Games about survival there is a huge number. This genre in our time has become one of the most popular in the gaming industry, which has led to a natural result: only very lazy developer didn’t try to grab a piece of the pie and promising not to release something like that. However, in the game the Solus Project the Swedes from Teotl Studios decided to go a rather unusual way. They mixed “vyzhivalku” with a mystical horror, put the protagonist on a distant unknown planet, provided everything is an adventure story, but still support virtual reality on top tightened.
Game: The Solus Project
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Genre: Survival
Release date: June 7 (PC), July 15 (Xbox One), 18 September 2017 (PS4)
Developer: Teotl Studios, Grip Digital
Publisher: Teotl Studios, Grip Digital
The original game was released in July of this year. However, even then, the developers have assured us that the most interesting will come when they will be added to the project to support VR headsets. I decided to patiently wait for the version for PlayStation VR, which eventually came out in late September. I finally tight enough acquainted with the game, therefore hasten to share with you my impressions. And these impressions, I must say, quite controversial. Why? Read the review and learn everything.
The story begins with the fact that in the year 2151, the Earth is completely destroyed by some wandering star class “B”. Mankind in advance sent three giant ship class “Proles” with the settlers away from the epicenter of future disasters, trying to save the human species. Temporarily they are located near Pluto. Trying to find a new home, the people sent a 5 scout ships to several distant worlds. This study mission was the last chance of the human race for survival, called the Solus Project.
The protagonist Octavius Skene (Skene Octavia or if you prefer to play as a girl) and an environmental analyst by profession, is a member of the crew of one of the ships scouts “Solus-3” headed for a promising planet Gliese-6143-C. the laws of the genre, something goes wrong and the ship is wrecked. Survives, of course, only the protagonist of the game (and maybe not only), who now have to explore the alien world and discover all its secrets, of which there full. The only companion of the hero in a hostile alien world is a portable computer Wilson (World Independent Local Survival Overseer Node).
It is the computer that tells you the temperature of the environment and the body, the wind speed, the level of fatigue and dehydration in your body the amount of calories and other important survival parameters. The adventure begins with a brief training crafting, when two stones, our protagonist creates a sort of primitive knife cuts preventing it from fabric and selected from the piles of rubble of the former spacecraft. It is here that the adventures begin, the design of the torches, the collection of canned goods, production of fresh water and fruits, the expansion of the capacity of the backpack and other related genre action.
But not everything in this game resembles the popular genre of survival. The process of survival, the developers are making a linear plot when the player will have to explore different locations like deep caverns, mysterious temples, a thought-provoking thinking about ancient civilizations and other unusual places. Along the way, the protagonist will look for the important details in order to collect the transmitter and contact the other ships of the project “Solus”. And scattered these items across five Islands, each of which you will carefully study. Gradually, the protagonist puts the pieces of the puzzle together, and appears before him a clear picture of what happened to the inhabitants of the planet Gliese-6143-C. whether it will Meet these mysterious beings? Play it by yourself and learn everything.
Time of day and weather conditions directly affect your character. If the sun disappears behind the horizon the temperature will drop sharply, then you run the risk of freezing. A giant tornado, tides, earthquakes, meteor showers and falling from the sky blocks of ice pushing on you to quickly find safe shelter and wait out the storm there. Over time, you will discover a variety of artifacts that improve your performance: they allow longer to go without food and water, faster to move, less to freeze and so on. I am glad that the complexity of The Solus Project you can always adjust the settings and customize it to fit your abilities and mood.
It should be noted that in the version of the game for PS4 players available in two control models: normal, when you play on the TV screen, involves the use of the controller DualShock 4, and there is also a scheme adapted to the virtual reality, when you have to wield two controllers PlayStation Move. And here is the VR version I liked the least. Rather did not like at all. And other options the developers we just do not offer. Especially pissing me off way to travel when you specify the location where you want to teleport and your character will be immediately there. Extremely uncomfortable and this is a very long time to get used to. Walking is also possible, but the turns by turning the head or using the tiny buttons on the surface the Move – is a hell, what the enemy does not want. Like curve I have seen in an early build of Skyrim VR, and then another week went and spat.
Thanks to the graphic engine, Unreal Engine 4, the game looks just fine. It is felt that the Swedish developers have invested in this fantasy world all his soul. Locations are carefully designed and almost entirely hand-made without procedural generation, as in the case of the same No Man’s Sky. But the game looks significantly nicer on PC than on PS4, especially in virtual reality. In VR same as The Solus Project loses the lion’s share of charm: the textures are muddy and objects are less detailed. Of course, I can’t say anything about the version of the game for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, as I don’t have these hats, but by testing the game on the PlayStation VR, I have to admit that the graphics are clipped pretty severely.
Pros:
- Great atmosphere, encouraging you to explore the game world.
- A science-fiction setting distinguishes the game from the crowd.
- Excellent work of artists and strong graphical component.
- Wonderful realization on the screen of various weather phenomena.
- An elaborate system of survival with a bunch of parameters.
- Research often encourages players some nice bonuses.
- Virtual reality allows you to immerse yourself in the game even stronger.
- The difficulty is easily adjusted for a particular player.
Cons:
- Sometimes research can seem too boring.
- Horrible controls using the PlayStation Move controllers.
- In the VR version of the game graphics pleasing, not so much.
- To read the texts in virtual reality is extremely difficult.
The game is The Solus Project somehow reminded me of last year’s Robinson: The Journey. In both games the protagonist is alone on an unknown planet and forced to fight for his life with various dangers along the way, trying to contact other people. But in the case of a child Teotl Studios, we offer much more advanced in every sense of the game mechanics and incredibly crafted world, enveloping you in a mysterious atmosphere. I’m sure The Solus Project will appeal to people, fanateyuschie from science fiction. Because the survival in this game is actually worth far in the first place, but rather simply adds to the adventure. However crookedly implemented in the management plan for the VR version spoils the overall picture (good that the game can be played without a headset and virtual reality). That’s why I put the project 7 points out of 10.
Game review the Solus Project
Sergey Grey