Survival games are a plague on the indie game scene thanks in part to Steam early access. The problem isn’t that I dislike these sort of games (okay, I may a little) but that there has yet to be a really good balance of the survival bits. What The Solus Project has going for it before one even dives into the adventure is a fantastic atmosphere and setting. Where most of these type of games throw you onto some island in a nondescript part of the world, The Solus Project sees you play the role of an away team member sent to find a new home after earth is destroyed. You end up crash landing on a mysterious planet after years of travel and with everyone on the team dead, it’s up to you to get a message home and save humanity.
It’s a neat little science fiction story that builds well, but unlike most of these games where you just work to survive as long as possible, The Solus Project actually has a goal set out for the player alongside the surviving bit. The game begins as you would expect, gathering supplies and figuring out what’s going. It’s pretty standard fare, but things quickly pick up and, well, turn into more of a traditional “game”. Everyone’s play will of course be different, but just around the two-hour mark when the games basic mechanics and crafting were beginning to wear thin, the game opened up with a much deeper story about whatever happened on the planet you are on.
The Solus Project not only has a pretty darn engaging story, but it creatively throws in some horror elements that come out of left field. While these bits are shock, they do make sense narratively if you keep up with the writings of your friends, and the etchings of the locals that lived there before. The one issue I have with survival games is that they begin to wear thin and become an exercise in repetition. And while The Solus Project still hasn’t figured the right balance –how can you die of thirst in 30 some minutes, but your torch made of some dry leaves and a pipe burn for all eternity– it does have enough going on that it won’t feel like you’re always eating and drinking, even though you are.
The world that you are exploring is also pretty massive giving you a lot of room to explore. You’ll also have to find shelter from the elements as well as to sleep, but these locations are marked on your HUD when nearby, and the game does a good job of spacing them out so you won’t wander hours until you die. This size also allows the game to have a ton of secrets to discover that are secondary to your main story mission. There is always something to see and do in this expansive world and while the game does look nice, it really isn’t pushing anything that Unreal 4 can do at this point.
That being said there are points where the lighting does impress and the music and sound fit just right to create the perfect mood while playing. As a full package The Solus Project is pretty great and offers a lot of playtime for those looking for a survival game with a twist and actual narrative. It’s a really strong single-player experience which is great when multiplayer seems to be the focus of so many projects today. But all that isn’t to say the The Solus Project is perfect, even after being out of early access for a little while now and some updates in.
I am a relative n00b when it comes to survival games, but even then The Solus Project didn’t feel like that much of a challenge. Food and water are pretty plentiful no matter what area you are exploring, and while this is good for more traditional gamers, those looking for a hardcore survival experience should look elsewhere. It should also be noted that you can chose a suit when you start out with some buffs built in, but they never really feel like they make much of a difference. Another thing is that the game has some seriously long load times, especially on the PC. The Solus Project does a lot of things well, but ends up being a master of none. It does feel like the game wanted to appeal to as many people as possible and in doing so dumbed down a lot of mechanics down.
All that taken into account I still think The Solus Project has more positives than negatives when breaking it all down. Heck, the addition of a number of neat buffs and upgrades along the way coupled with the game changing teleporter beam that you get early on makes exploring more fun than it would be otherwise. While the game won’t make any Game of the Year lists, it does provide a fun adventure for a solid price.
Pros:
+ Huge World To Explore
+ Wonderful Atmosphere
+ Engaging Story
+ VR Support
Cons:
– Survival Aspects Feel Dumbed Down
– Pretty Easy Game In General
– Very Basic Crafting System
– Far Too Linear
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