Solbane
- March 31, 2023
- Odime Games
Get on Steam"Solbane" is a boss-rush shoot 'em up game set in a retro-arcade style with modern RPG elements. Players can journey through the solar system, battling 14 unique bosses with their own mechanics, while evolving their spacecraft with over 50 abilities and three distinct pilots. Customize your ability build and strategy to defeat each boss, experiencing a varied and challenging adventure in this bullet hell space shooter.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a solid gameplay loop with a fun upgrade system and a wide variety of customization options.
- Boss fights are challenging yet rewarding, with unique mechanics that encourage strategic thinking and replayability.
- The music and graphics enhance the overall experience, making it an enjoyable boss rush game reminiscent of classic titles.
- The game suffers from a steep difficulty curve, with some boss designs feeling cheap and lacking variety in difficulty modes.
- There are quality of life issues, such as the need for better navigation in menus and the absence of cloud saving.
- The screen can become cluttered with too many visual effects, which may detract from the gameplay experience.
- gameplay10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its enjoyable mechanics, particularly the auto-shoot feature combined with life steal, creating a solid and fun experience. The unique boss rush format, which eliminates unnecessary minion encounters, allows for a skill-dependent game length, enhancing the overall engagement. Reviewers express optimism for the game's potential as it continues to develop.
“The game overall is fun to play, I really like the auto shoot game mechanic paired with life steal... awesome!”
“The boss rush gameplay is arguably the most unique thing about the game.”
“Each level you're sent straight to a big bad instead of annoying minions that just waste hours of gameplay, and because of that, the length of the game is actually very dependent on your skill.”
- music8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with many users noting that it significantly enhances the overall experience. The soundtrack, particularly the boss themes, exceeds expectations and adds intensity to the challenging gameplay. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that elevates the game.
“Music was on point.”
“The music makes the game!”
“I would have expected a lot worse of a soundtrack, but the boss themes go hard as hell.”
“The music was way better than it should have been.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game lacks traditional RPG elements, particularly grinding, as players do not have the opportunity to strengthen their characters through repeated battles or experience points. Instead, progression is limited to unlocking upgrade points and customization options, which some players find unsatisfying, especially given the absence of difficulty modes and the questionable design of boss encounters. Overall, the lack of grinding and meaningful challenges leaves little incentive for replayability.
“Unfortunately, it's weighed down by some questionable boss design - a lot of instakills feel cheap even though the game says it will usually warn you. The next-to-last boss, Archangel, works differently from all of the other bosses, and not to the game's benefit. There weren't really any bosses that I felt I wanted to try going up against a second time after winning. The lack of difficulty modes means that while I could play with the other two ships I didn't use to complete the campaign, there's not really much left for me after just a little over an hour of play, and there's no easy mode (or RPG-style grinding) for less skilled players, either.”
“Longer would be grindy, shorter would just be unsatisfying.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their simplicity and aesthetic appeal, evoking nostalgia for classic flash-based boss rush games while significantly enhancing the visual and audio quality. Overall, the visuals are described as impressive despite their straightforward design.
“It's very reminiscent of classic flash-based boss rush games, but with far better graphics and audio.”
“The graphics are really simple and yet look amazing.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews do not provide specific insights into the story itself, focusing instead on gameplay mechanics and quality of life improvements. Overall, while the game is considered very good, players express a desire for enhancements that would streamline the experience rather than commenting on the narrative elements.
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, particularly as a boss rush experience, making it enjoyable to revisit multiple times.
“Good boss rush game with lots of replayability.”
