The new survival game Sons of the Forest has a fantastic release. How could a game from a small indie studio achieve something like this? MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider contextualizes the release and notes: The game had exactly the right recipes.
What a release from Sons of the Forest.
The game from the small indie studio Endnight Games just broke Steam. The servers of the gaming platform could not withstand the influx for over an hour and a half, you couldn’t buy any games, many Steam pages were offline.
In addition, there is huge interest on Twitch. Currently, over 200,000 viewers are in front of their screens watching streamers flee from slimy mutants and starve in the wilderness (as of: 24.02.2023 / 13:45). Only the category “Just Chatting” is slightly above it.
But how is this possible? Is the game really that good?
Yes, it is. Although some Forest veterans complain about the limited content. But there are more reasons for the strong hype surrounding the release that I would like to go through with you.
If you want a quick insight into Sons of the Forest first, start our video:
The Forest thrilled millions
Sons of the Forest is the sequel to The Forest, which launched in Early Access on Steam in 2014. The full release followed in 2018, a few months later the porting to PlayStation 4 and support for VR headsets came. I can’t even imagine the horror title in VR.
The PC version alone achieved over 5 million sales and thrilled many of its players. On Steam, The Forest has 96% positive reviews – a top score.
And although the developers communicate little and there was hardly any advertising for Sons of the Forest, they did it very cleverly. Because already 3 years ago, in 2020, the first trailer for the game came out, which made it clear: The sequel to The Forest will again be the same game – only bigger and better.
The rumor mill worked perfectly, and over the years a massive hype has quietly built up, which even melted the Steam servers.
The gaming drought is not over yet
Moreover, we must not forget that gaming is still in crisis. Recently, with Hogwarts Legacy, a major and popular top title came out that captivated many players.
But apart from that, releases are only slowly gaining momentum again after the long Corona crisis. And Hogwarts Legacy is a pure single-player title; you should also be a fan of the franchise to fully enjoy it.
Sons of the Forest was able to capitalize on this momentum and hit all the right notes with fans of multiplayer titles. Unlike, for example, Wild Hearts, the AAA hunting game from EA, which surely fell short of the expectations of those responsible:
Let the streamers suffer!
The success on Twitch can be explained by a pattern, which also makes show events like boxing matches so successful among streamers – we like to see content creators suffer!
Sons of the Forest is creepy, unfair, and tough in some parts. Crafting and controls are complicated, and while you’re still trying to craft your first spear, mutants are already chopping your house into kindling.
Especially at the beginning, the game is characterized by confusion and overwhelm. When it’s dark, fear, and maybe even panic set in. Viewers love this; it elicits genuine emotions from streamers, and that’s exactly what we want to see.
Hard games are becoming more popular
Additionally, I recognize an interesting trend from recent years: Hard games are increasingly moving into the mainstream of gaming.
Even the surprise success of Valheim in early 2021 was a symptom. The survival game was not gentle with its players. Anyone who has been in the swamp can attest to that. Still, it sold over 10 million copies.
But it was clear at the latest with the star performer Elden Ring from 2022 – nowadays, to be successful, you don’t need an “easy mode” anymore. Millions of players are ready to take on a challenge to taste their well-deserved victory.
Sons of the Forest is also such a hard game that lures with challenging challenges and tasty victories.
Survival as the genre of the future
Finally, the genre of Sons of the Forest also plays a role. At the latest since the hype of Rust in 2021, the genre has gained more and more popularity. For me, survival games with an open world are the best that gaming has to offer.
The genre stands for freedom, personal choices – a sandbox where I can do as I please. Here, base builders from construction strategy games meet brave warriors with a lot of PvP experience. The survival genre caters to so many play styles that almost every gamer can find something they enjoy.
Moreover, millions of players from the last decade have grown up with Minecraft, but as they get older, they also seek darker, more mature alternatives.
That no major studio has yet managed to launch a AAA survival game is, to me, a scandal. Our survival expert Benedict Grothaus recently pondered this. A lot is coming our way soon.
Sons of the Forest has apparently done many things right and manages to convince a large player base even as a game in Early Access right at its release. But it is really a good game.
Discuss with me in the comments about the reasons for the hype of Sons of the Forest. Do you agree, do you see other reasons, do you have a different opinion? I want to hear it all.
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