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Shortly before the release of the game, the authors of Sons of the Forest decided to make important changes: in order not to postpone the premiere (and this has happened more than once), they changed the status of the release project to early access. Such steps immediately lower the bar of expectations: in general, I thought that the beginning of the continuation would be on the level of the original The Forest, which I had to abandon after an hour of getting to know it. As a result, I missed the first part of the dilogy and, probably, in vain: in the end, the game turned out to be quite good.  
And what was the beginning of the sequel - can it safely start right now or is it better to wait for the release of the full version again?

I must say right away that you should not expect a miracle: the developers decided to postpone the release for one reason - we have a typical beta version in front of us. Be prepared for slow performance, errors, crashes and other shortcomings. However, we will talk about this later, but for now it is worth talking about how Desura's projects compare favorably with other survivors - about the plot.

Structurally, the story of the second part almost completely copies the original one: the main character suffers a plane crash and now has to survive on an apparently uninhabited island, exploring the surroundings and finding very strange features of the world. If in the first part the protagonist was flying about his business and nothing foreshadowed problems, in the sequel we play as a special forces soldier sent in search of a billionaire and his family who disappeared somewhere on a distant island in the middle of the ocean. It seems that this is where all the differences in the plot end, and not only in it: Sons of the Forest does not hesitate to copy the original even in small things and in many ways resembles its improved version.

After the introductory video, everything goes smoothly: in the same way, the player (or players, there is a cooperative mode) expects a catastrophe and a miraculous rescue, the first encounter with hostile natives, caves with monsters, gradual movement through the plot and the exciting process of survival in nature, which, apparently, should determine the genre of the project.

However, the developers are a bit sneaky when they call the game an open-world survival horror simulator. It is definitely not worth considering the project as a pure survivor: if you wish, you can run the campaign without cutting a single tree, without making a single bed out of sticks and eating not the gifts of nature, but normal food. Introducing a specific story is a great move, given the unobtrusive presentation of the plot through the exploration of the island.

Even if you are bored with all this stuff about building huts with branches, traps, ties, trips in search of food and other typical features of the genre, give the game a chance - it has a special charm for exploring the open world.

The caves are dark, damp and very uncomfortable. And there you can meet local residents who will be very happy with fresh meat.

Even the most ordinary walk through the forest without a clear goal such as "I'll go see that spot marked on the navigator" can generate a lot of emotions. The island is huge and diverse: there are sandy beaches and snow-capped mountains, dense thickets and cozy meadows, rivers and lakes. Perhaps Sons of the Forest is the best implementation of nature I've seen in 1001 free games, with the possible exception of Red Dead Redemption 2. Add to this the change in weather conditions and the presence of seasons - you get a simulator that is unique in its authenticity and beauty. This is especially noticeable when the season changes - for example, the autumnal violence of the elements looks so realistic that you will want to quickly enter a house built from logs to warm up and watch the storm from the window, and not get wet in the water. forest among the trees swaying under the blows of the wind. 

For those who are indifferent to the beauties of wildlife, the writers have reserved something else. There are enough random finds on the island that slowly reveal the plot or just work to create an atmosphere: I think you will remember the Lost series more than once, and the experts in the first part will receive a lot of information for reflection.

I dare to give a little advice: it is better to look at least towards guides, tutorials and other tips. Sons of the Forest is good for the learning process. I realized this by accident: the first day after the release, there was no one to consult with, so I had to think on my own, make assumptions and guesses, really explore the world and not run to a point on the map spied on YouTube. And it was really interesting: it somehow reminded me of childhood, where in this way I had to overcome every game; then there was no access to the Network with a ready-made solution for any problems.
Therefore, do not spoil your impression - explore the island, the plot and the features of the game yourself. This is not a multiplayer PvP survival game like Rust, where knowledge of the intricacies is necessary to compete with opponents. Forget at least for a while about efficiency and speed - it is much more interesting to find the same shovel on your own. 

Here, however, you need to be careful: I repeat once again: we have only a beta version with all the consequences. And, above all, it was the part of the plot that suffered from the imperfections. There are almost no dialogues, the cut scenes, including the initial one, are clearly incomplete, so it is unlikely that it will finally be possible to understand what is happening. At the same time, the developers allow to pass the campaign to the end, but in the current state it is unclear how much the plot suffered due to early access. I think it's very, very serious. Therefore, I will jump back in with tips on the rights of the previous game and I was sorry: if you are interested in the plot, it is better to wait for the release.

As for the "survival" part of the game, everything is surprisingly good. But why "surprisingly"? Sons of the Forest largely repeats the first part, which many fell in love with only because of the gameplay, and not because of the plot.

Everything works for the survival atmosphere: even the inventory is not a menu with signs, but a separate scene with a first-person view. Any action is provided with a detailed animation, and the interface tries not to remind itself once again.

Don't forget the co-op mode too. With it, as you know, any game improves, and even Sons of the Forest and more. Building a shelter in the forest and fending off cannibal attacks or clearing dark caves of creepy monsters is always more fun with friends. It seems to me that the game is great as joint entertainment with your soulmate, given the specifications of the game. However, the developers have also taken care of lonely hearts: the main character can be accompanied by NPCs who will help not only in battle, but also in the construction of the base.

I will mention associate management separately. The authors have built an interesting command system, which also works to maintain the atmosphere: for example, Kelvin, who lost his hearing during a helicopter crash, can receive commands using notes in a notebook. It turned out to be convenient, clear and logical. One thing is unclear: is the silence of almost all the characters an idea, a bug or a glitch in the beta version?
A similar question ("bug or feature?") occurred to me more than once while trying to survive in the forests of an island lost in the ocean. Sometimes this made it difficult to enjoy the gameplay, sometimes not, but the fact that the project needs to be polished and, in some places, seriously work on the bugs, is beyond any doubt.

Waiting for the launch? Definitely. But the answer to the question of whether to buy Sons of the Forest right now depends on what exactly you want to get. If your priority is to survive and there is a company of a couple of friends who are ready to live adventures together, then take action - in this regard, the project is unlikely to change much. But for solo players and those who want to devote more time to the story and exploration, it's better to wait, there's still room for improvement.