There were plenty of shocking and exciting announcements at this year's Game Awards, but Forest 3 was definitely one that surprised a lot of players. Forest 3 it is a far cry from the atmosphere of its predecessors. It's such a different tone that a lot of Game Awards viewers had no idea it actually was Forest game until the title card appeared at the end of the trailer. The trailer turned out to be one of the wildest moments of the awards show, and while it seems a lot different than past entries, developer Endnight Games is making the right move.
Forest and its continuation, Sons of the forestare both survival horror games that take place in an environment defined by an isolated wilderness. While the first game takes place on a rural peninsula in Canada, the second game takes place on a mysterious, tree-covered island somewhere near the Pacific Northwest. Forest 3The reveal has already raised a lot of questions about what the threequel might have in store. This time, Endnight Games is taking its survival game to a completely different planet, and even if it's a risky change of scenery, it's definitely worth the risk.
Forest 3's bold environmental change paves the way for a new story
- Forest follows plane crash survivor Eric LeBlanc as he searches for his missing son Timmy, eventually uncovering the remains of an ancient civilization and a conspiracy surrounding genetic experiments.
- Sons of the forest follows Jack Holt, a man hired to search for missing CEO Edward Puffton and his family, which again leads to ancient discoveries and surviving mutants.
While Forest and Sons of the forest have a loosely connected story, there are still more questions than answers, especially when it comes to the alien artifacts. Among the obelisks in Forest and Sons of the forest's Golden Cube, which can open up different dimensions, the series has already dabbled in the paranormal. Both games teased an ancient alien race and Forest 3 opens the door to potentially reveal more. Sons of the forestThe setting dives a little deeper than its predecessor, but not by much. Both games have had fans pondering theories about what the franchise's lore would become, and while many are convincing, Forest 3 offers an opportunity to finally get some real answers.
Forest 3 announcement trailer
Survival gaming will now be on a different level
Yes, Forest and Sons of the forest both represent mutated creatures but Forest 3 it also makes them strangers, and that's scarier. In addition to mutants, a crash landing on a foreign alien planet means that players will have to learn a completely different ecosystem. Every single piece of the game will be even more of a mystery as players search and clear an environment they are completely unfamiliar with. Forest and Sons of the forest they're already challenging enough in a grounded, realistic setting, but there's no telling how much that difficulty will be overcome by aliens and strange, unknown flora and fauna. Forest 3Alien Planet 's takes everything that made its predecessor so harrowing and adds another layer to the struggle for survival.
Endnight Games has yet to reveal the names Forest 3's monster, but there are a few revealed in the trailer. Some of them include fish-like creatures, a creepy-looking worm, flying monsters that look like giant bats, a mutated humanoid creature that looks like something else. Thingand a giant alien octopus.
The tone of Forest 3 may be different, but the heart of the franchise remains the same
Due to the environment of the alien planet, Forest 3The tone is much more sci-fi than previous entries. Due to the franchise's tradition, there have always been hints of science fiction, but nothing as overt as Forest 3 promises. The alien planet seems much darker and dreary in comparison Forest and Sons of the forestearth based settings. It's unclear at this point how many biomes will be present in the game, but the trailer teases an even grimmer mood. Open world games like Forest the franchise really needs to improve the tone in order to successfully sell that it looks lifelike, and it will be fascinating to see how Endnight Games pulls it off.
Despite the change in tone, it is clear Forest 3 it still keeps the heart of its series intact. Taking a spin on horror and survival makes sense and putting everything together in the third chapter, which not only looks like another challenge, but also a deeper dive into the lore, that's right. Immersive horror games are hard to pull off, especially when heavy sci-fi elements are involved, but both previous games offer a solid foundation to build on.
In addition to mutants, a crash landing on a foreign alien planet means that players will have to learn a completely different ecosystem.
The Wait for More Forest 3 is starting right now
Even if Forest 3 made waves at the 2025 awards, its developers haven't revealed any other information beyond what's shown in the trailer. Honestly, it may be a long time before fans see the game again unless Endnight Games is much further along than expected. It was five years in between Forest and Sons of the forestso if Endnight Games stays with the same timeline then Forest 3 may not be ready until around 2028.
In the end, it's really hard to say, but it seems highly unlikely for Forest 3 to be on the Games calendar for 2026. A launch window in 2027 is not impossible, but 2028 seems safer at this point. regardless of Forest 3 being official is an exciting and unexpected announcement at the end of the year.
While Forest 3While the monsters may not be what cannibalistic mutant fans are used to, what this third chapter teases is something potentially even scarier. The mix of survival and sci-fi horror that is hinted at has what it takes to deliver a new story that does justice to its predecessors while taking its best qualities to the next level.
