Many key items in Sons of the Forest are required to progress in the story and find useful tools and weapons. After crashing onto a remote island, players must survive in a dark and cannibal-filled forest alongside an AI companion named Kelvin. They are given some helpful items to start with, such as a GPS locator, an axe, and a lighter. However, other vital items hidden around the island make life as a survivalist easier, like the rope gun.
The rope gun can be used to set up ziplines, making traveling through the forest faster and safer, as it's easier to avoid run-ins with cannibals. It is also necessary to explore some of the caves on the island where other essential tools are. The rope gun itself is deep within one of the mutant-filled cave systems under the forest, and finding it can be challenging without being prepared. So, let's review how to get the rope gun and make a zipline in Sons of the Forest.
Before grabbing the rope gun, getting a long-range weapon like a pistol or a bow and arrows would be wise. The caves are filled with cannibals who have been mutated into terrifying monsters. They often attack in groups, so taking more than one weapon is the best way to avoid getting overwhelmed. Of course, playing with others is also a good strategy, if possible, using the online co-op, especially since the AI companions aren't able to enter the caves. The pistol is one of the few weapons found above ground on a raft in the ocean on the island's west side. Those who don't want to get the pistol first can craft a bow and arrows in their inventory using sticks, feathers, and rope.
Players should also stock up on medication, food, a source of light, and water if they have a flask. The starting lighter doesn't cast much light, but finding a flashlight, using flares, or crafting a torch is an excellent option for more visibility.
Rope Gun Location
The zipline rope gun is in one of the caves marked on the GPS on the west side, south of a circle lake where three rivers intersect. There's a smaller, closer lake right next to the cave, and the entrance is nestled into a rock face a little ways away from the waterfront. Once inside the cave, move forward, and there will be a slight drop-off to an open flooded room with multiple mutants waiting. Throwing a few flares will provide a little light to fight them off. They are blind but swift and use their hearing to track movements, so taking them all on isn't easy. Be careful not to use all ammo in this encounter and stick to melee combat if possible.
When all the mutants are cleared out, collect any resources found in the room and then go down to path to the left of the room. Keep moving forward until coming across a giant mutant stuck inside the wall blocking the way. There are two time bombs right in front of it next to a kneeling worker that can be used to blow it up and clear the path.
To use the bombs, pick them up and equip them and then left-click to throw one. Be careful not to aim too high as it could bounce off the monster towards the player.
Squeeze through the rocks and keep following the corridor down. There will be another open room with more killed workers and mutants, including a stronger variant with tentacles all over its body and more grotesque creatures. Players will also find an email on one of the workers regarding more light in the caves for workers. There are also supplies spread all around the room. Whenever ready to continue, go towards the back of the room, staying to the left. From then on, it's a straight shot to the rope gun. There will be a long corridor with bodies hanging from the ceiling and some notorious baby mutants.
Eventually, the ceiling gets low and starts to close in, so players must squeeze through and be wary of any attacks from behind. A few more resources are found along the way, but it is possible to avoid combat by running forward and not looking back. There will be a fork in the road, and the right path leads to a dead end with some ammo and other materials. The left way continues deeper into the cave, and there will be a small gap that players will have to crouch to get past.
Continue straight and be careful of any other mutants that are lurking around. After following the corridor, another flooded area and a light up ahead signify the rope gun is close. Go towards the light, and the rope gun is in a briefcase next to another searchable container.
A zipline is already in place in the cave that players can now use with the rope gun in hand. Near the top of the zipline, click E to take it down, follow the path forward until there is a small crack in the walls, and then use it to leave the cave.
How to Use Ziplines
The rope gun can set up zipline points, making traveling down the mountain more accessible and faster. Players will need a rope and a grappling hook to use the rope gun. Ropes can be found near abandoned campsites, cannibal camps, and in random containers on the island. There is also a chance that grappling hooks may be lying around, but if not, then there is a 3D printer that can print them off.
After crafting a zipline rope, equip the rope gun and shoot the first grapple point at the desired spot. Next, shoot the line again at the ground wherever the endpoint needs to be to create the zipline. Finally, use the same method for the preset zipline to ride it down. If players want their rope back, they can right-click while looking at the second grapple, and it will go back into the rope gun and can be used again.
Sons of the Forest is available now in early access for PC.