Fort Solis

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,657 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
Fort Solis Game Cover
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.
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"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.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,657 reviews
story576 positive mentions
optimization71 negative mentions
  • Absolutely beautiful graphics and immersive atmosphere.
  • Engaging story with great voice acting, particularly from Roger Clark and Troy Baker.
  • Interesting world-building and character dynamics that keep players invested.
  • Extremely slow walking speed that detracts from the sense of urgency.
  • Quick time events (QTEs) are poorly implemented and often feel meaningless.
  • The story ends abruptly with many unanswered questions, leaving players unsatisfied.
  • story1,607 mentions

    The story of "Fort Solis" has garnered mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its intriguing premise and atmospheric setting, but criticizing its execution and pacing. While the voice acting and visuals are praised, the narrative is often described as short, linear, and at times incoherent, leaving players feeling unsatisfied with the ending and the overall depth of the story. The reliance on audio logs and environmental storytelling is noted, but some players feel this approach leads to a lack of engagement and clarity, making the experience feel more like an interactive movie than a fully fleshed-out game.

    • “The story is equally impressive, weaving a gripping narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.”
    • “Fort Solis is a very short experience accompanied by nice graphics, an intriguing story that had me invested most of the way through, a almost pitch perfect atmosphere and likable enough characters (though I wish we had gotten to know them better).”
    • “The story really hooks you and has you glued to your seat from start to finish (about 4 hours of playtime for me), with great voice acting and sound design.”
    • “No action or fighting at all, slow and boring; the ending and story outcome were also disappointing.”
    • “The game never fleshes out what's happening to the crew, so the story boils down to one guy losing his marbles.”
    • “The story is for the most part nonsense, with the final chapter offering a little in the way of plot revelation and a (playable cinematic?) ending that involves random quick time events with .05 second windows.”
  • graphics620 mentions

    The graphics in "Fort Solis" are widely praised for their stunning detail and realism, showcasing the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5. Many reviewers highlight the breathtaking visuals and atmospheric design, which effectively immerse players in the Martian environment. However, some users note performance issues, such as frame rate drops and graphical glitches, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The graphics are stunning, with breathtaking visuals that truly bring the desolate Martian environment to life.”
    • “Graphically, the game is a marvel with detailed environments that beautifully capture the eerie desolation of Mars.”
    • “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.”
    • “Firstly, it feels like a tech demo more than a game; they spent more time on the graphics than anything else.”
    • “The game does look quite good; however, I have noticed some very irritating graphical artifacts where DLSS would create heavy ghosting even on the 'quality' preset, and global illumination causes intense light-spot flickering of the scene lighting, especially in the atrium and some other areas.”
    • “There is stuff to like in Fort Solis, but while it has best-in-class visuals for this type of game, it sadly lacks in other areas, making it weaker than some of its compatriots in the genre.”
  • atmosphere376 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Fort Solis" is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, drawing comparisons to iconic settings from titles like "Alien: Isolation" and "Dead Space." Reviewers highlight the game's stunning graphics, exceptional voice acting, and a well-crafted sound design that collectively enhance the eerie and suspenseful environment. While some note that the pacing and dialogue can occasionally disrupt the tension, the overall consensus is that the game's atmospheric storytelling and visual presentation make it a standout experience for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “The atmosphere is fantastic, the voice acting is superb, the graphics are amazing from the lighting, the detail and even the way the character's eyes dart around when they're in the elevators - there's a lot to appreciate.”
    • “Fort Solis absolutely nails the suspense thriller atmosphere with a captivating narrative!”
    • “The atmosphere, audio and voice acting are among the best.”
    • “Half of the game the atmosphere gets broken because of the chit-chat between Jessica and the main character and the jokes that don't click with the mood or what is happening in the story.”
    • “Story is dull, dialogue is poorly written, no tension, no atmosphere, graphics are okay to good in some places and glitchy to unremarkable in others... oh and runs terribly on my RTX 4090.”
    • “The continuous joyful banter of the two characters also distracts from the tension and ruins the atmosphere most of the time.”
  • gameplay350 mentions

    The gameplay in "Fort Solis" is primarily a walking simulator with minimal interactive elements, mainly consisting of slow-paced exploration and quick-time events that often lack meaningful consequences. Players have noted that the mechanics are simplistic and repetitive, with many expressing disappointment in the overall lack of engaging gameplay, which detracts from the otherwise immersive narrative experience. While the game boasts impressive graphics and voice acting, it ultimately feels more like an interactive movie than a traditional game, leading to mixed reviews regarding its value and replayability.

    • “Immersive storytelling; gameplay is very minimal, but still an enjoyable experience; fairly short.”
    • “The outstanding graphics elevate the visual feast, while the character-driven gameplay becomes increasingly enjoyable.”
    • “Fort Solis is an excellent sci-fi adventure that can be slow at times but features an all-star voice cast and immersive gameplay that makes it an unforgettable experience.”
    • “There is effectively zero gameplay, aside from a few quicktime events (most of which you can fail and it doesn't matter anyway), you just walk around reading things or watching/listening to video/audio logs.”
    • “The gameplay isn't much to talk about either, mostly just a tense walking simulator (no running either, by the way. the fastest you can go is race-walk.) with solving a few minor puzzles and a heavy reliance on usually unprompted QTEs, which aside from being annoying if you're trying to focus on the action, seem to have very little influence on the story.”
    • “Fort Solis fails mechanically as a video game, and it fails even harder at storytelling.”
  • optimization318 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting frequent stuttering, inconsistent frame rates, and performance issues even on high-end hardware. Despite its impressive graphics and strong voice acting, the overall experience is marred by these technical shortcomings, leading to a consensus that the game requires substantial optimization improvements. While some players experienced minimal issues, the majority recommend waiting for further patches to address these performance problems.

    • “Performance-wise, the graphics and optimization are what you can expect from a UE5 tech demo showcase.”
    • “Optimization suffers a bit, but otherwise it is an enjoyable and atmospheric game.”
    • “The game has amazing acting performances and is more of a cinematic experience that requires patience and a willingness to take the time to enjoy it for what it is and take in the environment with the high-quality graphics.”
    • “My 90+ fps keeps stuttering every few minutes down to 60, but the whole game feels like it's 5 fps at those moments.”
    • “Runs poorly on Ryzen 5 5600 CPU and RTX 3060 12GB GPU; it's ridiculous how many games come out these days that are just so unoptimized and blatantly run like crap.”
    • “I was quite impressed at how beautiful this game looked at first, but the game's performance after the first chapter in the first area is absolutely horrendous... the framerate is inconsistent and there's lots of frame stutters.”
  • music83 mentions

    The music in "Fort Solis" is generally praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the game's tension and immersion, though some players found it to be forgettable or too loud at times. The sound design, including voice acting and ambient sounds, is highlighted as a strong point, contributing significantly to the overall experience. While the soundtrack may not be prominent throughout, it effectively complements the game's cinematic style and haunting ambiance.

    • “The audio design in Fort Solis was another highlight, with a hauntingly atmospheric soundtrack that heightened the sense of tension and isolation.”
    • “The music, voice acting, sound effects, and graphics were all excellent.”
    • “This presents a challenge: on one hand, the game boasts one of the most captivating ambiances I've encountered in recent years, seamlessly melding visual splendor with an enchanting soundscape and soundtrack.”
    • “I did have to drop the music volume to 40% to keep it from drowning out audio logs.”
    • “There isn't much in the way of music and that's fine.”
    • “There is some music, but it is very rare.”
  • replayability29 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users noting that it offers little incentive to play again after the initial experience. While some mention the possibility of collecting achievements and items as a minor reason to replay, the consensus is that the game is short (around 4-5 hours) and does not change with subsequent playthroughs, leading to a generally low replay value.

    • “Top notch dialogue and a killer story make for a great time, albeit a little short on replay value.”
    • “They can offer some replay value if you want completion.”
    • “There could be some replay value if you intend to find all collectibles, audio and video logs.”
    • “There's virtually no replay value and the game is short, about 4-5 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore the station.”
    • “No replay value, seen it once seen it all.”
    • “Cons: underwhelming story, mild stuttering, can't reset key binds, extremely short, 0 replayability.”
  • humor28 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of hilarious character interactions and witty dialogue, often providing comic relief amidst action and drama. While some players find the humor effective and entertaining, others note that it can feel out of place or inconsistent with the game's more serious moments. Overall, humor is present but not the primary focus, contributing to the game's charm and character dynamics.

    • “But really, I find it hilarious more than anything.”
    • “Stunning visuals and voice acting, good humor between characters.”
    • “This game has action, suspense, drama, and a mystery to solve, with a touch of humor.”
    • “The humor is not funny and breaks the game.”
    • “The humor is not funny and breaks the game.”
  • stability27 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with players reporting frequent stutters, freezes, and various graphical glitches, particularly in low-light conditions. While some users experienced minimal issues, many noted significant performance problems, including high CPU utilization and crashes, which detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game appears to be poorly optimized, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience for many.

    • “Running M1 Max MacBook Pro - runs great on medium to high with Metal FX turned on.”
    • “The game seemed pretty bug-free to me.”
    • “I can run Death Stranding fine, but this game stutters and freezes often.”
    • “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.”
    • “However, even on the lowest settings, you will still experience freezes and high CPU utilization.”
  • emotional25 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players experienced a strong emotional connection and were moved by character twists, others felt detached and found the emotional responses lacking depth. The game's strong visuals and atmosphere were praised, yet many reviewers noted that the narrative failed to create a lasting emotional investment in the characters. Overall, it appears that while there are moments of emotional impact, the consistency and depth of these experiences vary significantly among players.

    • “But the twist they hit me with back to back near the end for the fates of the characters had me on an emotional joyride.”
    • “In conclusion, despite some areas that could use polishing, Fort Solis is a must-play for those who appreciate a story-rich game with a strong emotional core and suspenseful atmosphere.”
    • “The episodic format allows you to savor every moment, and the attention to detail in both narrative and visuals sets it apart as a must-play experience for those who seek an emotionally charged and gripping adventure.”
    • “All the nice graphics in the world don'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.”
  • grinding23 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, primarily due to slow walking speeds and a lack of engaging events, which can make exploration feel like a chore. While there is an option to walk faster, many feel that the overall pacing is deliberately slowed to extend gameplay, leading to frustration and a sense of monotony. The combination of limited mobility and technical issues further detracts from the experience, making it feel laborious even for a walking simulator.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “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.”
    • “It makes the whole game agonizingly tedious to play.”
    • “And, the cynic in me feels like a lot of the choices that make it a tedious experience are done solely to slow the pace of the game down, because if you moved at a normal game pace, or had even the slightest ability to walk quickly, the game would be done in an hour.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy is perceived as a cash grab, with players feeling that it was released in an unoptimized state to maximize profits quickly. Despite its visual appeal and potential, the poor performance and reliance on features like DLSS have led to frustration among consumers, who feel they are being treated as playtesters rather than paying customers.

    • “The game's performance after the first chapter is absolutely horrendous... today's game developers have this habit of releasing games unoptimized purposely for a quick cash grab. I'll call it what it is... a cash grab, nothing more, nothing less.”
    • “Another cash grab even at this price point.”
    • “Another cash grab even at this price point.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Users express a desire for improved storytelling and character development in future games, suggesting a need for a more cohesive tone that balances humor and atmosphere with deeper character arcs.

    • “The character development is impressive, blending humor with a horrific atmosphere.”
    • “I hope in their future games that they invest more in storytelling and character development.”
    • “The game struggles to balance its jokey casual tone with the need for deeper character development.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

63% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
4-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 36 analyzed playthroughs

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