Hello, Iv been interested in shelter 2 for a while now. I have got it because its a bit to expensive and Im not sure if its the game I really want and expecting it to be.

Iv come to understand the game is about feeding, surviving and taking care of your cubs.
This is something I really enjoy, but do I have to follow the main story ?
Can I just run around and try to survive in the wild?
Is there a sandbox version or something within the game?
I dont know if anyone here has played the long dark, but what I want or expect the game to be if it has a sandbox version without the crafting part.

Or Im I completly wrong to expect this.

Thanks!

There isn't much story to follow. Survival and running around is what the game is mostly about. Or walking around, as running costs stamina. And mostly about survival of your cubs: I am not sure if it is even possible to get the mother lynx killed. She does not absolutely need to eat, it only helps her run longer, and lethal things like drowning just make her pass out for a bit and wake up with starving cubs. Survival is mostly about hunting, as starvation is the main cause of death for your cubs: in the vanilla game your cubs can die from starvation or wolves, and wolves are rare (I think they are only in the tundra, so don't go there with small cubs). Moutains DLC adds foxes and eagles, which may eat your cubs, or failing that, get eaten by them. Once your cubs are strong enough to leave the den you can wander anywhere you like as long as you can find food.