When I finally saw the sun again, I could have cried.

Consider this your cue to peel open some skin pouches.

Lets start by getting any new foresters up to speed.

The player cradles the face of Kelvin on a beach in Sons Of The Forest

It doesnt matter too much.

Its possible to behead the raccoons and put their heads on sticks to scare away cannibals.

They dont just attack: they taunt.

The four-armed woman Virginia accompanies the player through a forest in Sons Of The Forest

Interacting with them is a pleasure - but fighting them, sadly, is still a chore.

He can jog right on.

Kelvin is a fine innovation, and Ill miss him in every othersurvival gameI play going forward.

Cover image for YouTube video

Semi-sadly, for me, he was the only person I got to boss about.

Thats what happens when you entrust stories to systems, though.

You get magic and you get damp squibs, and for me Virginias vanishing lends authenticity to the simulation.

Raccoons t-pose in an icy lake in Sons Of The Forest

There are cannibals out there, man.

Glad its not just me.

Its a crying shame, because puncturing that spell is the Forest playing against its greatest strength.

The player holds a bird and a lighter in either hand as a zombie approaches in a snowy forest in Sons Of The Forest

This review is based on a retail build of the game, provided by developers Endnight Games.

A naked monster with new eyes or mouth turns to face the player in a tunnel in Sons Of The Forest

A big fleshy mouth with legs monsters lurches out of the darkness in Sons Of The Forest

The player looks up a river ravine into the sun in Sons Of The Forest

A red naked man monster approaches the player in a forest setting in Sons Of The Forest

A player drinks an energy drink while looking at a crafting mat chock full of different items in Sons Of The Forest