there’s a very long, comprehensive list of updates and tweaks to the game with the full release, I’m going to focus on the highlights, both big and small. Sit back, grab a drink (and maybe some Berries for the road), and let’s dive in.
Sons of the Forest adds major story and QoL tweaks
Not only has Shawn Ashmore jumped on board as the voice of Timmy, but he’ll also accompany players on their jaunt through the Hell Cave from this point forward. There are five new cutscenes added throughout the game, though it’s not clear whether Timmy appears in all of these, and when players reach the end of the main story, there will now be a third-choice ending available.
The Artifact can now be completed and used to “*(Spoiler)* or create a *(Spoiler)*”. I’m the first to admit that this particular part of the patch notes is not exactly the most informative, but the mere fact that players can now complete the Artifact and figure out (a) what it is and (b) what it does is exciting enough; everything else we can figure out for ourselves.
A long list of additional Points of Interest have been added, including dying Tactical Soldiers who can be found all across the island by following their red flare smoke plumes, excavation sites for unfinished Bunkers, 14 new mini caves, and even a new cave which will unlock once players finish the main story.
Golf Carts will now be slightly more enjoyable to drive, thanks to the addition of a built-in GPS system. So long to the days of stopping, getting out, and checking your location. Additionally, Carts now have a Radio, so you can listen to some tunes while cruising around. Most excitingly, the paths and trees have now been tweaked to enable easier navigation while driving. Finally, I can stop crashing into every single tree in my path.
Version 1.0 gets crafty
New storage options have been added for Arrows and Explosives, but that’s not the only addition which will be helpful on your base. New prefab structures have been added, along with the ability to snap them onto existing structures, as well as new furniture items which go by the names of “Nice Chair” and “Nice Couch”. It remains to be seen whether ‘nice’ is an appropriate description.
One feature that players have been missing from Sons of the Forest predecessor, The Forest, is Bonfires. Well, these have finally been added into the roster of options for the sequel. Players can now extend a campfire with logs in order to turn it into a Bonfire.
There’s a whole bunch of newly added findable Blueprints, including the Glider Launcher, as well as new story items to be found across the island. Additionally, most story item pick-ups have been reworked.
Something that will please a lot of players is the addition of a creative mode, which includes a creative inventory and the ability to skip building animations. This mode only unlocks after players have completed the main story, though, so you’ll have a while to wait if you follow Endnight’s advice and begin your adventure all over again on a new save file.
Mutants and wildlife gain allies and updates
New Mutants have been added, in the form of Legsy, Holey and a stronger Puffy variation called Spotty. As well as these new additions to the creepy inhabitants, existing mutants have been provided with higher tier gold armor. As if they weren’t enough of a pain already.
For a little more environmental awareness, enemy camps will now have large smoke plumes. These should be visible from a distance if the camp is inhabited at the time. Defeating the mutants within the camp will remove the smoke plume, so you’ll know which areas are safe(ish).
I’ve saved the best, at least in my eyes, for last. One of the most exciting additions with patch 1.0 is the adorable, fluffy and not mutated (I hope) — Raccoons. Not only have they been added, but they, along with Squirrels, now have the ability to climb trees.
