Endnight Games’ highly anticipated sequel, Sons of the Forest, is pushing the boundaries, especially with its new AI system.

Endnight Games’ survival horror game The Forest has been an unexpected success after its official launch in 2018. So much so that a sequel was announced for the following year, with Sons of the Forest coming out later this month.

However, after the positive reception of the previous instalment, Sons of the Forest will have to contend with heightened expectations from gamers.

Fortunately, it looks like Endnight Games is really upping the ante. It’s coming with a bigger map and, what promises to be the most exciting feature of all, a vital AI upgrade. The map in Sons of the Forest will reportedly cover four times the area of the first game. However, one of the most significant new features of the sequel is the innovative AI system.

One of the best parts of The Forest was the enemy AI. According to Endnight Games, players loved it. It helped to set The Forest apart from other survival horror games with similar stealth and exploration elements, and it’s something that the sequel embraces. Players will have much more leeway as they cope with the environment, and the game’s artificial intelligence will also be much more effective at what it encounters. Solo players will have an AI companion to assist them. The program’s all-new AI system, called V.A.I.L., will introduce complex behaviours that will even influence their decisions.

Sons of the Forest’s AI means that NPCs can experience simple survival states such as thirst and hunger but can also get bored, angry and scared to make them look as realistic as possible, as their emotions influence their behaviour.

Having more sophisticated companions is one thing, but enemy AI is also a determining factor in a game like this. This was impressive enough in the prequel, but Sons of the Forest takes things to an even higher level. It allows for more coordinated attacks from enemy mutants. Plus, more insidious tactics like stealing and using rope courses to get to the player’s base.

Both enemies and companions can now make decisions and take actions based on their experience and individual goals, and it’s both terrifying and impressive. This monumental change will make the world of Sons of the Forest seem more alive but also more threatening. This level of sophistication in the game’s artificial intelligence will be one of the crowning glories of the title. It will hopefully break new ground for artificial intelligence in video games.

Source: es.ign.com