Close to the Sun

Close to the Sun delivers one of the best horror narratives in years thanks to an engaging and atmospheric experience.

67%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

gameplay, optimization

71% User Score Based on 694 reviews

Critic Score 63%Based on 27 reviews

Platforms

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About

Close to the Sun is a single player action adventure game with horror, mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by Storm in a Teacup and was released on October 29, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Close to the Sun is a story-driven horror game that takes place at the turn of the 20th century on a mysterious ship complex created by Nikola Tesla for the sake of knowledge. In this alternative version of history, his scientific breakthroughs have already had a major impact on the world. You’re a young journalist looking for your sister and, as you approach this enormous and glorious complex for…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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71%

Audience ScoreBased on 694 reviews

story274 positive mentions

gameplay30 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and art design, reminiscent of Bioshock.
Engaging story with an interesting premise involving Nikola Tesla.
Atmospheric sound design and music that enhance the overall experience.

Gameplay is mostly a walking simulator with very few puzzles and frustrating chase sequences.
Lack of a proper save system; players must restart chapters if they exit the game.
Ending feels abrupt and leaves many plot points unresolved, suggesting a sequel that may never come.

story
678 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
55%
5%
The story of "Close to the Sun" is praised for its intriguing premise centered around Nikola Tesla and a retro-futuristic setting, with many players appreciating the atmospheric storytelling and character connections. However, numerous reviews highlight that the narrative feels incomplete, with unresolved plot points and a rushed ending, leaving players wanting more depth and closure. While the visuals and voice acting are commended, the overall execution of the story is seen as lacking, often described as predictable and derivative, particularly in comparison to titles like Bioshock.
- “Close to the Sun is a gripping, atmospheric adventure that excels in its storytelling and visual design.”
- “The story is fascinating, without a demand to carve out character sculptures; I just listen to their conversation through a first-person narrative voice.”
- “The story, character development, voice acting, and overall neo-Tesla look of the game are amazing, and I wish there would be a second game perhaps - as the ending kinda hints at it.”
- “Unfortunately, the actual story never delivers on the potential of its setup and worldbuilding.”
- “I was disappointed that many of the mysteries raised in the story never seem to get resolved by the end of the game.”
- “The story, as typical for these kinds of games, leaves a lot unexplained and especially the ending feels highly unsatisfying.”
graphics
268 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
38%
2%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning art deco style and detailed environments, often compared to the visuals of the Bioshock series. While many players appreciate the atmospheric design and visual fidelity, some have noted issues with character models and performance, including frame rate drops. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a major highlight, making it worth exploring for fans of aesthetically rich experiences.
- “Absolutely stunning graphics!”
- “The graphics and environments are amazing, and it's probably worth playing just to admire those.”
- “Close to the sun benefits from striking visuals, strong artistic direction, beautifully detailed environments, and particularly great voice acting from its lead actress.”
- “Aside from the visuals and the premise, this game really isn't worth playing.”
- “The game had several moments in each chapter where I walked through a door and I presume the new area was loading its graphics and my game just froze for a solid 10-15 seconds.”
- “What one wins on the graphics, one loses on the blandness of gameplay.”
gameplay
194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
71%
15%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for being simplistic and often frustrating, primarily consisting of walking and occasional chase sequences, which many reviewers liken to a walking simulator. While the atmosphere and graphics are praised, the mechanics are described as clunky and unrefined, leading to a lack of engaging gameplay elements such as meaningful puzzles or combat. Overall, the game seems to prioritize narrative and visual design over a satisfying gameplay experience, leaving many players disappointed.
- “The gameplay is wandering around a spooky place opening doors and finding bits of the story - which I love.”
- “Very well done design, graphics were amazing and gameplay was simple but amazing.”
- “Amazing graphics, smooth gameplay and great story, what more can you ask for!”
- “The gameplay is terrible; it's not scary, and the mechanics of using items are annoying.”
- “Unfortunately, gameplay and story do not have the same level of quality.”
- “The gameplay feels wrong, as the movement and exploring is slow like for an adventure, but there are no adventure elements.”
atmosphere
170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and a captivating art deco style reminiscent of titles like Bioshock. Reviewers note a pervasive tension and eerie quality that enhances the storytelling, although some criticize the gameplay mechanics as clunky and the experience as occasionally tedious. Overall, the game is recognized as a strong atmospheric experience, particularly appealing to fans of walking simulators and narrative-driven adventures.
- “Close to the Sun is a gripping, atmospheric adventure that excels in its storytelling and visual design.”
- “The atmosphere is well-developed and surprisingly creepy, peppered with the occasional tasteful jump scare that nicely leverages the game's rapture-esque setting.”
- “It's captivating, interesting, intriguing, beautifully atmospheric and had me on the edge of my seat from chapter 1.”
- “But everything is submerged in a gloomy atmosphere, where darkness and death conquer the scenes.”
- “There was some promise with the setting and atmosphere but the game just feels half-finished.”
- “The efforts to give the game a horror-appropriate visual atmosphere are poorly executed as well.”
music
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the storytelling, with some standout tracks that resonate emotionally with players. However, several reviews note that the soundtrack is limited and can feel repetitive, detracting from the overall experience. While many appreciate the integration of music with the game's ambiance, some find it average or lacking in variety.
- “The voice acting is great, the music is wonderful, and the soundscape is awesomely atmospheric.”
- “Amazing art nouveau architecture, a great story, and an incredible soundtrack that brought tears to my eyes!”
- “A tense ambient soundtrack and sense of mystery keep the introductory hour appropriately suspenseful.”
- “The music is very limited.”
- “Neither did the soundtrack due to its brevity and monotony.”
- “I found the music quite average and borderline annoying.”
optimization
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
54%
39%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, inconsistent frame rates, and excessive GPU usage, even on high-end hardware. Despite some players achieving decent frame rates, the overall experience is marred by these technical shortcomings, leading to frustration and a lack of smooth gameplay. Many reviewers agree that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance performance and player experience.
- “Also, during some sections of the game, but especially during those chases, my frame rate sank, and I'm certain it is due to optimization issues in the game engine.”
- “My only issue with the game is that it needs more optimization as I can run Doom Eternal just fine with more going on than this game.”
- “Rough at corners, has some optimization problems, but I'm glad that I played this through, as should you.”
- “The optimization was really poor.”
- “On the technical side, the game has massive performance issues.”
- “Main drawbacks are the optimization as the game doesn't feel smooth even at a 60fps lock, like it's chugging along and stuttering can be common.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspects of the game to be largely tedious, with repetitive tasks such as crawling through vents and linear exploration detracting from the experience. While some puzzles are fresh, the overall gameplay is marred by frustrating chase scenes and an unsatisfying ending, leading to a sense of monotony. The game’s attempt at atmosphere often results in unnecessarily prolonged and tedious segments.
- “Not even 4 hours if you don't hunt down collectibles, which can get tedious.”
- “I get that they were trying to be atmospheric, but it's just tedious.”
- “On its own, this would merely be tedious... but the devs insisted on throwing multiple chase scenes where you have to 'run' (just walking but they apply a blur filter over everything) away from something chasing you and since failure means instant death they're annoyingly unforgiving of the set design.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
10%
60%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability due to its short length and lack of content, with many players expressing disappointment in the final chapter. While the visuals, story, and music received praise, these elements are not enough to compensate for the limited replay value.
- “The game offers a fantastic story, great music, and beautiful scenery, making it enjoyable to replay despite its short length.”
- “With its engaging narrative and stunning visuals, the game invites players to experience it multiple times.”
- “The combination of excellent storytelling and immersive environments enhances the replayability factor.”
- “The last chapter is especially a letdown, but overall it is an interesting game with little replayability.”
- “Although the visuals were amazing (was that actual ray tracing or just really well done lighting?), I cannot recommend it due to the obvious lack of content, replayability, and comprehensible story.”
- “There would be no replayability if one could finish it.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many finding the character interactions, particularly between Aubrey and the main character, to be amusing. However, some jokes fall flat, relying on clichés and groan-worthy moments, such as the use of techno-babble. Additionally, the voice acting adds a layer of humor, though some accents, like Tesla's exaggerated Slavic tone, may come off as overdone.
- “She is so cute and her lines are so funny to read.”
- “Especially the interactions between Aubrey and the main character are pretty funny sometimes, in my opinion.”
- “You are quickly introduced to most characters in the story, who are all voiced well, except for maybe Tesla, who sounds kind of funny with his over-exaggerated Slavic accent.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits stability issues, including clunky controls and frequent graphical glitches, such as rendering problems and odd character model behaviors. These technical shortcomings detract from the otherwise immersive atmosphere and world.
- “So close to the sun in terms of atmosphere and world but falls short by somewhat clunky controls and occasional glitches.”
- “There's graphical glitches too, in terms of rendering, and I had a couple of times where my character's head (or rather, lack of a head) came into view from above even though it was in first-person.”
- “Glitches and issues.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is praised for its quality, with players appreciating the depth and voice acting, though many express a desire for even more development. The overall narrative and aesthetic contribute positively to the experience, leaving players hopeful for a sequel that could expand on these elements.
- “The story, character development, voice acting, and overall neo-Tesla look of the game are amazing, and I wish there would be a second game, perhaps, as the ending kind of hints at it.”
- “I wish there was more character development, but this was amazing.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight the game's unexpected depth, praising its fully developed story and emotionally rich characters, alongside an intriguing storyline and impressive visuals. This combination creates a compelling emotional experience that enhances the overall gameplay.
- “I wasn't expecting a fully developed story with deeply emotional characters, an intriguing storyline, and the visuals were awesome.”