The Solus Project

Recommendation: Highly Recommend
Developer: Hourences and Grip Games
Publisher: Teotl Studios
Release Date: June 7th, 2016
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Exploration, Survival
Other games by Grip Games: The Impossible Game and Foosball: World Tour
Other games developed or published by Teotl Studios: Unmechanical and The Ball

Summary

The Solus Project (TSP) is “the spiritual successor” of Teotl Studio’s 2010 The Ball.  Developed by Hourences and Grip Games, and published by Teotl Studios, TSP takes us on a journey to where Earth has been destroyed, and those who remain last chance at survival is called “The Solus Project”—the explorative mission for Earth’s remaining to colonise on Gliese-6143-C, an alien planet that appears to be uninhabited. However, things do not go as plan, and you are stuck on this alien planet alone, with no source of communication to the outside world, and the only way to survive is to establish transmission with base and explore this enigmatic and picturesque planet—inside and out. Marketed as an exploration, survival, Sci-Fi, atmospheric adventure, TSP instills character and depth, creating an eloquently and mystifying but yet scenic atmosphere to lose yourself in. Also, TSP blends some of the basic elements of survival and science fiction to construct a game rich in content.

TSP may not be perfect, it has its shortcomings, but nevertheless, TSP is an exceptional game that showcases innovation and originality at its forefront and is sure to please many gamers out there.

Pros/Cons/Neutrals

Pros

+ Deceptively hard puzzles (puzzles aren’t hard but they may appear hard—the answer is right in front of your face)—not many though!
+ Excellent, evocative, thematic scores
+ Intriguing, sophisticated, and enriching storyline
+ Aesthetically strong visuals
+ Compelling atmospheric environment—creepy and mysterious undertones
+ Well balanced survival elements that can become challenging
+ Mostly gameplay (explorative); little cutscenes
+ While gameplay is predominantly linear, it is also challenging because it requires a lot of searching in many areas, which becomes easier as you get used to it.
+ Complexity in finding collectibles
+ Multidimensional – multiple playthroughs suggested to fully understand what’s going on
+ An open world(ish)—can be slightly limited in some aspects but overall a beautiful and captivating game to explore in

Cons

– Long loading times (± 2-5 mins) *wasn’t necessarily a bad thing since I got to listen to an awesome track 😀
– Occasional frame stuttering, which caused glitchy and/or clunky movement of the character and environment
– If you don’t read the texts in the game, the storyline may not make any sense
– Can become repetitive if you continuously play (especially after looking for the collectibles) since the architecture is similar throughout the game (especially in the beginning—in the caves; begins to diversify afterwards)
– Controls can be unresponsive—have to click several times or exit to the pause menu and go back to the game (Inventory specific problem)

Neutrals: Preference dependent

• Slow start—takes 2-3 chapters before the plot hastens
• A lot of finding keys and activating mechanisms
• No tutorial
• Not many puzzles
• No map–since gameplay is linear, you didn’t completely need it, however, it would’ve been nice to have, especially when looking for collectibles

Recommendation

Recommend if [you]…

• Prefer minimal action
• Have no preference of challenge
• Enjoy Sci-Fi exploration games
• Believe that storylines are integral for a successful game
• Prefer that Storyline > Gameplay
• Preference for linear gameplay over complex
• Believe immersion through the exploration and discovering new secrets is more important than rushing through the game (Experience > Thrill)
• Favor moderately easy survival aspects
• Would like to learn a story from reading texts than cutscenes
• Have patience—it takes some time before things pick up pace

Don’t recommend if [you]…

• Don’t like to read a lot of texts in games
• Prefer cutscenes in games to explain the story
• Consider finding keys and mechanisms tedious
• Prefer violent, grotesque action-packed games
• Want the struggle aspect of survival [horror] games prominent
• Rather be scared through jump-scares instead of through the environment (mental trickery)
• Have a preference of complex gameplay with thought-provoking and intricate puzzles
• Think linear gameplay is too monotonous and lackluster
• Are looking for pure survival horror
• Figure out the developers’ logic in terms of either gameplay or fear tactics very early in the game—may hinder immersion into the game

If you want to know more, read below.

Survival On an Alien Planet

Survival Aspect

TSP is listed as several things but these are the descriptions at the core of what TSP is supposed to be: survival, survival horror, exploration, Sci-Fi, & adventure. Out of these descriptions, exploration, Sci-Fi, and adventure are what best defines TSP. Some of the problems that may arise for people are possibly due to the mislabeling of the game. After playing TSP twice, I can definitely say that survival horror is not what this game intended to be, and the survival aspect at its crux—while well-balanced—is scarce (i.e. simplified) when you play on easy and normal modes, which is a problem for survival [horror] enthusiasts. Now, if you’re a beginner to the genre of survival (like me), then this game may be an amazing experience for you because the survival elements are balanced in such a way that, yes it is easy to survive in the conditions that you’re in, but it takes time to understand the mechanics in order for you to survive. This applies more so to the elements than the food and water supply. The elements seen in TSP are somewhat brutal and take some getting used to. From tornados to meteor showers and temperature extremes, I’m pretty sure you will have your hands full—at one point, I kept dying from hypothermia (yay).  In easy and normal modes, there are always constant supplies of food—alien and human—and water. So, the struggle aspect to find food and water is limited (or absent in some cases) because all you have to do is wait every ± 5-15 mins or so until you reach the next source. Once you figured that out, it was simple to plan accordingly to make sure you almost always had food and water, even if you did run into problems.

The survival portion is well-balanced but geared more towards beginners or those who have an inclination for exploration than worrying about the survival aspect. It’s not until you play in the hard mode where the survival, struggle, aspect for food sources (especially) makes its appearance. It becomes increasingly more challenging to have sources of food and water.

Note: You have a PDA—named Wilson—that monitors your stats (e.g. health, amount of sleep, body temperature). And climate changes (e,g meteor showers and tornadoes) happen sporadically; they may happen a lot, they may not–it depends. This causes each playthrough in that regard to change since it’s never the same.

Puzzles & Gameplay

There aren’t that many puzzles in this game; however, the puzzles that are presented are fun and deceptively hard (in my opinion). What I mean by “deceptively hard” is that these puzzles are actually easy and the answers are right in your face, but you may not realise it immediately (or maybe you will :D). Not every puzzle is designed in that manner but many are. Also, the puzzles are constructed to feel more natural and intuitive than complex, logarithmic equations—which some people may expect and/or want in this type of game. Because there is a lack of puzzles, the game tends to focus more on the gameplay (adventure) structure, which consists of the following:

• Discovering keys and mechanisms
• Exploring the vast terrain
• Searching for and reading texts & finding collectibles (artifacts and relics)

The most important one would be searching for stories because the texts in TSP are integral in inferring the storyline. The texts help a lot in answering most of the questions that the player might have (not all but most). Most of the mechanism and keys are located within view or in a place that is easily accessible and doesn’t require much or any manipulation. Since this takes up a good portion of the game (i.e. finding keys and whatnot), this can bring on a monotonous feeling, however, discerning new clues to learn more about the story, the correct usage of music build-up to produce the right amount of trepidation and mystery, the addition of enemies and challenges to overcome, and seeing the stunning scenery helps with making the game more dynamic.

Quick tidbit about texts: Texts come in the form of diary entries (from other Solus Project passengers) , tablets, and manuals. Most texts are easy to come by, however, the diary entries may be challenging—for many, you have to actually look for them. There are also other texts (or pictures) you can find that aren’t essential for the story’s plot development and are just placed in the game for fun.

Quick tidbit about collectibles: There are 29 artifacts and 47 relics. Some of the collectibles are straightforward to spot and are found directly on the path you take to reach your objective; however, most are found either through a series of steps (i.e. you have to activate multiple mechanisms), hidden in the Secret Caves or are located off the beaten path (you’ll find them as long as you explore the nearby areas thoroughly). Finding relics and artifacts help you increase your base stats. For example, if you find the Treaty of the Shadow in the Highpoint level, you receive +1 to Climate Resistance, Hunger, and Dehydration.  There are also secrets and Easter Eggs that can be found throughout the game. Secrets include items from the Solus ships (e.g. Flight Recorder, music box, crowbar), Star Signs (Lanameris or Denoasit) and meteors. Most, if not all, the secrets have buffs that you can receive (e.g. resistance to hypothermia/heat stroke). Some secrets are hidden well, whereas some are found in plain sight.

Storyline

The game’s storyline is a hit-or-miss (i.e. either you’re going to like it or you’re not). The story unfolds, as mentioned earlier, through the texts that you find throughout the game, which can cause a problem for people who don’t like to read copious amounts of texts in games. These texts are integral for understanding the storyline and if you decide to not read them, the storyline will appear non-existent or insubstantial. The storyline is very complex—involves a lot of diverse aspects–but it’s interesting, and the way it unfolds keep you intrigued, wanting to find out more. At least that is how I felt. The ending sets up for a sequel, possibly—due to the open-ended nature of it. You may be left with some questions at the end, but, hopefully, there will be a sequel that will address these questions.

Production

There’s not much to comment on in terms of graphic and music. The graphics are gorgeous and picturesque. Rendered and texturised magnificently with brilliant usage of colour and placement that depicts very well the desolate alien planet: signs of a once thriving civilisation; remains of one race scattered and left abandoned. Music by Jonas Kjellberg is first-rate and sets an atmospheric environment of eerie and obscurity of the unknown lurking in these forsaken halls and caves. Other times, the music elucidates the beauty and mesmerising aesthetic of this alien world—talk about a tale of two cities here. The atmosphere is set-up brilliantly—simply put—and the music just heightens the experience.

However, there were some technical problems. Most of the technical problems didn’t take away from the gaming experience (i.e. long loading screen times & unresponsive controls when selecting an inventory item). The main problem I encountered was the lagging and frame stuttering, which would cause me die and/or repeat puzzles over and over again*sighs*. (See suggestions on how to partially fix this problem.)

Scare/Horror Factor

Depending on how you define horror, this game may or may not meet your expectations. If you define ‘horror’ as or believe horror games should include one or more of the following:

• Copious amounts of jump scares
• Prevalence of blood and gore—hack-n-slash or fighting
• Constant state of fear and challenge—a struggle to stay alive

you will probably feel unsatisfied.

However, if you define ‘horror’ as or believe ‘horror’ games should include one or more of the following :

• Evocation of fear due to the unknown or uncertainty of a situation
• Moderate build up tension and suspense with moments of relief

you may get your dose of horror, slightly.

While TSP evokes a sense of visceral fear into the atmosphere, it’s only fleeting. You’re not perpetually in a state of fear or uncertainty nor is there a complete sense of struggle to survive (i.e outsmarting crazy and/or scary adversaries–well, there is the smoke monster, and the Weeping Angel dolls…). There are moments where you know you are being monitored, where you know that something is eschewed. There are even occasions where these moments escalate, potentially intensifying the anxiety and fear in the player about what will happen next—and then it ends. Once over, everything goes back to normal, and you continue on roaming  free, observing for any biohazardous and climate change anomalies.  Constant fear isn’t the game’s strong suit, however, that may not have been what the developers’ were aiming for to begin with.

There are several instances where the fear can be palpable and may cause shivers to run through your body (I’m talking to you Weeping Dolls). TSP excels at eliciting a sense of a sinister atmosphere, though ephemeral, is compelling. TSP creates brief moments of horror that keep you at the edge and, in those moments, you get a taste of what may possibly lurk in those darkened and uncharted terrain.

If you’re the type of person that can figure out the developers’ logic, this may dampen the horror immersion for you. At some point during the game, I was able to figure out that I was mostly safe and that the only thing I should probably be scared of is dying from hypo/hyperthermia, which tend to happened a lot. *Don’t get wrong though, I still freaked out—just not as much.*

After reading all that you’re probably like: “Okay, then what the heck is TSP—scary or not?” TSP overall isn’t scary, especially if you compare it to other horror games such as Alien: Isolation, SOMA, or Amnesia. There are instances of visceral fear injected into the gameplay to keep things interesting but not enough so that you constantly feel threatened.

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Verdict — If you’re looking for a walking simulator, open-world, Sci-Fi adventure game that focuses more on the exploration than the survival, with a highly immersive atmosphere, The Solus Project is an excellent addition to your collection.

Suggestions

• Lagging tends to occur more frequently during the last chapter (Hotspot Landing/Volcano); changing your graphic settings to low or medium, should alleviate some of these issues with lagging, and also help with frame stuttering.
• Make sure to read all the tablets and wall monuments inscriptions—these give you the information you need in order to understand the storyline; the diary entries from the Solus crew isn’t as important—it’s more backstory than anything else; also collectibles aren’t significant either—don’t kill yourself to find them all, trust me on this.
• Don’t expect to be ‘Wowed’ by this game immediately; when I first played the game, I wasn’t completely invested. It wasn’t until the Flashpoint chapter where I began to become genuinely and utterly immersed into the game.
• I may make a mini-guide on how to “survive” but since I saw this frequently appear, I’d thought I address it here: if you’re having problems getting lost in the caves (especially the secret caves), use a beacon. Place it near an entrance or some type of landmark, to help you get back to where you need to go.
• If you need help looking for collectibles, see this Steam Guide. I haven’t found all the collectibles, even with this guide (more out of laziness), but hopefully I will one day.
• If you have the chance, play in VR mode. I haven’t played in VR but based on what I’ve played in normal mode, this game would be pretty awesome in VR and would probably increase your immersion into the game.