TF vs. SOTF?

[Trex]

I recently played through sotf with a friend without playing the original. Is it worth it to play through the first one as well or would it be similar/"a waste of time"? Is it set before or after the timeline of SOTF? Are the events in the game drastically different? What about the building/crafting mechanics? I'm definitely new to the area considering I only have about 30 hours or something in the game but any advice/input is appreciated! 🏕️🌲🌿🪵

[Turkwise]

SOTF is better in almost every way so you wont miss that much if you skip the original. The story is connected but its ♥♥♥♥ anyway so dont worry about it.

[LegendHunter]

Originally posted by Trex:

Is it worth it to play through the first one as well or would it be similar/"a waste of time"?

They are similar but I would never call The Forest a waste of time.

Originally posted by Trex:

Is it set before or after the timeline of SOTF?

Years before.

Originally posted by Trex:

Are the events in the game drastically different?

You play as Eric Leblanc, your son Timmy gets kidnapped after your plane crashes onto a small island(compared to SotF).
Gameplay is similar in that it is survival on and island, there are cannibals and mutants, and you are looking for a missing person(Timmy).
Although simpler the story is executed better and feels a lot more personal.

Originally posted by Trex:

What about the building/crafting mechanics?

Building is different, I recommend watching some videos to get an idea, it used blueprints which allowed more planning out of your base before spending any resources and time.
You could also build some rafts and a houseboat.
Crafting is the same, no 3D printers, some recipes that require trial and error will upgrade your carry capacity for certain items. IE; Rock bag, stick holster, etc..

If you don't want to spend the money or time I recommend at least watching a play through because the story definitely hits harder than SotF and helps when it comes to understanding the SotF story.

[NoldoCelu]

In some ways, I like TF more than SotF. The story is better with more focus on the main character, and his struggle. I would say it feels more like a typical survival game than SotF. There's no guns, and seem more melee-centric in general, to my mind.
The building is simpler, with setting blueprints and collecting resources, but you have more incentive to build a base. And although the game world is smaller, the enemies patrol along specific paths, so some areas are safer to build on than others.
Inventory & crafting is pretty much the same.

Story wise, TF takes place before SotF, and the characters from TF also appears in SotF. The events are set up in a similar fashion, where in-engine cut scenes start when you enter certain areas, and lots of notes and story items scattered about.

But I would absolutely recommend TF, a bit more in line with the typical survival games of the time perhaps? But it's still really good.

[DanteBrane]

SOTF is more of the same as TF but with better graphics, a bigger map, more complex AI(?), slower gameplay because of the new building mechanics/crafting animations, and a more confusing story. To me, TF felt very arcadey and janky but was solid enough for their first game. You can see that SOTF is more polished and has a bigger budget but still has that jank to it.

I would recommend playing TF as it's still a classic in my eyes. It takes place quite sometime before SOTF since Timmy is a child in the first game. Unless you are playing with friends, it feels much more isolating and scary compared to the sequel since you and Timmy are the only survivors of the plane crash.

Building is faster because it uses a blueprint system and you just slap the logs and sticks onto your blueprint without any slower animations and it's also easier to layout large and elaborate structures. Crafting is the same, similar recipes for everything but without the slower animations.

[Maviba]

Originally posted by Trex:

I recently played through sotf with a friend without playing the original. Is it worth it to play through the first one as well or would it be similar/"a waste of time"? Is it set before or after the timeline of SOTF? Are the events in the game drastically different? What about the building/crafting mechanics? I'm definitely new to the area considering I only have about 30 hours or something in the game but any advice/input is appreciated! 🏕️🌲🌿🪵

TF is set about 10 years before SOTF, and SOTF's continues from the original Story.
So in order to get the entire story, having played TF is advised.

Game concept and game mechanics are basically the same, but construction mechanics are different from each other.