Hello friend! Looking for an introduction to the exploding world of Sons of the Forest speedrunning? You‘ve come to the right place. While still in Early Access, this survival horror game already has a passionate community of expert players who have used ingenious tricks and glitches to complete Sons of the Forest in under 10 minutes.
Let‘s unpeel the onion on everything that makes these speedruns so incredible. Along the way, we‘ll equip you with enough knowledge to deeply appreciate the sheer talent that allows average playthroughs of over 40 hours to be bested in mere minutes.
An Early Access Smash Hit
Sons of the Forest has already sold over 2 million copies since its February 2023 launch in Steam Early Access. Developed by indie studio Endnight Games, Sons of the Forest is the hotly anticipated sequel to the hit survival game The Forest.
| Game | Copies Sold |
|---|---|
| The Forest | 6 million |
| Sons of the Forest | 2+ million |
Riding a wave of hype, Sons of the Forest aims to expand on everything that made the original so compelling – exploring gorgeous wilderness, crafting shelters and weapons, and battling cannibal mutants.
Even experts did not predict the success Sons of the Forest would see this early. Let‘s compare it‘s first year sales to the original hit:
| Game | First Year Sales |
|---|---|
| The Forest Early Access | 1+ million |
| Sons of the Forest Early Access | 2+ million |
Sons of the Forest has already doubled the first year sales of its beloved predecessor. And the team at Endnight continues to rapidly update the game with new features and content.
Given this trajectory, Sons of the Forest appears likely to eventually surpass The Forest‘s 6 million lifetime sales. But enough about numbers – on to the speedruns!
Glitches, Routing and Expert Skills
Here we will analyze the precise tricks that the world‘s best Sons of the Forest speedrunners have utilized to set record times under 10 minutes.
Current world records on Speedrun.com:
| Category | Record | Runner |
|---|---|---|
| Any% Glitched | 6m 57s | Mantello |
| Any% Glitchless | 43m 59s | Akaya |
As experts would expect, the fastest way to speedrun Sons of the Forest is using glitches. Let‘s break down how the top players shatter the game by exploiting key glitches:
The Survival Guide Speed Glitch
Equipping the Survival Guide while sliding down slopes grants a massive burst of speed. Normally sliding inflicts damage, but the Survival Guide negates this. Expert speedrunner Mantello masterfully chains this across the map to swiftly reach the end-game zone.
Mantello credits the Survival Guide glitch for massive time saves in his world record run.
The Door Clip Glitch
To enter the final zone without opening the locked door, runners perform a precise clip using 4 sticks. This shoots them outside the map into the "backrooms", allowing them to sprint towards the ending sequence. Navigating these out-of-bounds areas requires great familiarity with the engine and terrain. One wrong step means falling forever into an "endless abyss", crushing a run.
The Door Clip Glitch allows skipping the entire end-game region
Expert Sons of the Forest speedrunner akayaa notes:
"Beyond glitch execution, routing knowledge is what separates average runs from world records. Memorizing every out-of-bounds inch allows me to sprint confidently past enemies others would need to slowly fight or evade."
True mastery combines both technical tricks and spacial awareness to almost redefine what it means to "play" Sons of the Forest.
Leaving Early Access with Flying Colors
Sons of the Forest entered Early Access in February 2023 after multiple delays to its planned release date. Many fans feared these delays signaled trouble. But so far Sons of the Forest has assuaged those concerns through robust post-launch support:
- 11+ Updates Since Launch: Ranging from bug fixes to gameplay tweaks to new content.
- "Very Positive" User Reviews: 85%+ of 2+ million players praise the current state of Sons of the Forest.
- Speedrunning Community Adoption: Fastest players have already parsed the game for tricks, glitches and routing. Marks of an engaging title.
When will Sons of the Forest finally leave Early Access? The developers at Endnight Games have not marked a firm date, wanting to ensure the game meets their original vision. But with the incredible momentum so far, we may see Sons of the Forest fully launch faster than once expected.
Appreciating Elite Skills
Through deconstructing exactly how Sons of the Forest speedrun world records are achieved, we gain profound admiration for the talent and creativity at play. Manipulating games in unintended ways requires both technical knowledge and improvisational ability of the highest caliber.
These speedrunners are akin to master engineers, taking what the creators built and pushing it to unfathomable new boundaries. We salute them!
Now that you have scored an expert-grade overview of the early but extraordinary Sons of the Forest speedrunning scene, you can dive deeper with the confidence of comprehension. May your journeys through video game glory be thrilling! Game on!
