Alright. I've put some time into this one now and here is my recommendation:
If you've never heard of The Forest or Sons of the Forest, do not play this game -- yet.
Please, play The Forest first. It was one of the best and most surprising indie games I've ever played and I didnt even pick it up until a few weeks ago. It officially came out in 2018 and is a brilliant game. I got it for $10 during the last spring break sale, so if you are on the fence, add it to your wishlist. Why The Forest first? It's a complete game.
Sons of the Forest is better than The Forest in every single way -- graphics, AI-behavior, mood, tone, everything...it even has the story there and I hear there are already several endings. So why wait? Because it's not actually done.
I was addicted to The Forest and beat it, and immediately moved into this one and while I am definitely enjoying it, there is so much more untapped potential for this game. It IS a finished game currently in that you can go from the beginning to the end, but there are a couple areas of weakness (base-building, crafting, story-tie ins with the first game, balance issues, etc) that will definitely be tweaked in the coming weeks/years and at this point I really dont want to play it anymore to spoil it because I feel like if I beat the game, I wont ever pick it back up again, even after the game is actually "finished".
So dont deprive yourself of the full experience. Play the predecessor first.
Unless your friends play this game, then get in there right away because this multiplayer is some of the funnest I've played in almost a decade. Building up a base, gathering resources, waiting for night, fending off cannibals. You dont even really have to progress in the game to get an hour or two of chuckles with your buds.