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Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog

Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog Game Cover
93%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
replayability, grinding
93% User Score Based on 387 reviews

Platforms

PC
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Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog Game Cover

About

Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog is a single player action game with drama, thriller and science fiction themes. It was developed by Space Colony Studios and was released on June 30, 2023. It received very positive reviews from players.

An indie graphic adventure / visual novel game in the style of PC-98 titles. Players take on the role of a ship's security officer in deep space near Jupiter as a deadly mystery threatens the entire crew.

Genres & Tags
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Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog screenshot
Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog screenshot
Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog screenshot
Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog screenshot
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93%
Audience ScoreBased on 387 reviews
story113 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • Engaging narrative with well-developed characters that evoke strong emotions.
  • Beautiful pixel art and nostalgic retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic PC-98 games.
  • Great music and sound design that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The game ends on a cliffhanger, leaving many questions unanswered and feeling incomplete.
  • Some characters lack depth and development, making them feel one-dimensional.
  • The writing can be overly verbose at times, leading to pacing issues in the story.
  • story
    320 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is generally well-received, praised for its engaging characters, intriguing plot, and nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of classic mecha anime. While many players appreciate the depth and twists within the narrative, some express disappointment with its abrupt ending and cliffhanger, indicating a desire for more content and resolution in future installments. Overall, the writing is noted as strong, though some critiques mention pacing issues and underdeveloped characters, suggesting that while the story is captivating, it could benefit from further expansion and refinement.

    • “The overall vibes for this game and the story make it absolutely worth the play; the characters are memorable and the plot is as well, I found myself a lot more 'into it' than I expected I would be.”
    • “The writing in visual novels obviously needs to be good and thankfully the stories from this game work really well; characters are clear and neatly defined, and there's a palpable sense of tension that builds throughout the events of the story.”
    • “The story goes to some interesting places and has some surprising twists; all the main characters are well portrayed, and there's some replayability from branching choices.”
    • “The story feels all over the place.”
    • “The story just flies off the handle in the final act.”
    • “The main character could literally have stayed still and done nothing, and not a single thing would have changed in the overarching main plot of the story.”
  • graphics
    137 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog" have received widespread praise for their stunning retro pixel art and nostalgic aesthetic, reminiscent of 80s and 90s anime and PC-98 adventure games. Players appreciate the variety of graphical styles available, which enhance the overall experience, while the charming character designs and atmospheric visuals contribute significantly to the game's engaging storytelling. Overall, the art style is considered a standout feature, effectively capturing the essence of classic mecha and sci-fi themes.

    • “The art style and the atmosphere are fantastic.”
    • “The visuals and aesthetics are spot-on.”
    • “Stunning visuals, gorgeous animation, beautiful music and sound design, engaging story, memorable characters!”
    • “Unfortunately, the art style alone can't carry the stories from 'Sol: The Gun-Dog.'”
    • “The largest critique I would give is that other than the visuals and audio, it feels as if the game doesn't go far enough in the other aspects.”
    • “I get that it adds to the appeal of the retro pixel graphics, but I wish there was an option to change the font if needed.”
  • music
    106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its nostalgic and atmospheric qualities, effectively complementing the retro aesthetic and enhancing the overall experience. While many players appreciate the catchy chiptune soundtrack and its ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia, some have noted that it can become repetitive over time and could benefit from more variety. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing significantly to its charm and immersive storytelling.

    • “Lovingly drawn pixel art, a crunchy 8-bit soundtrack, and the atmosphere of a type of 'retro' game that I'm not sure ever really existed in as good a form as this.”
    • “The music is stellar, the characters amazing, the animations smooth.”
    • “The vibes on this game are absolutely off the chart, with incredibly detailed pixel art in every single scene and character, beautiful animation, immersive music, endearing characters - they've just done an unimaginably stellar job with the presentation in all regards whether you're playing in doujin, studio, or vivid (color) mode.”
    • “Don't like the music at all.”
    • “Literally turned down the music to nearly inaudible levels.”
    • “The music was okay, and set the tone fairly well, particularly in one of the more creepy sections of the plot - but a little more variety would have been welcomed.”
  • gameplay
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is primarily a simple point-and-click adventure with light investigative elements, dialogue choices, and puzzles, but many players find it tedious and lacking depth. While the visuals and writing are praised, the overall mechanics feel outdated and can make the experience feel more like a chore than engaging gameplay. Despite its potential for multiple endings, the gameplay does not offer enough variety or challenge to sustain long-term interest.

    • “The gameplay itself is pretty interactive for a visual novel.”
    • “Absolutely beautiful art, a really fun cast of characters, and a lot deeper gameplay than I was expecting!”
    • “The characters look great and the visual novel gameplay is smooth; it's essentially just like an adventure game from the 80s and 90s: no action or platforming so far, just point and click, you use the mouse to highlight parts of the environment to either examine or interact with them.”
    • “The mechanics of the point and click adventure parts can be tedious and frustrating, including the characters within the game providing 'hints' that stall your progress.”
    • “Gameplay is nothing to write home about.”
    • “The gameplay is an old school point and click adventure, even with a command menu that has to be clicked before taking an action.”
  • atmosphere
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its expertly crafted retro aesthetic, featuring lovingly drawn pixel art and a fitting 8-bit soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the tension-building elements and engaging environments, which effectively evoke a nostalgic yet unique vibe reminiscent of old-school anime and sci-fi narratives. While some suggest that additional musical tracks could enhance the experience, the overall atmosphere is described as immersive and captivating, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “Lovingly drawn pixel art, a crunchy 8-bit soundtrack, and the atmosphere of a type of 'retro' game that I'm not sure ever really existed in as good a form as this.”
    • “It nails that old-school anime vibe without trying too hard — the pixel art feels alive, the soundtrack fits perfectly, and the whole thing just oozes atmosphere.”
    • “The main story itself is interesting enough to keep you engaged, with each act providing something different to hook you in, and provide a different atmosphere.”
    • “I'd honestly love to see the creators keep making any types of work, they're able to create really specific atmospheres incredibly well, especially with the more tense parts of the game.”
    • “The narrative does falter slightly in its final chapter - and subsequent sequel hook - but this does not detract from the overall immaculate vibes and mature atmosphere that build up to the finale.”
  • character development
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is praised for its strong aesthetic and design, drawing inspiration from classic mecha anime, particularly Gundam. While the character designs are noted for their nostalgic charm and simplicity, some characters exhibit meaningful growth influenced by player choices, enhancing the overall narrative experience. The vibrant art and animations further contribute to the engaging portrayal of the cast.

    • “Some even get actual character development depending on your choices!”
    • “The character designs and attitudes of the cast of the gun-dog are exactly what you expect from mecha animes of that era.”
    • “For the character designs, there's a distinct simplicity to the designs reminiscent of old 90s anime which it does very effectively.”
  • replayability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers a moderate level of replayability due to its branching choices and multiple endings, encouraging players to explore different narrative paths. However, some reviewers noted that the lack of clarity in tracking choices and certain pacing issues may detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about replay value. While many appreciated the potential for multiple playthroughs to uncover the full story, others felt that the game could benefit from improvements to enhance this aspect.

    • “The story goes to some interesting places and has some surprising twists; all the main characters are well-portrayed, and there's some replayability from branching choices.”
    • “The game has decision trees that affect the story in different ways, including changing the events of the ending a bit, so it leans towards the replayability side thanks to the short length.”
    • “It's short, but with lots of alternative options for progressing the story, there is a fair amount of replayability.”
    • “Ending kind of says that the game must be completed multiple times to get 'the whole picture', but it seems to have next to 0 replay value.”
    • “Annoying sounds, barely any worldbuilding, barely any character interaction, non-stop rollercoaster of cliched plot twists after the intro (bad pacing), near 0 replay value despite the game having multiple routes/endings.”
    • “One thing I'd wish, and a bit of a spoiler, I wish the ending screen would show you which choices you made rather than just a visual path, just to help with replayability and understanding what decisions did what.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game emotionally impactful, with some experiencing intense feelings, including tears during the ending, and appreciating its heartfelt homage to the PC-98 visual novel genre. However, others criticize the story for being predictable and overly text-heavy, which detracts from the emotional experience. Overall, the emotional resonance varies significantly among players, with strong connections for some and disappointment for others.

    • “I bought this and immediately played through the entire game in one sitting (and I cried for 20 minutes through the ending).”
    • “It’s tense, grounded, and weirdly emotional.”
    • “Gun-dog is a heartfelt love letter to the PC-98 visual novel genre.”
    • “Cute art style, but an utterly predictable and rather boring story, told through way too much text you have to click through.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted as a key feature, with players enjoying its funny characters and absurd scenarios that provide a lighthearted experience perfect for relaxation. The comedic elements, including quirky character traits and unexpected outcomes, encourage players to engage in playful antics without fear of serious consequences, enhancing the overall enjoyment.

    • “It's funny and a nice game for moments you just want to relax.”
    • “Funny characters, good sci-fi story.”
    • “From her name, to her look, to her eating habits and (very funny) medical issue, it was crazy.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the point-and-click mechanics and character interactions that can stall progress. While some moments are enjoyable, the need to familiarize oneself with numerous characters can make the experience feel laborious.

    • “The mechanics of the point-and-click adventure parts can be tedious and frustrating, including the characters within the game providing 'hints' that stall your progress.”
    • “The next hour was fine, but somewhat tedious as you have to get to know so many characters at once.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players have noted that the game's optimization allows for smooth performance, enabling multiple playthroughs without significant issues, even when revisiting choices. Overall, the experience is described as impressive and well-executed.

    • “My 9 hours was for 2 total playthroughs and a single reloaded choice because it upset peak babygirl Cassie, so I went back on what was quite a stunning performance.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report a high level of stability, with no bugs or glitches encountered during gameplay.

6h Median play time
6h Average play time
3-9h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog is a action game with drama, thriller and science fiction themes.

Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog is available on PC.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog.

Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog was released on June 30, 2023.

Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog was developed by Space Colony Studios.

Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Stories from Sol part 1: The Gun-Dog is a single player game.

Similar games include 2064: Read Only Memories, Backbone, Lacuna, The Pale Beyond, Tails Noir and others.