Sons of the Forest’s Kelvin is the perfect survival pal

Between the lurking cannibals, crashed helicopters, and grisly corpses littered around the island I crash-landed on, I’m not having a very good time. Sons of the ForestIt is an extremely scary, open-world survival adventure. I’m forced to sleep under a tarp until I can build my own log cabin by hand, and I’m eating raw fish and scavenged cereal to survive. There’s just one salve to this terrible experience: my good son, Kelvin, who is trying his absolute best.

Sons of the ForestIt opens with a thrilling sequence. I’m part of a military squad sent to investigate the fate of a missing family of billionaires. Our helicopter is hit by a plane, and both the pilot and Fisheye (my companion) are killed in the crash. Kelvin and myself are the only survivors. Kelvin is clearly seriously hurt. There’s blood leaking out of his ears, and there’s a glassy look to his eyes.

Kelvin trails after the player everywhere they go, and to many fans, he’s a beloved companion. He is affectionately called Kevin by players and does his best for the protagonist. The player can control him — to an extent — with a notepad and paper by giving him tasks to complete. This animation is quite comical. The protagonist writes down a simple command, like “Go get fish and drop them here,” and then hands it off to Kevin — or thrusts it into his chest like an exasperated older sibling with a little brother. Kevin grins and nods as he lopes to find trees or rocks.

Kevin certainly does his best, but unfortunately, his AI isn’t the best. Or maybe it’s just the ensuing results of his brain injury from the crash. Sometimes he’s crouched by the edge of a river, speed-snatching salmon with superhuman reflexes. He may also jog right up to menacing criminals, and stare at them without speaking. Yes, that’s right. Thanks.

Not only is this a terrible detection system, but the cannibal usually beats Kevin’s ass and I have to run over to help. Patrick Gill, a colleague shared with me that Kelvin had taken down the tree which supported his treehouse. This left him with a floating house. Ana Diaz also asked “Wait, do your Kevins scream?” I don’t Think my Kevin screams, but it’s an alarming question to consider. He is as eager to scare as the cannibal. He’s Always there. Waiting. Watching.

Kelvin isn’t the only companion players can meet in Sons of the Forest. A three-legged and three-armed woman wearing a bathing suit in the beginning will pass by camp. You can win her trust if you are gentle with her and keep your guns away. Soon, she’ll begin to bring you little gifts like fish or berries.

Once you’ve built up a rapport with this strange woman, you can begin to give her gifts too. She can also use a shotgun or a gun, and she does so with both. While she won’t take instructions like Kevin — there’s no notepad with which to guide her — she will follow you around as an extra combat companion, which is a pleasant surprise.

Kevin is an incredibly comforting and reliable friend. Sons of the Forest. You can dilute, or remove from your Kevin experience. Multiplayer allows everyone to have their own Kevin. You can then simply pass him on to a friend. You can also use a hatchet to finish off a cannibal who has taken Kevin down.

Why would you want to do this? You live in a dark and scary environment. Sons of the Forest, it’s good to have a friend. Kevin strikes a weird balance between funny — there’s something inherently comical about watching him wander into the middle of a river and contemplatively sit down, grinning into the middle distance — and deeply unsettling. Although the game is in its early stages, I am hopeful that we will see more Kevin content and a way for us to unwrap his noodles a bit. All the best for my boy, and even competent medical attention.