Sons of the Forest golden armor: How to find it, and what it's for
If you want to complete the story in Sons of the Forest, you'll need to be wearing a set of golden armor. But finding this set of armor isn't exactly simple. On the plus side, there's a fancy golden mask to go with it, which is found in the same location. But here's the bad news: While the mask can be very useful, the armor itself isn't going to protect you from much. As armor goes, it's pretty weak and you'd be better off wearing something more durable.
But if you want to finish the game, you'll need to be wearing the golden armor. Here's how to find it.
What you’ll need first
Before you get the golden armor
There are a few other items you'll need to get first, but luckily we've got guides for those, too. Make sure you've found the shovel, and to get the shovel you'll need the rebreather and the rope gun. Once you've got the shovel, it'll allow you to get the maintenance keycard, which you'll need to get the golden armor and golden mask.
You should also have a flashlight and the best weapon you can muster. You're going into the darkness, and you're going to have to kill a lot of mutants.
Golden armor location
Sons of the Forest golden armor location
Zoom out on your GPS: You're looking for a green circle on your map to the east of the big, snowy mountain range, pretty much on the other side of the island from just about everything else. Look for the largest lake on the map, and on the eastern edge of it, a road. You'll see a radar marker pointing there.
(Image credit: Endnight Games)
(Image credit: Endnight Games)
Once you're there, look for an entrance in the rock wall you can squeeze through. Head down into the cave and you'll come to a door you can use the maintenance keycard to open. Follow the corridor and go down one level via the stairs and open the yellow door.
At this point a story cutscene will take place, which I won't spoil. Afterward, the door you entered through will be blocked so head in the other direction through the far door.
There are several rooms in this bunker to loot (and you should scour them, there's good stuff in there including a golf putter you can use as a weapon) but you should head down the stairs to level 2. Here you'll find another corridor and more rooms (and many mutants).
Look for the third open door on the right on level 2. Inside you'll find more mutants, and the golden armor sitting on a sofa. Collect it.
(Image credit: Endnight Games)
Golden mask location
Sons of the Forest golden mask location
The golden mask is in the same bunker, but you'll need to continue using the stairwells to go down, this time all the way to level 5, fighting through even more mutants, including a larger one near the end of the corridor.
On level five, look for an operating room on the left hand side of the hallway. On the bed in the middle, you'll find the golden mask.
Once you've got the mask, the exit from the bunker is right outside the room. Proceed through the caves until you reach the surface of the island again.
(Image credit: Endnight Games)
Golden armor and mask uses
How to use the golden armor and mask
Again, the golden armor isn't especially good as far as body armor goes, but you will need to be wearing it in the final bunker of Sons of the Forest. There you'll find a door that can't be opened unless you're wearing the armor: As we saw at the very end of the multiplayer game trailer, you use the armor's forearm piece to unlock a cave door to see the end of the game.
The golden mask is more useful during the game. You can equip it and hold it over your face to avoid aggression by other masked enemies. Make sure you hold the mask over your face (by holding the left mouse button) before they become aggressive, and they'll leave you alone.
