Endnight, the studio behind Sons of the Forest, has made an official announcement stating that instead of delaying the highly anticipated sequel to The Forest, the game will be available for early access. Due to the game's complexity, Sons of the Forest will be relying on feedback from players in order to make it the game many fans have been hoping for.
Since the surprising success of its predecessor, the expectations for Sons of the Forest to be even bigger and better are high. With The Forest being released several years ago, the excitement for the sequel has grown for many over the years, and that can sometimes put pressure on studios to release the next installment as soon as possible. However, sometimes ambitious goals for sequels can be difficult to execute on time, which inevitably leads to delays.
In order to avoid pushing the release back, Endnight posted an official statement on Steam assuring eager fans that the game won't be delayed, but will have an early access release that will allow people to still play despite the game not being completely finished. The post from Endnight stated that one of the biggest things that made The Forest so special was the player feedback that allowed the dev team to create an even better game over time. This early access release will give players the opportunity to confront unanswered questions from The Forest while also assisting the studio with hands-on input.
The early access release will still be the February 23 date that many have been anticipating for the past few months. Just a few of the features Endnight still wishes to add to the game are specific items, gameplay balance, and mechanics. With the buzz surrounding Sons of the Forest's incredible AI, the studio has made it clear that it has high hopes for where the sequel will go in terms of gameplay.
Although it's a shame that the game won't be entirely complete in time for the planned release date, it's still a relief that there won't be another delay. Facing a year of stellar releases, Sons of the Forest is one of the biggest horror games to look forward to. Even though the title will likely have some features and bugs to smooth out, it's also exciting that players get to take part in making the game even better in order to help create the best gaming experience possible.
Sons of the Forest releases for PC on February 23, 2023.
Source: Steam