I’m a gamer, though I’m pretty particular about it. One game I’ve had a lot of fun with lately is SONS OF THE FOREST, the sequel to the popular survival horror game THE FOREST. It’s savage, offers game play fairly balanced between action and grunt work, and features a lot of weird elements to find, explore, and use.
Picture MINECRAFT set on the island of LOST populated by savage cannibals, and you’ve basically got the concept. The story: You’re a corporate mercenary hired as part of a team to travel to an island owned by an enormously rich family, where elites go to golf, attend luxury spas, and hang out. Your mission: find out why the island went dark and what happened to the family, and while you’re at it, try to survive as everything tries to kill you. Behind all this is a ton of lore about otherworldly artifacts that form a backstory. Otherwise, the story continues elements of the original FOREST, though knowing these is not necessary to enjoy the ride.
The island is pretty big and offers multiple environments and interesting locations to explore. As you start with very little, basic survival is the top priority, as you need to build shelters and other structures that will help you, craft weapons and armor until you find better ones, source food and water, and so on. There is a variety of monsters here trying to kill you, from packs of mud-covered lunatics stalking the woods to tribes of cannibals to horrific mutants lurking in caves. The combat is tense, exciting, and brutal.
One thing I really love about the game is the cannibals, which even more than the mutants puts the horror in this survival horror game. Formerly guests on the island, they’ve been reduced to utter savagery. Their behavior is incredibly realistic. Each tribe has different customs, treats you differently, and you can find them patrolling, hunting, worshipping their grisly idols, and fetching water. From the tents to their totems, their camps are basically made from human body parts, so be prepared for plenty of horror over the idea of being caught by them.
Overall, I’ve run through it a few times, and I’ve loved every experience. If you’re into gaming and want to try Minecraft on horror crack, check it out.
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