Sons of the Forest builds on its predecessor with several new items and means of traversal while deepening its depiction of the isle to encompass an entire ecosystem. The narrative may not be as solid and creates more questions, but the freedom to pursue it or focus entirely on sandbox building is great.

Leveraging the sandbox can make for some fun moments, whether running over enemies with a golf cart, carving totems to scare them off or frantically running through mutant-filled caverns. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that the game's presentation features stellar attention to detail with its environmental effects, foliage, wildlife and lighting.

Though the first game may be more of a trailblazer with its combination of narrative and survival crafting, Sons of the Forest still offers a compelling experience with enough scares.

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