How to switch between weapons and items quickly in Sons of the Forest

Sons of the Forest will test your survival skills as it pits you against cannibals, mutants, and aggressive animals on a remote island. To defeat them, you can equip weapons like Pistols, Shotguns, Crossbows, and more. You must first assign the desired weapons and items to the Backpack to quickly switch between them.

Once you do that, you can hold the I button to bring up the Backpack and switch between the assigned weapons and items. However, if you decide to swap your weapons, note that the in-game character will open the Backpack in the middle of combat while you continue receiving damage.

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How to use the Backpack to switch between weapons and items in Sons of the Forest

Sons of the Forest presents an unforgiving world populated by mutants, cannibals, aggressive animals, and other enemies. It would be best if you resorted to the weapons and tools available in the game to fend them off. Since the game doesn’t provide a dedicated hotkey system to switch between weapons quickly, a Backpack is your best bet.

Use the following steps to assign weapons and items to the Backpack:

1. Press the I button on your keyboard to bring up the inventory mat.
2. You will find the Backpack on the top right of this mat. Selecting it with right-click will bring it to the center of the mat.
3. Selecting the desired weapons and items, right-click will slot them in the Backpack.
4. From this point onwards, press and hold the I button to bring up the Backpack and switch between the selected weapons and items.

The Backpack can be found on the top right corner of the inventory mat (Image via Endnight Games)

You can save yourself the hassle of opening up the inventory mat amid combat, which makes you vulnerable to damage. While a quick swap system would have worked better, the Backpack mechanic adds a sense of realism to the game.

The Backpack can hold a limited amount of weapons and items, so make sure you select the ones you need in combat. Although you chose to assign items, having medicines and ranged, weapons like Pistol, Shotgun, or Crossbow in the Backpack is ideal.

Once you do not need the equipped weapon, feel free to unequip it by pressing the G button on your keyboard. This is beneficial to establish rapport with Virginia, one of the AI companions in the game. Approaching her with a weapon in your hand scares her away, so ensure to holster your weapon.

The game pushes you to plan your tactics and choice of tools before venturing out for exploration. You can run into enemies at any juncture, so having weapons assigned to the Backpack is best.

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More about Sons of the Forest

Sons of the Forest is a sequel to the popular survival horror game The Forest. This title introduces AI companions Kelvin and Virginia, who assist you in resource gathering and combat, respectively. If you wish to ignore the monotony of gathering materials, you can assign these tasks to Kelvin.

You begin this arduous quest for survival near a helicopter crash site and are tasked with finding a missing person. You must hunt, scavenge for resources and defeat vicious enemies to survive in Sons of the Forest. You can refer to this article to know the complete weapon list.

Apart from fighting enemies, you will also manage your hunger and thirst levels. You can find drinking water to quench your thirst and cook food to satiate your hunger.

You can delve into this game solo or hop in with your friends in multiplayer and co-op. However, it is worth noting that the game has been plagued with specific issues like players being stuck on the loading screen, multiplayer not working, etc.

Sons of the Forest is only available on PC for now, and its makers Endnight Games, are yet to disclose any release plans for consoles. This survival horror title has been popular since its release on February 23, 2023, and continues to attract more players.