Like many things that demand I make an effort, camping is very much Not My Bag. Even if it wasn’t dark and claustrophobic and didn’t require grim communal washroom facilities, I’m reliably informed that there are bugs. And given I can barely cope with the video game versions – I have abandoned many a game because a spider hissed at me – I tend to turn down any premise in which I may encounter one in person.
Sons of the Forest
- Developer: Endnight Gams
- Publisher: Newnight
- Platform: Played on PC
- Availability: Out now (Early Access) on PC (Steam)
That doesn’t mean I’m not delusional about my capacity to be a skilled survivalist if I wanted to be, though. Much like watching half an hour of 24 Hours in A&E makes me think I could run the NHS, gaming has imbued me with inflated and very misplaced confidence in my own abilities. I am convinced that I will only survive but thrive if I ever had to deal with, say, a zombie apocalypse or a plane crash on a mysterious island. (Yes, you’re right: I am indeed unbearable in Escape Rooms.)
It’s just as well, really, because surviving a crash and landing on a mysterious island is exactly how we’re introduced to Sons of the Forest. In the midst of a rescue-stroke-missing-persons investigation, your helicopter inexplicably tumbles from the sky, marooning you on a vast, temperate habitat where deer gallop across the glade and fish leap from crystal waters and cannibals hide in treetops patiently waiting to batter you to death.
Despite the hype, I didn’t play the predecessor, The Forest, because someone had told me it was a survival game, and I like survival games about as much as I like those aforementioned bugs. Whilst I thoroughly appreciate why they’re popular (I had a fabulous time with Grounded) my personal experience has been that faffing around with the survival bits – finding fresh water, sourcing something to eat, building a wobbly shack in which to sleep – just gets in the way. I have no imagination to build anything impressive and I play games to escape the boredom of everyday life, thanks.