Solarix

59%
Game Brain Score Based on 229 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • atmosphere
Solarix Game Cover
All the horror sci-fi game tropes are accounted for, the good and the bad. Solarix is for fans of the genre who wish to ride with the wheel they are used to rather than see it reinvented.
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"Solarix is a single-player horror shooter game with a unique atmosphere, good story, and graphics, but has bugs. As an electrical engineer, you must fight for your life after an infection wipes out a research station and battle both the remnants of the crew and your own fracturing mind. The game features 12 chapters, a variety of weapons and hacking tools, and provides psychological depth to the survival horror experience."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

59%
Audience ScoreBased on 229 reviews
story63 positive mentions
gameplay15 negative mentions
  • The game features a strong atmosphere and immersive sound design that enhances the horror experience.
  • The storyline is engaging and thought-provoking, with well-developed characters and a compelling narrative.
  • The stealth mechanics add a layer of strategy to gameplay, making encounters feel intense and thrilling.
  • The AI is inconsistent, often leading to frustrating encounters where enemies can detect the player in unrealistic ways.
  • The game suffers from bugs and glitches, including issues with hit detection and getting stuck in the environment.
  • The save system is problematic, with infrequent checkpoints that can lead to repeated sections of gameplay after dying.
  • story181 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its intriguing premise and atmospheric setting, often drawing comparisons to classic sci-fi horror titles like *System Shock 2*. While some found the narrative engaging and well-supported by voice acting and environmental storytelling, others criticized it for being convoluted, cliché, or poorly executed, leading to a lack of immersion. Overall, the story is seen as a highlight for those who enjoy deep lore and exploration, despite the game's gameplay shortcomings.

    • “The story is intriguing, as the exploration and the landscape are.”
    • “The voice acting and log entries are excellent, and make the story just that much more interesting and enjoyable.”
    • “The story follows an electrical engineer desperately fighting for his life after an infection wipes out an interstellar research station.”
    • “Storytelling is another unruly mammoth of an issue; good luck understanding anything about it, not that it's beneficial as the parts I assembled gave me brain damage.”
    • “The story is ripped straight out of System Shock 2; the devs call it 'inspired by System Shock 2,' but that's like saying a story about a chemistry teacher named Billy Black who makes meth with his former student Jose Purpleguy is 'inspired by Breaking Bad.' It's a BS excuse for not being original enough to come up with your own story.”
    • “The story at the start is too overloaded; it either doesn't tell you what the point of being there is or who these characters are and what their purpose is.”
  • gameplay105 mentions

    The gameplay of this game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its clunky mechanics, poor AI, and numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the stealth elements and atmospheric storytelling, others find the combat unsatisfying and the gameplay repetitive, leading to frustration. Overall, the game offers a blend of stealth and exploration, but lacks the polish and refinement needed to fully engage players.

    • “The stealth mechanics add a whole new level of strategy to the gameplay, making each encounter feel intense and thrilling.”
    • “If you are a fan of sci-fi horror with a story that is original and gameplay which is quite solid and enjoyable, then Solarix is for you!”
    • “The attention to detail in the graphics as well as the unique twist on action-suspense through the use of the stealth mechanic makes it a must buy!”
    • “This game has gameplay that makes me want to put glass in my mouth, nail it shut, and then be shrunken down and tossed into a washing machine.”
    • “The gameplay is where Solarix drops the ball the hardest, and this, in essence, is what ruins the entire experience.”
    • “The combat mechanics are too clunky to feel good, and the AI is too simple to make the stealth engaging.”
  • atmosphere87 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, effectively creating a sense of dread and tension throughout the experience. Many reviewers highlight the strong sound design and visual aesthetics that enhance the overall mood, drawing comparisons to classic titles like *System Shock 2* and *Bioshock*. While some note that the gameplay may falter, the atmospheric elements remain a standout feature that captivates players and contributes significantly to the game's horror experience.

    • “The creepy atmosphere really keeps you on edge, but in a good way.”
    • “The atmosphere is great, both audio and visuals create dread and unease throughout and are the primary reason for a recommendation.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game invokes feelings of genuine terror and schizophrenia, as the world around you offers little to no safety amid constant threats of death and psychosis.”
    • “While the atmosphere at times is spooky for sure, there's no actual good scares or moments that got my heart racing.”
    • “I really enjoyed games like old school Thief, Outlast, Alien Isolation, Penumbra, and Soma, and wouldn't compare Solarix to those - it lacks atmosphere, scares, and isn't very compelling in general.”
  • graphics75 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the atmospheric lighting and aesthetic charm, while others criticize the dated and poor-quality visuals, often likening them to games from the late 90s. Many appreciate the game's ability to create a captivating atmosphere despite its graphical shortcomings, but a significant number of users find the graphics lacking compared to modern standards, describing them as repetitive, murky, or buggy. Overall, while the game has moments of visual appeal, it struggles to meet contemporary expectations for graphical fidelity.

    • “The graphics are great, very well done, the setting is dark, but has that sci-fi feeling to it.”
    • “The graphics are really incredible for an indie studio.”
    • “The attention to detail in the graphics as well as the unique twist on action-suspense through the use of the stealth mechanic makes it a must buy!”
    • “Everything else is consistently bad throughout: the dated graphics, blocky empty terrain that the player constantly gets caught on, broken AI that consistently gets stuck in the choke points, making it impossible to sneak by, and terrible combat mechanics.”
    • “Graphically this game looks horribly dated; for a title that came out in 2015, it is horrendous.”
    • “The physics stink, the graphics are a lot worse than what you perceive via the screens and promo videos, and the story and voice acting are nothing but annoying.”
  • stability31 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and AI issues that significantly detract from the overall experience. Players frequently encounter problems such as inconsistent checkpoints, animation glitches, and gameplay that feels clunky and unoptimized. While some minor bugs are manageable, the overwhelming presence of these issues leads many to describe the game as unfinished and frustrating.

    • “The combat is extremely poor, the AI is buggy, and the checkpoints do not consistently save your progress properly.”
    • “It's just so flawed and buggy that I feel like the bad just outweighs the good.”
    • “Unfinished, buggy, rough mess.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in Solarix is noted for its ability to enhance the game's creepy atmosphere, with a strong ambient soundtrack that effectively complements the stealth gameplay. While some reviews mention issues with voice acting and graphics, the sound design is generally praised for its haunting quality, making it an immersive experience, especially with headphones. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the emotional depth and tension of the game, despite some technical glitches.

    • “Great ambient soundtrack.”
    • “Solarix does a great job using sound and music to invoke different feelings.”
    • “At times you’ll hear haunting music playing to accompany the situation in which you find yourself, and trust me, wearing headphones whilst playing is an incredible experience.”
    • “Solarix is a sci-fi stealth game that has mediocre graphics, terrible voice acting, and okay music and sounds.”
    • “There isn't much for music, although it's more ambient, and fits the setting; for instance, you could be sneaking around, hear a noise, look around, and see nothing, that really fits the game.”
    • “Music - 2/10”
  • optimization12 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting frequent performance issues such as stuttering, lag, and clunky gameplay, particularly on the space station. Despite some players noting that it runs well on certain systems, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from poor optimization, bugs, and inadequate performance across various hardware configurations, indicating a need for substantial improvements beyond minor patches.

    • “But just to write a pro, it runs well on my laptop, at least it's optimized.”
    • “Atmosphere is awesome, graphics are good enough for an indie, control and gameplay is smooth and well done optimization.”
    • “For a game like this (indie title), the performance should be smoother and better responses to key input and mouse control.”
    • “There were some performance issues - e.g. stuttering/lag.”
    • “Gameplay is clunky though, the game is buggy and lags like a completely unoptimized Unreal Engine 3 game, and it's basically what you get when you finish a game and have no one playtest it for end user experience and debugging purposes.”
    • “The game is also plagued by bugs and poor performance, despite several post-release patches - but this is a game in need of a significant redesign, not just a handful of fixes.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of slapstick moments, unexpected easter eggs, and amusing enemy behaviors, often leading to laughter during tense situations. Players appreciate the comedic elements, such as characters' absurd actions and the developers' tongue-in-cheek responses to complaints, although some find the humor can detract from the intended dramatic atmosphere. Overall, the game balances humor with its stealth and horror elements, creating a unique and sometimes comical experience.

    • “He turned, saw me, and ran furiously at the pipe, jumping like a confused Donkey Kong, angrily jumping and punching the pipe while I laughed at our dumb impasse.”
    • “The Easter eggs are another plus; I won't spoil it, but one Easter egg located in the crew quarters had me laughing out loud when I found it.”
    • “Enemies who walk out of their path or get distracted could get stuck, get in loops, or do funny things.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke strong emotions, particularly through its impactful ending and themes of futility, despite criticisms of its gameplay mechanics and storyline. While the environments and lore contribute to a profound emotional experience, the lack of character development and a coherent narrative detracts from the overall engagement.

    • “People often praise a game for being depressing, as it is an incredibly potent emotional experience.”
    • “For all the dodgy hitboxes and spotty AI the game had, it also had well-designed environments and lore/story that really got to you both for the emotional gut punch of an ending and for an interesting experience in futility.”
    • “The storyline is boring, revolving around a virus, engineers, and corrupt AI systems, with little to no character development. Overall, everything feels very sloppy and unpolished.”
    • “The emotional depth is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters or care about their struggles.”
    • “Despite the potential for a gripping narrative, the execution falls flat, leaving players feeling detached and uninvested in the story.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that it can be completed in about five hours and offers little incentive to play again once the story is fully revealed. Overall, it received a low replayability score of 1/10, indicating that many players find it unsatisfactory in this aspect.

    • “Sadly, there's no replay value, which is really important for me :/ unless the story is unclear somehow.”
    • “In my opinion, the cost of this game may be a bit pricey as the game can be completed within 5 hours with little replay value once you have discovered the plot.”
    • “Replayability - 1/10”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Many users find the grinding aspect of Solarix to be tedious and boring, even for fans of the stealth genre, indicating that it can quickly become a mind-numbing experience.

    • “I found it tedious and kind of boring quickly.”
    • “Considering that this is one of my favorite genres, it takes a lot to bore me, but Solarix is mind-numbingly tedious for a stealth game.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely criticized, with reviewers noting a lack of depth and engagement in the storyline, which revolves around a virus and corrupt AI systems. While the voice acting and character designs receive some praise, the overall execution feels sloppy and unpolished, detracting from the characters' growth and narrative impact.

    • “There is a boring storyline here about a virus, engineers, corrupt AI systems, etc., with little to no character development. Overall, everything feels very sloppy and unpolished.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

55% average critic score

Buy Solarix

Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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