Sons of the Forestis the sequel to the popular survival horror gameThe Forest, and it’s now in early access after nine years of anticipation.Sons of the Foresttakes on the same genre as its predecessor, putting players in a survival horror setting that still manages to be quite different from what they know. The titular forest is full of dangerous mutants and cannibals. Players may have an easier time surviving in the sequel than the first game with a few added mechanics that give players a helping hand.
Not only doesSons of the Forestsupport multiplayerthat allows gamers to team up with friends and survive together, but it also introduces a new companion system. One of the most interesting NPC companions is Virginia, a woman who can aid players in combat in unique ways. Virginia may be the most terrifying companion inSons of the Forest, but she’s also the most useful for players.
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Who is Virginia?
Upon taking one look at Virginia, players will quickly realize that she is definitely not human. But after interacting with her, it becomes clear that she is not quite a mutant, either. Virginia first appeared intrailers forSons of the Forest, and her appearance may be unsettling thanks to her three arms and three legs, even though she maintains a human face and hair. Unlike other mutants inThe ForestandSons of the Forest, Virginia is not nude, instead wearing a leotard.
Virginia’s name is quite on the nose, derived from amutant type found inThe Forest. In the first game, Virginias are four-legged mutants with extremely deformed torsos and heads. Unlike her grotesque namesake, Virginia appears to be something between a human and a Virginia mutant. It’s possible that Virginia was in the process of mutating into a fully-fledged monster but somehow interrupted the process, allowing her to retain a high level of humanity.
When players encounter Virginia, they’ll have the opportunity to be friendly to her rather than hostile. If players attack her or attempt to scare her, she will quickly disappear. Virginia has a personality of her own that matchesSons of the Forest’s AI system, and it’s important to note that she despises the cold — if players find her in a warm, sunny spot, she will be easier to befriend. After enough friendly interactions, Virginia will begin to behave seductively toward the player. Even if players are only friendly and not flirty with theSons of the ForestNPC, she’ll still be available as a companion at this point.
Virginia in Combat
Once Virginia is allied with the player character, she can be used in combat. This is true of othercompanion NPCs like Kelvin, and once allied with a player she can be utilized by others during multiplayer games. Initially, Virginia is extremely timid when in combat with mutated enemies, and she will need to be exposed to several combat encounters before she is comfortable. Eventually, she will become an adept battle partner with enough experience and exposure.
When Virginia is acclimated to fights with mutants, she will aid the player in battles as they traverseSons of the Forest’s massive world. She is arguably the most useful NPC companion in the game, thanks to her status as a partial mutant. Due to her multiple arms, Virginia can hold multiple weapons at a time and do massive amounts of damage with several firearms. Players will have to give weapons to Virginia, so they can customize the combinations that she is wielding at any given time — maybe giving her long and short-range guns, or multiple short-range weapons for her to take on the front lines while players stay back and deal distance damage.
However players choose to interact with or utilize Virginia inSons of the Forest, it’s undeniable that she is a highly useful and interesting character. The addition of companion NPCs and a human-mutant hybrid character are indicative of howdifferentSons of the Forestis from other survival horror gamesand its predecessor, and how many new experiences fans will be able to have with this sequel.
Sons of the Forestis available now in early access for PC.
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