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Fort Solis

Fort Solis features some of the best voice acting I've heard, and an engaging story that carries you through to the tense reveal at the end.
Fort Solis Game Cover
60%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
gameplay, optimization
63% User Score Based on 1,894 reviews
Critic Score 30%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
Fort Solis Game Cover

About

Fort Solis is a single player action adventure game with horror and science fiction themes. It was developed by Fallen Leaf and was released on August 22, 2023. It received negative reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"Fort Solis" is a single-player horror simulation game boasting phenomenal visuals and an exceptional atmosphere, as players uncover the mystery behind a remote mining base through the emotional performances of Roger Clark, Troy Baker, and Julia Brown. However, the experience is marred by numerous bugs and grinding segments, while also incorporating unexpected moments of humor throughout the gripping narrative. The game encourages players to survive the night and escape in the morning, with immersive storytelling at its core.

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63%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,894 reviews
story641 positive mentions
gameplay64 negative mentions

  • Stunning visuals and impressive graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5.
  • Strong voice acting performances, particularly from the lead characters.
  • Engaging atmosphere that effectively builds tension and mystery.
  • Gameplay is minimal, primarily consisting of slow walking and quick-time events that often have no impact on the story.
  • The story feels rushed and leaves many questions unanswered, leading to an unsatisfying conclusion.
  • Controls are clunky and movement feels sluggish, detracting from the overall experience.
  • story
    1,881 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Fort Solis* is a cinematic sci-fi thriller that captivates players with its atmospheric setting and engaging narrative, primarily delivered through environmental storytelling, audio logs, and video recordings. However, many reviewers express disappointment with the pacing and the unsatisfying ending, feeling that the story lacks depth and coherence, leaving several plot points unresolved. While the visuals and voice acting are praised, the overall experience is often described as a walking simulator that prioritizes narrative over gameplay, which may not appeal to all players.

    • “Fort Solis is a cinematic sci-fi thriller that focuses heavily on atmosphere and storytelling rather than gameplay.”
    • “This game is a walking sim, but that is not a sin because it is absolutely engaging. The environmental storytelling, the high-fidelity facial animations, the charm and banter between our two main characters, and the slow build-up from checking on an error to finding a grander conspiracy at foot is amazing.”
    • “The story unfolds slowly, building suspense as you explore the abandoned Fort Solis base and piece together what happened.”
    • “The ending was very unsatisfying, however, and I feel like there should have been some more revealed and clarified in the mid to late parts of the story.”
    • “Somehow, I walked away knowing less about the story than when I started.”
    • “The story itself seems very promising and does a great job of building tension, but by the end it feels like something is missing.”
  • graphics
    680 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in "Fort Solis" are widely praised for their stunning detail and atmospheric design, showcasing the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5. Many players highlight the impressive visuals, character animations, and immersive environments, although some report performance issues such as frame drops and optimization problems. Overall, while the graphics are a standout feature, they are often seen as overshadowing the game's lack of depth and engaging gameplay.

    • “The graphics are stunning, with breathtaking visuals that truly bring the desolate Martian environment to life.”
    • “Fort Solis boasts exceptional graphics, featuring high-quality textures and stunning particle effects - especially the dust storms outside.”
    • “The visuals are absolutely beautiful, and despite having some crashes when I first started playing it, I updated to the latest Nvidia driver and added a -dx11 switch to the startup parameters.”
    • “The other issue is the graphics; the game isn't well optimized, and frame drops between sections were constantly happening, even on lower settings.”
    • “The graphics are very disappointing and ugly because it's unclear.”
    • “Even on the lowest graphic settings and highest performance setting, the game has poor frame rate and looks like a complete mess.”
  • gameplay
    475 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in *Fort Solis* is primarily a walking simulator, heavily focused on exploration and narrative rather than traditional mechanics. Players engage in minimal interactions, such as reading logs and completing simple quick-time events, which many reviewers found lacking in depth and engagement. While the atmospheric visuals and storytelling are praised, the gameplay is criticized for being slow-paced, repetitive, and ultimately unsatisfying, leading to a mixed reception overall.

    • “The gameplay consists of moving through the station, interacting with objects, finding clues, and solving environmental puzzles.”
    • “The gameplay is thin, but acceptable for a primarily atmospheric, exploration-based game.”
    • “If you like walking simulators, solving mysteries, care more about the story than gameplay, and don't mind accepting this is about a 5-hour experience, you'll likely enjoy this game.”
    • “Fort Solis is a cinematic sci-fi thriller that focuses heavily on atmosphere and storytelling rather than gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is essentially a walking sim (with a horrible camera and clunky controls) and a bunch of really-really crappy quick-time events; the story is super boring, and the characters are so badly written I couldn't care less who lives and who dies.”
    • “The gameplay consists of moving through the station, interacting with objects, finding clues, and solving environmental puzzles, but it lacks any significant features, not unusual for this kind of game.”
  • atmosphere
    457 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in *Fort Solis* is widely praised for its immersive and haunting quality, effectively capturing the eerie isolation of a Martian research facility. Reviewers highlight the game's stunning visuals, exceptional sound design, and strong voice acting, which together create a compelling narrative experience that prioritizes mood and storytelling over traditional gameplay mechanics. While some players appreciate the slow pacing and atmospheric tension, others note that the lack of action and a satisfying conclusion may detract from the overall experience.

    • “Fort Solis is, on the surface, a striking little sci-fi thriller that looks great, has a strong sense of place, and nails that lonely, oppressive atmosphere you want from a story set in an isolated facility.”
    • “The atmosphere and graphical brilliance are exceptional in this game.”
    • “The atmosphere, performances, and originality of the concept make Fort Solis a memorable sci-fi thriller.”
    • “For a title that leans so heavily on narrative and atmosphere, Fort Solis misses the opportunity to deepen its plot or character development.”
    • “The characters laughing and joking after finding dead bodies completely destroys the atmosphere and the story fizzles away into the most abrupt nothingness of an ending.”
    • “The continuous joyful banter of the two characters also distracts from the tension and ruins the atmosphere most of the time.”
  • optimization
    368 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues such as constant stuttering, frame drops, and unresponsive controls, even on high-end systems. Despite the game's impressive graphics and strong voice acting, the lack of effective optimization has significantly detracted from the overall experience, leading to frustration among users. While some players have managed to achieve stable performance with specific settings, the consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to be fully enjoyable.

    • “The game looks great but it isn't very well optimized; the only way for me to get rid of stutters was to switch super sampling to FSR3 instead of DLSS or off, but this resulted in quite a bit of ghost trails instead, even on quality mode.”
    • “Despite the visual splendor, performance issues did occasionally detract from the experience, with stuttering and texture pop-in disrupting the otherwise seamless immersion.”
    • “The visual artists here did a great job despite the performance and optimization being... well... Unreal Engine.”
    • “Finally, the game is terribly optimized.”
    • “This game needed another 3 performance patches, because I cannot imagine what the performance is like on an RTX 3060 or, God forbid, something even weaker.”
    • “The performance issues alone make it unplayable to me.”
  • music
    78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance tension, while others found it forgettable or minimal. The soundtrack is often described as haunting and fitting, complementing the game's visuals and narrative effectively, though some players noted that it could be overpowering at times. Overall, the audio design, including sound effects and voice acting, is generally regarded as a strong aspect of the game, contributing to an immersive experience.

    • “Likewise, the sounds and music underscore the foreboding atmosphere very well and add to the playing experience without overdoing it.”
    • “The music and atmospheric sounds are spot on, and remind me a lot of the alien films, giving that suspenseful feeling that something is about to happen.”
    • “The audio design in Fort Solis was another highlight, with a hauntingly atmospheric soundtrack that heightened the sense of tension and isolation.”
    • “I turned the music volume down to 0 and it just really elevated the experience.”
    • “The sound effects are good enough to carry this category, because I didn’t even notice any music.”
    • “There isn't much in the way of music and that's fine.”
  • stability
    39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent freezes, stuttering, and various visual glitches, particularly in low-light conditions. While some users noted that the game runs well on high-end hardware, others experienced significant performance issues, including frame rate drops and buggy achievements. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be lacking, leading to a frustrating experience for many players despite its impressive graphics and engaging story.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “It is a beautiful game as well, runs great on my older hardware.”
    • “The game seemed pretty bug-free to me.”
    • “It's also a buggy and poorly optimized game, with loads of stuttering and random FPS drops.”
    • “With performance issues, horrible glitches—if not the worst game I’ve seen with these problems—almost constant lag spikes, textures popping in and out, and one of the worst ghosting effects I’ve seen in video games.”
    • “4 hours of gameplay, multiple frame rate and crash issues as well as buggy quick time events, and to top it all off, I must've read nearly all the logs and video recordings and I still have no idea what the game is about.”
  • grinding
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews highlight a pervasive sense of tedium associated with the game's grinding mechanics, primarily due to the sluggish walking speed that hampers exploration and pacing. Players often find themselves frustrated by the slow movement and repetitive tasks, which feel artificially extended to prolong gameplay. While some appreciate the atmospheric storytelling, the overall consensus is that the tedious elements detract significantly from the experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The walking simulator aspect of the game can be very tedious at times.”
    • “This sluggish movement feels like an artificial way to stretch out gameplay time, making the already short experience feel even more tedious.”
    • “There are no major events throughout the game, and you are just forced to walk along a long path, which is tedious from the very beginning of the game.”
  • emotional
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing, with some players finding deep connections to the characters and story, particularly through realistic voice acting and character animations. However, many reviewers criticize the narrative for lacking depth and emotional weight, leading to an unsatisfying payoff that undermines the emotional investment. While there are moments of genuine emotional impact, the overall execution leaves some players feeling detached and frustrated.

    • “Genuinely emotional and immersive.”
    • “There are moments of deep emotional connection as you learn more about Jack’s past, his motivations, and his relationships with others.”
    • “As the game progresses, you can't help but bond with them, with an emotional connection slowly building with Jack as he searches through the dark corridors and rooms carrying out his investigation.”
    • “It's also a rather boring story.”
    • “All the nice graphics in the world doesn't make up for an extremely boring story, especially in what amounts to an interactive sci-fi movie.”
    • “All around the web you will encounter people saying, Fort Solis is a boring storyteller without any gameplay or fun.”
  • humor
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the character banter amusing, especially in absurd situations, such as joking after discovering a dead body. However, the comedic tone often feels out of place, undermining the narrative's tension and leading to moments that are unintentionally funny due to poor pacing and character reactions. Overall, while some appreciate the humor as a highlight, others feel it detracts from the game's intended atmosphere.

    • “It's hilarious reading all the views of the COD audience trying to understand a narrative-driven game.”
    • “It's funny when you get a cutscene where your protagonist tells the villain that they understand... yet I, as a player, had zero clue what it is I should understand.”
    • “The characters (especially the playable ones) definitely seem realistic, and the interactions between the characters can sometimes be funny even in these circumstances.”
    • “The humor falls flat and often breaks the immersion.”
    • “The jokes are not funny and disrupt the overall experience.”
    • “The attempts at humor feel forced and miss the mark completely.”
  • replayability
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability, with many players noting that it can be completed in just a few hours and lacks meaningful choices or variations in outcomes. While some mention the potential for collecting achievements or exploring for collectibles, the consensus is that once the story is experienced, there is little incentive to replay.

    • “ infinitely replayable (or almost)”
    • “There could be some replay value if you intend to find all collectibles, audio and video logs.”
    • “They can offer some replay value if you want completion.”
    • “The main downsides (as others have noted) are that the playtime is pretty low (~5h), the replayability is low, and the quick time events don't seem to matter as far as what the outcome is.”
    • “You will complete Fort Solis in around three hours and it has low replayability, so take that into consideration.”
    • “There's virtually no replay value and the game is short, about 4-5 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore the station.”
  • character development
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players found themselves quickly attached to the main characters, others criticized it for being underdeveloped, especially given the game's narrative focus. The attempt at a deep, atmospheric story is overshadowed by a lack of clarity and depth in character arcs, leaving some players feeling unsatisfied with the overall experience. Despite stunning visuals and impressive character designs, many hope for more investment in storytelling and character development in future titles.

    • “They leave it a little open-ended (hopefully there will be a sequel), but do a great job with character development; I really grew to like the main characters after a short time.”
    • “Developed by a team with experience in creating atmospheric games, Fort Solis makes a bold attempt to craft a slow-burning thriller that focuses heavily on story, character development, and environmental storytelling.”
    • “Although the game is quite short and doesn’t offer much in terms of gameplay, these aren’t major criticisms for me, as I enjoy games that focus on story and character development.”
    • “For a title that leans so heavily on narrative and atmosphere, Fort Solis misses the opportunity to deepen its plot or character development.”
    • “Character development was lacking, the ending was severely lackluster, and the overall story left players wondering what was actually going on.”
    • “But I hope in their future games that they invest more in storytelling and character development.”
  • monetization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews suggest that while "Fort Solis" is not perceived as a blatant cash grab, many players feel it falls short of its value, with a suggested price point of around $10. The game's aesthetic is appreciated, but overall, it is considered not worth its current price.

    • “Not a horrible cash grab scam but definitely not worth more than like 10 dollars.”
    • “Another cash grab even at this price point.”
    • “I don't think Fort Solis was meant to be a cash grab by any means, even if it comes up short in a number of ways.”
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5h Median play time
5h Average play time
4-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 31 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Solis is a action adventure game with horror and science fiction themes.

Fort Solis is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Fort Solis.

Fort Solis was released on August 22, 2023.

Fort Solis was developed by Fallen Leaf.

Fort Solis has received negative reviews from players and negative reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Fort Solis is a single player game.

Similar games include The Medium, Moons of Madness, Deliver Us The Moon, Deliver Us Mars, Observation and others.