Forest 3 Represents a Clear Departure From the First Two Games, But That’s a Good Thing

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This year’s Game Awards featured many surprises, but the reveal of Forest 3 really caught gamers off guard. It’s a significant departure from the atmosphere of previous Forest games – many viewers didn’t even realize it was a new Forest title until the very end of the trailer! The trailer was a highlight of the show, and while it’s a very different direction for the series, developer Endnight Games seems to be making a smart choice.

Both The Forest and Sons of the Forest are survival horror games set in remote, wild locations. The first game takes place on a peninsula in Canada, while the second is on a mysterious island off the Pacific Northwest coast. The announcement of Forest 3 has sparked a lot of curiosity about what’s next for the series. This time, the developers at Endnight Games are moving the survival gameplay to an entirely new planet. It’s a bold change, but one that seems likely to pay off.

Forest 3’s Bold Setting Change Paves the Way for a Fresh Story

Image via Endnight Games
  • 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.

The story in The Forest and Sons of the Forest is connected, but many mysteries remain, particularly surrounding strange alien objects. From the Obelisks in The Forest to the Golden Cube in Sons of the Forest – which can open portals to other dimensions – the games have hinted at supernatural elements and an ancient alien race. Forest 3 promises to expand on this, potentially revealing more about the lore. While Sons of the Forest explores the story a little further than the first game, there’s still much to uncover. Fans have developed many theories about the franchise’s overall story, and Forest 3 could finally provide some concrete explanations.

Announcement Trailer for Forest 3

Survival Gameplay is Going to Be On Another Level Now

While The Forest and Sons of the Forest had mutated creatures, Forest 3 takes it further by making those creatures alien in origin, which is even scarier. Beyond just the enemies, players crash-land on an alien planet and must learn to survive in a totally new environment. Everything in the game will be more mysterious as players explore and gather resources in unfamiliar surroundings. The Forest and Sons of the Forest were already very challenging, but the addition of alien life and strange plants and animals will likely make Forest 3 even harder. The alien setting builds on what made the previous games so frightening, adding another layer of difficulty to the struggle for survival.

Endnight Games hasn’t shared the names of the monsters in Forest 3 yet, but the trailer did give us a glimpse of a few. We saw fish-like creatures, a disturbing worm, bat-like flying monsters, a mutated humanoid that resembles the creature from The Thing, and a massive alien squid.

Forest 3’s Tone May Be Different, But the Heart of the Franchise Remains the Same

As a big fan of The Forest games, I’m really excited about Forest 3! It looks like they’re leaning hard into the sci-fi elements, which have always been hinted at but never like this. The new setting on an alien planet is way darker and more desolate than anything we’ve seen in the previous games, which were set on Earth. We don’t know how many different areas there will be yet, but the trailer definitely gives off a really gloomy vibe. With open-world survival games like this, getting the atmosphere right is so important to make it feel real, and I’m really curious to see how Endnight Games is going to achieve that with Forest 3.

Even with a shift in atmosphere, Forest 3 clearly remains true to the spirit of the series. Increasing the horror and survival elements is a natural progression, and this third installment successfully raises the stakes and expands on the game’s story. Creating truly immersive horror experiences is challenging, particularly when science fiction is involved, but the previous games provide a strong foundation to build upon.

In addition to facing mutants, players who crash-land on this alien planet will need to understand a brand new environment and how it works.

The Wait for More Forest 3 Starts Now

While Forest 3 generated a lot of excitement at the 2025 Game Awards, the developers haven’t shared any details beyond what was shown in the trailer. It could be quite a while before fans get another glimpse of the game, unless Endnight Games is further along in development than people realize. Considering there was a five-year gap between The Forest and Sons of the Forest, Forest 3 might not be released until around 2028 if the developers follow a similar schedule.

Image via Endnight Games

It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Forest 3 will come out in 2026. While a 2027 release isn’t out of the question, 2028 seems more probable right now. Despite the delay, the official announcement of Forest 3 was a pleasant surprise to end the year.

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Though the monsters in Forest 3 aren’t the flesh-eating mutants fans expect, the story suggests something even scarier is coming. This mix of survival and science fiction horror could deliver a new story that honors the previous installments while also improving upon what made them great.

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2025-12-21 16:06