Releasing a game to the general public while still unfinished is a bold move. But does The Solus Project hold up to it's space opera yearnings?
As first person survival horror games go The Solus Project is clearly a work in progress. Recently released through Microsoft's Game Preview Programme by Grip Digital who are developing the game have nearly completed their space opus after two and a half years. Because of this they are releasing the game in stages so they can iron out any bugs. In a first for me The Solus Project will be released through various updates (between four and five) over the course of ninety days up until May when the game will get its final release. The updates will add extra levels in two hourly episodes. I will be updating this review as and when the updates are released.
After a planet collides with earth The Solus Project is created and ships are sent out to the farthest reaches of space to find hospitable planets for humanity to populate. Crash landing on planet Gliese-6143-C you regain consciousness in unfamiliar surroundings. In one hand you are holding your PDA (people still use those?) which is spewing out statistics regarding your well being and the Alien planet you now find yourself on. There is a lot of information to take in here and you would be wise to pay attention. Your health, body temperature, calorie intake and sleep condition are all things you need to monitor during the game. This isn't your usual FPS game that lets you run around alien environments with harsh environmental weather that does you no damage. Wind speed, temperature and the planets humidity are also displayed and are there for good reason. Get use to absorbing all this information because your life will depend upon it. With this information to hand I left what was left of my escape pod and began searching my surroundings for anything useful.
It's these first moments where you will be taught the crafting mechanic. Combining rocks night not sound like the most exciting thing you have ever done in a game but on planet Gliese-6143 it can truly be the difference between life and death here. Combining specific rocks makes a sharper rock and what do we use sharp implements for? That's right, cutting other things. Without giving anything away and being vague on purpose I'm going to leave that right there. The one criticism I do have is the amount of tutorials you have to complete. Box after box appears on screen assaulting you with texts and pictures. I despise tutorials that treat you like an idiot. The simple crafting system is intuitive enough and I managed to create something that I would need later on but because I had created it before the dumb tutorial had instructed me how to make it I couldn't progress any further until I went through all the steps of making it again in time with the tutorial. When you start to explore the planet you will find debris from your pulverised spaceship scattered on the planet's surface. Take some time out to search the debris for notes from the ship's former crew that offer clues and information on how to survive. By now my body temperature had begun to drop at an alarming rate due to the planet's harsh environment. I needed to get my body temperature up and quickly. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a burning fuselage spewing out flames that made it look like a dragon breathing fire. I made my way towards the source of heat and made my first mistake by walking straight into the flames. This isn't one of those games where you can walk into fire and take no damage. You have been warned.
The Solus Project doesn't hold your hand for very long and once you have finished off the tutorials you really are on your own. After about an hour it dawned on me that this game is out to kick your arse. Survival on this alien planet is hard and if you're not careful you will die repeatedly. Your mindset when you start off will be to play The Solus Project like any other survival horror game you have played before but this is a hath mistake. Throwing away used items that you can use again or combine with other objects is a big mistake. Wasting done and water is another recipe for disaster. Only eat and drink what you need. If your thirsty drink fresh water from inside a cave instead of using your own precious resources. For the first time in years I genuinely had to think as if my survival was truly on the line. I stopped venturing out at night and if the weather took a turn for the worse I ran for the safety of a cave. I spent most nights sleeping because at night I didn't want to be out exploring and without sleep fatigue would hinder me during the day. Hypothermia, dehydration and starvation are real threats here and I had to keep a close eye on my health at all times.
The Solus Project is a beautiful game. When I stepped out of my escape pod for the first time a genuine sense of wonder washed over me. Staring up at the sky and tracking the movement of two moons above me, looking out over a large grey ocean which reacts to the position of the imposing moons and the mountains in the distance left me in no doubt that Grip Digital have let their imaginations run wild. At one point I face a deadly tornado and was so mesmerised by what I was witnessing I just stood my ground to watch and as you can imagine it didn't end well for me. I am loving The Solus Project at the moment the sense of wonder and the need to explore every inch of Gliese-6143-C has me completely hooked. As a work in progress Grip Digital are onto something very special and I can't wait for the remaining levels to be released.
Format Reviewed: Xbox One
Publisher: Teotl Studios, Grip Digital
Developer: Teotl Studios, Grip Digital
The Solus Project is available now as a free trial in the Game Preview section or you can buy it now for £11.99.
Review code supplied by XCN.