Fort Solis

About

Fort Solis is a single-player, third-person thriller set on Mars. As engineer Jack Leary, you investigate a dormant fort following a routine alarm, only to find the base abandoned. As the night unfolds, you'll uncover the mystery of Fort Solis, its crew, and the secrets they left behind. Your mission: escape with what you've discovered and your life.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,105 reviews

story376 positive mentions

gameplay36 negative mentions

Stunning graphics and atmosphere that effectively create a sense of isolation and tension.
Excellent voice acting, particularly from Roger Clark and Troy Baker, which enhances character depth.
Engaging story that unfolds through environmental storytelling, audio logs, and video recordings.

Extremely slow walking speed that detracts from the sense of urgency in the narrative.
Quick time events (QTEs) are poorly implemented, often feeling unnecessary and lacking impact on the story.
The game is very short, typically completed in 3-5 hours, leaving players wanting more depth and resolution in the story.

story
1,113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
60%
6%
The story of "Fort Solis" is a slow-burn sci-fi narrative that unfolds primarily through environmental storytelling, audio logs, and video recordings, creating an immersive atmosphere. While many players appreciate the engaging premise and strong voice acting, the execution often leaves them feeling unsatisfied due to pacing issues, a lack of depth, and an abrupt ending that fails to resolve key plot points. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy story-driven experiences, but it may not meet the expectations of players seeking a more dynamic or action-oriented gameplay.
- “The story is solid and you learn more and more information about the Fort Solis mining station and the individual crew members in the form of voice messages, emails, surveillance recordings, and videos over the course of the game.”
- “The story unfolds with audio recordings, videos of former crew members, notepads, and of course environmental storytelling, just as well as dialogues.”
- “The story is gripping and the gameplay is fun!”
- “The story doesn't really tell itself until the final chapter, so you spend most of the game walking and chatting on your radio, but at that, the story is a bit loose on the details.”
- “The characters joke about being dumb protagonists, but as the story progresses, they become worse and worse versions of it.”
- “The story is bland, unintelligent, and a missed opportunity.”
graphics
409 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
30%
3%
The graphics in "Fort Solis" are widely praised for their stunning detail and impressive use of Unreal Engine 5, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful environments, realistic character animations, and atmospheric lighting. However, some players experienced performance issues, including stuttering and low frame rates, which detracted from the overall experience. While the visuals are a significant strength of the game, many critics feel that they overshadow the lack of engaging gameplay and a compelling narrative.
- “Another obvious strength is the game's impressive graphics thanks to Unreal Engine 5.”
- “The graphics are stunning, with breathtaking visuals that truly bring the desolate Martian environment to life.”
- “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 game runs like crap on the lowest graphic settings; even 'The Invincible' looked better and ran better on medium/high.”
- “Firstly, it feels like a tech demo more than a game; they spent more time on the graphics than anything else.”
- “The graphics are pretty and I appreciate that the game is a walking simulator, so there's time to 'see' them more clearly, but the beautifully created map is wasted.”
atmosphere
257 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
31%
2%
The atmosphere in "Fort Solis" is widely praised for its immersive and gripping qualities, effectively capturing a tense and eerie sci-fi setting reminiscent of classics like "Alien: Isolation" and "Dead Space." Players commend the game's stunning visuals, exceptional voice acting, and well-crafted environments that enhance the overall experience, making it a standout title for fans of atmospheric storytelling. However, some critiques mention that the pacing and certain design choices can detract from the tension, leaving a mixed impression on the overall impact of the atmosphere.
- “With Roger Clark (Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2) and Troy Baker (Joel Miller in The Last of Us 1+2), among others, you have a very prominent cast and familiar voices, which contribute to the really dense atmosphere and is definitely one of the game's greatest strengths.”
- “The atmosphere is masterfully crafted with exceptional video and audio logs that gradually pull you deeper into the mystery, all supported by top-tier motion capture from real actors.”
- “The atmosphere, voice acting, and characters are all really good.”
- “Overall, Fort Solis disappoints with its stifling atmosphere and monotonous gameplay.”
- “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.”
gameplay
254 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
74%
14%
The gameplay of "Fort Solis" has been widely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, primarily functioning as a walking simulator with minimal interaction and reliance on quick-time events that often lack consequence. Players noted the slow movement speed and repetitive mechanics, which detracted from the overall experience, making it feel more like an interactive movie than a traditional game. While some appreciated the atmospheric storytelling and visuals, many felt that the gameplay was uninspired and not worth the full price, suggesting it may be better suited for a sale.
- “The gameplay here is mostly walking.”
- “Gameplay consists of walking through and exploring Fort Solis, finding clues in mails, audio & video logs, and some occasional quick-time events.”
- “If you love sci-fi and space stuff and you are okay with not many gameplay mechanics while the story and performances are great, then Fort Solis is for you.”
- “In terms of gameplay, it has hardly anything to offer and is limited to slow and a tiny bit faster 'sprinting', small puzzles, and the typical search for items to progress in the story.”
- “The gameplay, besides holding W, consists of a lot of quick-time events, dead ends with unnecessary interactions, and ridiculously stupid puzzles, like 'What's this 4 digit passcode?' 'Oh, look at this birthday of someone's mom, that was marked with a circle.'”
- “The actual gameplay is even bad for a walking simulator; you walk too slow, and you can't interact with a lot of things, and there are quick-time events, which are terrible on PC, but don't worry because there seem to be zero consequences to failing versus passing any quick-time event.”
optimization
225 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
57%
23%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe stuttering, frame rate drops, and overall poor performance even on high-end systems. While some users experienced minimal issues, the consensus indicates that the game struggles with transitions between areas and lacks the necessary optimization to run smoothly, particularly on various hardware configurations. Overall, players recommend waiting for performance patches before fully engaging with the game.
- “Performance-wise, though, it's not too optimized.”
- “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.”
- “The game has big stuttering issues when entering new locations, I guess this part can be ignored.”
- “Horrible performance, lots of stuttering on a decent system.”
- “The performance issues alone make it unplayable to me.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and immersive qualities that enhance the overall experience, particularly in creating tension and mood. While some players found the soundtrack to be impactful and well-integrated with the voice acting and sound effects, others noted that it was sparse or forgettable, with little memorable music. Overall, the audio design, including music and sound effects, is generally regarded as a strong aspect of the game, contributing significantly to its immersive environment.
- “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.”
- “The atmosphere and music are wonderful, as well as the voice acting.”
- “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.”
- “There is some music, but it is very rare.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
95%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its slow and tedious pacing, particularly the character's walking speed, which many feel is intentionally designed to prolong the short gameplay experience. Players find the frequent quick-time events and the need to retrace steps to be frustratingly cumbersome, contributing to an overall sense of tedium that detracts from the otherwise compelling narrative and exploration. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements, the grinding mechanics often overshadow the enjoyment of the game.
- “Grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged for hours.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels like a chore.”
- “It is at once both impressively plausible and borderline 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.”
- “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.”
stability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
85%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting frequent stutters, freezes, and various graphical 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 crashes and unoptimized gameplay. Overall, the stability concerns detract from the experience, leading to a perception of the game as buggy and clunky.
- “Great game, runs great on a 4080 Super. The story is a little short, but I loved the build-up to it! 👍🏻”
- “Running on an M1 Max MacBook Pro - runs great on medium to high settings 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.”
- “Sure, it looks great, but the framerate is uneven and I experienced a few freezes.”
- “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.”
emotional
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it lacking in depth and connection to the characters, leading to a sense of boredom. However, others appreciated the emotional twists and the gradual bond formed with the protagonist, particularly in moments of suspense and character development. Overall, while the game features strong visuals and some impactful emotional moments, it struggles to maintain a consistent emotional engagement throughout the narrative.
- “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.”
- “As the game progresses you can't help but to bond with them, with an emotional connection slowly building with Jack as he searches through the dark corridors and rooms carrying out his investigation.”
- “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.”
- “It's also a rather boring story.”
replayability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
59%
24%
Overall, the consensus among users is that the game offers minimal to no replayability, with many reviewers noting that once completed, there is little incentive to play again beyond collecting achievements or collectibles. The short playtime of approximately 4-5 hours further contributes to the lack of replay value, as the experience remains largely unchanged with each playthrough.
- “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 collectables, audio and video logs.”
- “No replay value; seen it once, seen it all.”
- “There's virtually no replay value, and the game is short, about 4-5 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore the station.”
- “Cons: underwhelming story, mild stuttering, can't reset key binds, extremely short, 0 replayability.”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
18%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding the character interactions and dialogue genuinely funny, while others feel that the comedic moments undermine the game's darker themes and emotional weight. Instances of characters joking inappropriately after serious events create a jarring contrast that detracts from the overall atmosphere. While there are moments of clever banter, the humor often feels out of place, leading to a disjointed experience.
- “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 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.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Character development in the game is criticized for its inconsistent pacing, with slow progression that feels artificially extended and quick-time events that are frustratingly fast. While the graphics and character designs are praised, reviewers express a desire for improved storytelling and a more cohesive tone in future titles.
- “But I hope in their future games that they invest more in storytelling and character development.”
- “Like... folks, pick the jokey casual tone, or the scratching strings, horrific atmosphere, and character development.”
- “Character development has its ups and downs; movements are tediously slow, which I think is intentional just to prolong such a short game. Some quick-time event prompts are ridiculously fast, almost like it's intentional. If so, why bother with quick-time event prompts?”
- “I hope in their future games they invest more in storytelling and character development.”
- “The game struggles to find a balance between a jokey casual tone and the horrific atmosphere, which affects the character development.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, even at its current price point, suggesting that players feel the pricing strategy is exploitative despite the game's overall appeal.
- “Another cash grab even at this price point.”