The popular open-world survival horror game, Sons of the Forest, has received its first major content update since its full release in February 2024. While the game has seen smaller hotfix updates throughout the year, this marks a significant milestone for the co-op title, bringing new features, improvements, and a plethora of bug fixes. Players, tasked with surviving on a cannibal-infested island in search of a missing millionaire, will find new ways to build, explore, and fight.
This update introduces a range of additions designed to enhance gameplay. Players can now utilize three new raft structures, a new mooring structure, and buildable holders for the KnightV and hang glider. Endnight Games, the developers behind the title, have also added Steam Game Recording support and a hidden clothing item, offering further options for players and content creators.
sons-of-the-forest-kelvin.pngThis significant update is the first major content drop for Sons of the Forest since its February 2024 launch.
New Features Added to Sons of the Forest
This update introduces several key additions to the game:
- Raft Expansion: Three new raft structures and a mooring structure offer expanded options for water-based travel and construction.
- Vehicle Storage: Buildable holders for the KnightV and hang glider provide designated storage solutions for these crucial vehicles.
- Defensive Structures: New buildable drawn defensive walls add further options for fortifying bases against cannibal attacks.
- Streaming Support: Integrated Steam Game Recording support streamlines content creation for players.
- Hidden Attire: A secret, discoverable outfit offers a new cosmetic reward for players to find.
Gameplay Improvements in the Latest Update
This update also features numerous improvements to enhance the overall gaming experience:
- Ranged Weapon Refinements: Aiming mechanics for the crossbow, compound bow, crafted bow, shotgun, and slingshot have been improved for greater accuracy.
- Arrow Trajectory: Arrow flight paths now more accurately reflect the weapon’s trajectory.
- Building Streamlining: The “Skip place animation” option now applies when adding logs to ghost structures, expediting the building process.
- Multiplayer Revival: Players can now revive teammates who die while swimming, a crucial improvement for cooperative gameplay.
- Water Death State: Players who die out of water and then fall into water will now enter a water death state, adding realism to the game’s mechanics.
- Kelvin Enhancements: Kelvin now has a faster swim animation, blood and wetness effects on all outfits, and improved pathfinding in water, making him a more effective companion.
- Virginia Improvements: Virginia, like Kelvin, can now pull herself out of water at reachable edges.
- Structure Durability: Built structures now register only a single hit from scatter shots like buckshot, balancing combat against player-built defenses.
- Inventory Management: Golf cart batteries can now be stored on shelves, improving inventory organization.
- Expanded World: World boundaries have been extended to accommodate the increased use of rafts.
- Audio Precision: Network audio events now have increased location accuracy, enhancing immersion.
- Visual Polish: Motion blur quality and the appearance of ghost structures have been improved.
- Performance Optimization: Physics rigs for drying racks and fire have been optimized for better performance. Several in-game items have also had their colliders optimized.
- UI/UX Enhancements: The grab bag UI prompt layout has been improved for better usability.
- Interaction Improvements: Throwing dead bodies into water now creates realistic splash and ripple effects, adding to the game’s immersive qualities. Shooting tree vines with bows and guns will now sever the vines, providing new tactical options.
Bug Fixes in the Sons of the Forest Update
A significant portion of this update focuses on addressing various bugs and issues:
- Fire Effects: Resolved issues with fire effects sometimes appearing in mid-air when lighting dead bodies on fire.
- Localization Fix: Fixed a bug in the rebinding menu when using the Portuguese language setting.
- Water Displacement: Corrected ocean water displacement calculations when not in wave conditions.
- Multiplayer Rabbit Collection: Fixed a bug preventing multiplayer clients from collecting rabbits from hutches or cages when already holding a live rabbit.
- Tactical Axe Animation: Fixed a bug with the tactical axe’s neutral attack poses causing jerky transitions back to idle.
- Plant Visuals: Corrected the appearance of Silver burweed when on fire.
- Environmental Effects: Players will no longer experience cold or freezing effects in the hell cave.
- Rock Collider Consistency: Unified rock collider setup across different rock pickup variations.
- Flare Audio: Fixed an issue with flare audio not following the projectile after being thrown.
- Ocean Rendering: Resolved errors related to ocean rendering when quitting to the title screen.
- Memory Management: Addressed a rare memory corruption issue that could lead to crashes.
Numerous other bug fixes have been implemented, addressing issues ranging from enemy AI behavior and item interactions to multiplayer synchronization and graphical glitches. These fixes significantly improve the stability and overall playability of Sons of the Forest.
Conclusion
This major update for Sons of the Forest demonstrates Endnight Games’ commitment to refining and expanding the game. With new features, performance improvements, and a comprehensive list of bug fixes, players can expect a more polished and engaging survival horror experience. The update provides a solid foundation for future content and solidifies Sons of the Forest‘s place as a compelling entry in the survival genre.
