When you're in a cave area and shut off from the outside world, suddenly what you've brought with you becomes essential – every dark corner is a threat you might not have the right gear for, and the abundance with which you can stockpile things can be quickly contrasted by the speed you burn through it all. Especially right at the start when you only have a plasma lighter that gives out an eerie purple glow. There's a strong horror element to these deeper explorations as well. The ease with which you can gather up supplies makes sense when you reach this point – it's less about day-to-day survival and more about preparation for dangerous expeditions. The rewards can be worth it, with lore bombs dropping as you uncover information, and vital bits of gear getting added to your inventory. These can feel like literal dungeons as you risk all the supplies and resources you've collected to get through and out the otherside. This late stage game pushes the survival aspect more, as without decent gear you'll struggle to stay alive in some of the deeper, darker caves that demand your attention. Narratively, at least, as you can finish the story and sort of get answers, and then choose to leave or stay on the island after. It'll also lead you to discovering keycards and the doors they unlock, and set you on the track for what is basically an end game. You see, getting a shovel is a whole thing here, something that requires you getting other hard to obtain items first just to reach it. You'll find dirt patches that need a Sons of the Forest shovel to dig up for example, which seems simple but that's really what draws you into the game's second phase… There's an element of gear gating here too that opens up the more hardcore elements of progression once you start exploring. Those little GPS markers, and the questions they lead to, are just too alluring. But the urge to explore will take over at some point. There's a nice dual pace to what's on offer here as a result, because if you just want to settle down, you can – building out a base and slowly taking over your little part of the island. "There's a lot of weirdness in the world that just begs for more investigation"
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