SOLAS 128
- January 25, 2021
- Armor Games Studios
- 7h median play time
A wonderful and intense boss rush game that hits hard and doesn't pull its punches.
Get on SteamSOLAS 128 is a rhythm-based puzzle game where players rotate and reposition mirrors to connect light pulses and unlock puzzles in a interconnected space. These pulses can collide and create new colors, and players will encounter various components that interact in unique ways. The game features a synthwave soundtrack to complement its otherworldly, retro, neon aesthetic.
Nintendo Switch
PC
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Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features clever and intricate puzzle design that gradually increases in difficulty, providing satisfying 'aha!' moments.
- The soundtrack and visuals create a mesmerizing atmosphere that enhances the overall experience, making it enjoyable to play.
- SOLAS 128 offers a unique twist on traditional light beam puzzles by incorporating rhythm and interconnected mechanics, making it feel fresh and engaging.
- The game suffers from a lack of clear communication and guidance, which can lead to confusion and frustration when trying to understand new mechanics.
- Some puzzles can feel overly obtuse or require trial and error, which may detract from the enjoyment for players who prefer more straightforward challenges.
- The hint system is limited in the late game, which can leave players feeling stuck and reliant on external guides to progress.
- music61 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its integration with gameplay, creating a mesmerizing atmosphere that enhances the puzzle-solving experience. While the synthwave soundtrack is described as fantastic and fitting, some players note that it can become repetitive over extended play sessions. Overall, the combination of music, visuals, and puzzles is seen as a strong point, contributing to an immersive and enjoyable gaming experience.
“The music, the art, and the flow really work together.”
“This game is the perfect combination of tricky puzzles, gorgeous graphics, and ridiculously good music.”
“Throughout it all is a fantastic synthwave soundtrack that beats in time with the movement of the pulses of light, making it an oddly relaxing and tricky experience at the same time.”
“The music can end up becoming too grating after listening to it for a few hours.”
“If I have to nitpick about something, maybe the area-based soundtrack starts to be a bit too repetitive due to the long time spent in the respective areas.”
“However, in some parts of the game, music impacts some psychological pressure and heavily distracts from the puzzle itself.”
- gameplay45 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Solas 128 is characterized by its clever and challenging puzzle mechanics that gradually introduce new concepts, creating a satisfying learning curve. Players appreciate the game's minimalist design, engaging soundtrack, and the interconnected nature of puzzles, which often require dynamic problem-solving and backtracking. While some mechanics may initially be difficult to discern, the overall experience is described as immersive, rewarding, and addictive, appealing to fans of methodical and intricate puzzle games.
“A puzzle game with simple mechanics, taken to challenging heights.”
“Puzzles are quite challenging, music is a big bop, mechanics are cool and unique, and it's easy to learn but hard to master.”
“An original and great puzzle game that gently ramps up in difficulty introducing new mechanics just as you feel like you're mastering it.”
“Solas does somewhat introduce you to new concepts in relatively simple environments before working them into more complicated puzzle design, but the bigger issue is that you're given no indication of the fact that you're being introduced to a new mechanic in the first place.”
“You can never be sure if you're missing an element of the current puzzle because you need to complete more of the nearby rooms first, because there's some new mechanic you don't know about yet, if you're maybe just being a bit dense at the moment, or possibly a combination of all three.”
“Those big borders shrink the play area, which means all core gameplay bits are small and can be hard to discern.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their minimalist yet engaging aesthetic, featuring a vibrant neon glow that enhances the overall atmosphere. While many players appreciate the unique visual style and its synergy with the soundtrack, some note that certain effects can be distracting, though options to adjust these settings are available. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics and immersive sound design contributes significantly to the game's appeal, despite minor criticisms regarding navigation in larger puzzle areas.
“Fantastic, mesmerizing atmosphere both in soundtrack and visuals, bathed in a pulsating neon glow.”
“This game is the perfect combination of tricky puzzles, gorgeous graphics and ridiculously good music.”
“I really like the visual style and the music and sound design are excellent and work well with the visuals.”
“The only flaw in it are the visuals.”
“Visuals can get annoying, but there's options to turn down the different effects.”
“At some point, you will start working on puzzles that are larger than one screen and moving between screens is incredibly slow, making looking around to get an overview a pain.”
- story5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game features a minimalistic plot, relying on wordless storytelling and interconnected puzzles to convey its narrative. While some players note a lack of a clear storyline and occasional difficulty spikes, the innovative puzzle design and engaging soundtrack compensate for these shortcomings, creating an intriguing experience that encourages exploration and backtracking. Overall, the storytelling is subtle yet effective, enhancing the gameplay without overshadowing the puzzle mechanics.
“The rooms are woven together in a nontrivial way; there's some nice storytelling without words.”
“You will find yourself intrigued by the wordless storytelling, the way that every level in the game is connected and running at the same time, allowing for puzzles that utilize several screens of puzzles at once later on.”
“A really simple to understand yet difficult and well-thought-out game with lots of backtracking, different mechanics, and even has a small story to go with it.”
“The game lacks a compelling narrative, making it hard to stay engaged with the overall experience.”
“While the gameplay mechanics are interesting, the story feels underdeveloped and fails to draw players in.”
“The plot is minimal and doesn't provide enough context or motivation for the player's actions.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Solas 128 is widely praised for its unique and mesmerizing qualities, characterized by a calming and inviting ambiance enhanced by a vibrant neon glow in both visuals and soundtrack. However, some users feel that the overall experience lacks a bit of polish and attention to detail.
“Fantastic, mesmerizing atmosphere both in soundtrack and visuals, bathed in a pulsating neon glow.”
“The atmosphere is truly unique, calming and inviting to crack the light reflection/spectrum/angle puzzles.”
“Solas 128 is a great game and has a beautiful atmosphere.”
“And sure, the 'atmosphere' is present, but I can't help but think there's some missing polish and care for the player here.”
“The music and puzzles contribute to the atmosphere, but it feels lacking in depth.”
“While there are elements of atmosphere, it ultimately feels underdeveloped and uninspired.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while it effectively explores its mechanics without overstaying its welcome, some users feel that it can become tedious, especially when progress feels undone or overwhelming despite a seemingly complete map.
“This is the most tedious puzzle game I will ever give a thumbs up.”
“Also, I think I have undone some of my work and it's become too tedious for me to continue despite the completed map looking quite full.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report that the game exhibits stability issues, particularly with certain levels being buggy, which can lead to situations where players are unable to undo actions if they make a mistake.
“Some levels are buggy; if you make a mistake in a level, you can't undo it.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it frustrating to progress.”
“I encountered several glitches that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
