Forest 3 Represents a Clear Departure From the First Two Games, But That’s a Good Thing
There were plenty of shocking and exciting announcements at this year’s Game Awards, but Forest 3 was definitely one that took a lot of gamers by surprise. Forest 3 is a far cry away from the vibe of its predecessors. It’s such a different tone that plenty of Game Awards viewers had no idea it was actually a Forest game until the title card showed up at the trailer’s end. The trailer proved to be one of the award show’s wildest moments, and even though it feels much different than past entries, developer Endnight Games is making the right move.
The Forest and its sequel, Sons of the Forest, are both survival horror games that take place in settings defined by isolated wilderness. While the first game takes place on a rural peninsula in Canada, the second game is set on a mysterious, tree-covered island somewhere near the Pacific Northwest. Forest 3‘s reveal has already raised plenty of questions about what the threequel could have in store. This time around, Endnight Games is taking its survival gameplay to a completely different planet, and while it’s a risky change of scenery, it’s definitely a risk worth taking.
Forest 3’s Bold Setting Change Paves the Way for a Fresh Story
- The Forest follows plane crash survivor Eric LeBlanc as he searches for his missing son Timmy, ultimately uncovering remnants of an ancient civilization and a conspiracy surrounding genetic experiments.
- Sons of the Forest follows Jack Holt, a man hired to look for missing CEO Edward Puffton and his family, once again leading to ancient discoveries and surviving mutants.
While The Forest and Sons of the Forest have a loosely intertwined story, there are still more questions than answers right now, especially when it comes to alien artifacts. Between the Obelisks in The Forest and Sons of the Forest‘s Golden Cube, which can open different dimensions, the series has already been dabbling in the paranormal. Both games have been teasing an ancient alien race, and Forest 3 is opening the doors to potentially reveal more. Sons of the Forest‘s setting dives a bit deeper than its predecessor does, but not by much. With both games, fans have been thinking of theories about what the franchise’s lore is going to become, and while many are compelling, Forest 3 offers the opportunity to finally get some real answers.
Announcement Trailer for Forest 3
Survival Gameplay is Going to Be On Another Level Now
Yes, The Forest and Sons of the Forest both feature mutated creatures, but Forest 3 also makes them alien, and that’s more terrifying. Beyond the mutants, crash-landing on a foreign alien planet means that players will have to learn a completely different ecosystem. Every single piece of the game is going to be an even bigger mystery as players forage and scavenge an environment they’re completely unfamiliar with. The Forest and Sons of the Forest are already challenging enough in a grounded, realistic setting, but there’s no telling how much that difficulty will be bumped up with alien beings and strange, unknown flora and fauna. Forest 3‘s alien planet takes everything that made its predecessor so harrowing and adds an extra layer to the fight for survival.
Endnight Games has yet to reveal the names of Forest 3‘s monsters, but there are a few revealed in the trailer. Some of these include fish-like creatures, a creepy-looking worm, flying monsters that look like huge bats, a mutated humanoid creature that looks like something out of The Thing, and a giant alien squid.
Forest 3’s Tone May Be Different, But the Heart of the Franchise Remains the Same
Because of the alien planet setting, Forest 3‘s tone is far more sci-fi-heavy than the past entries. Because of the franchise’s lore, there have always been hints of sci-fi, but nothing as in-your-face as Forest 3 promises. The alien planet appears much darker and bleak compared to The Forest and Sons of the Forest‘s Earth-based settings. At the moment, it’s not clear how many biomes will be present in the game, but the trailer is teasing an even drearier mood. Open-world games like The Forest franchise really have to nail the tone in order to successfully sell that it feels lifelike, and it will be fascinating to see how Endnight Games manages to pull that off.
Still, despite the change in tone, it’s clear that Forest 3 is still keeping the heart of its series intact. Raising the dial on horror and survival only makes sense, and bringing everything together into a third chapter that not only looks like a step-up in challenge, but a deeper dive into the lore, feels right. Immersive horror games are hard to pull off, especially when heavy sci-fi elements are thrown into the mix, but both previous games offer a solid base to build upon.
Beyond the mutants, crash-landing on a foreign alien planet means that players will have to learn a completely different ecosystem.
The Wait for More Forest 3 Starts Now
Even though Forest 3 made waves at the 2025 Game Awards, its developers haven’t revealed any other information besides what’s given in the trailer. Honestly, it may be a long time before fans get a fresh look at the game, unless Endnight Games is much further ahead than expected. There were five years between The Forest and Sons of the Forest, so if Endnight Games sticks with that same timeline, then Forest 3 may not be ready until around 2028.
Ultimately, it’s really hard to say, but it seems highly unlikely for Forest 3 to be on 2026’s game calendar. A 2027 launch window isn’t impossible, but 2028 feels like a safer bet at the moment. Regardless, Forest 3 being official is an exciting and unexpected end-of-year announcement.
While Forest 3‘s monsters may not be the cannibal mutants fans are so used to, what this third chapter is teasing is something potentially even more terrifying. The blend of survival and sci-fi horror that’s being hinted at has what it takes to bring forth a fresh story that does its predecessors justice while also taking its best qualities to the next level.