Title: Solo
Genre: Adventure, Indie
Developer: Team Gotham
Publisher: Team Gotham
Release Date: Apr 26, 2018
There are times when games come into our lives at just the right moment so as they real a lasting impact on us. Solo is one such game for me, especially after recently going through, and in many way still coming to terms with a breakup. I mention this up front because on the surface Solo is an introspective puzzle game set on a gorgeous and surreal archipelago, but it’s also a reflection on love and relationships.
This was a very personal gaming experience for me, asking some questions about love and my own failed relationship that I may not have always been ready for, or ready to address. It’s very rare when a video game connects on a genuinely emotional level. That being said, Solo clearly isn’t for everyone as I still feel it’s a bit more art than game.
Solo really plays with the idea of love and challenges us with questions about it. You’ll question this universal feeling, but depending on who you are and where you are in life, you’ll come at it in wildly different ways, and with wildly different answers. How I approached the game from a place of heartbreak is very different than someone fully in love with a parter, which in turn is different than someone who has never know love.
The game plays with some really heady subjects that make the player look inward, but does all of this through light puzzles and interaction with the worlds wildlife. This is a narrative experience at it’s core and your enjoyment will be directly tied to where you are in life. During my time with the game I was forced to address some lingering feelings, but a year ago I may have simply seen this as simply a cute little puzzle game.
But what’s interesting is that because of the branching narratives in Solo, you can come back to it when you are in a different place and get a totally different experience; for better or for worse. But the game is more than simply narrative (this isn’t some text adventure) as it comes with some truly charming and heartwarming visuals. The world in Solo is broken up into a number of archipelagos, each with a unique look and style.
Color plays a large part in separating these little islands each filled with their own puzzles. Finishing the puzzles in each will open another that moves the story forward. These are all logic puzzles, and while none are going to give your brain a workout they do offer up a nice little challenge.
Gameplay for these puzzles is about as simple as it gets. You are presented with a number of boxes and it’s your job to use them to complete each task. It’s a little more than simply moving around boxes as many do all sorts of crazy things. You can move them about at will, rotating and stacking, and because of this there are multiple paths to getting things done.
But Solo offers up even more, which is impressive for a game that looks so simple on the surface. Each archipelago also features a number of plant and animal life that you can interact with in various ways. You can feed animals, take photos and selfies in each area, or play guitar for your new friends. Some of these actions offer up fun little reward and its nice that Solo offers these added extras as they help fill out the world.
None of these extra things are really necessary to completing the game, but it shows the detail that the developers put into the game. It also gives you some insight into the sort of person you are in some ways. Along the way you’ll also see the shadow of your a former love which become unique interactions depending on how you answer questions about love after completing each archipelago.
These moments are incredibly powerful and on more than one occasion I felt my heart nearly hit my stomach. What’s interesting is that you also have the option of simply sitting there with your lost love, almost as if the game is challenging you to come to terms with how you are feeling. And that’s not something everyone will be able to do.
Solo is a choice-driven narrative that takes the player to some interesting places. As you unlock the world you also address your own feelings and emotions. This really is a beautiful experience that might show you more about yourself than you may be willing to see. This is a gorgeous experience from beginning to end and one that really should be experienced.
That said, Solo probably isn’t for everyone. As I mentioned earlier the game is more an art project wrapped in the form of a video game. For me, that works wonderfully, but it might be too artsy for everyone, especially those simply looking for a good puzzle game. The puzzles are fun, but they lack variety and can become a little repetitive.
Moreover, Solo really assumes that the player has someone in their life, or like me, has lost someone that meant the world to them. If you fall into those brackets then you’ll get a much more meaningful experience from Solo, but if you aren’t then you might be left wanting.
At another time in my life I would come into this review with different eyes, so I can understand that people out there aren’t going to get much from this experience. But right now, at this point in my life, the game hit me like a punch to the gut. I realized that I’m not in the best place and that I may never get over my own loss, but I also found that I have a lot of love left to give.
“Solo is a beautiful and emotional experience wrapped inside a cute puzzle game that might just hit you like a punch to the gut.”
Final Score:
4/5
*A copy was provided for this review*
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