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Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog

With stunning visuals, an engaging storyline, and characters you’ll never forget, Stories From Sol: Gun-Dog is a must for visual novel lovers—bonus points if you like retro sci-fi!
91%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
replayability, character development
95% User Score Based on 243 reviews
Critic Score 84%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

NSNintendo SwitchPCPCP4Playstation 4P5Playstation 5WinWindowsLinLinuxPlaPlayStation
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About

In "Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog," players assume the role of the security officer on the Jovian patrol ship, the Gun-Dog. Four years after the Solar War, the crew is sent to investigate mysterious signals near Jovian Space, unaware of the danger that lurks. As camaraderie falls apart, players must navigate paranoia, conspiracies, and vendettas to save the ship and overcome challenges in this visual novel adventure, designed as a tribute to retro anime and 80s Sci-Fi.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog screenshot

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 249 reviews
story73 positive mentions
atmosphere3 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning pixel art and a nostalgic retro aesthetic that captures the essence of 80s and 90s anime.
  • The story is engaging with well-developed characters, offering multiple choices that impact the narrative and encourage replayability.
  • The soundtrack complements the gameplay beautifully, enhancing the overall atmosphere and immersion.
  • The game ends on a cliffhanger, leaving many questions unanswered and potentially frustrating players who prefer a complete story.
  • Some players found the writing to be predictable and the pacing rushed, particularly in the latter parts of the game.
  • There are instances of awkward pronoun usage that detracted from the reading experience for some players.
  • story
    209 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Stories from Sol: Gun-Dog" is a compelling blend of sci-fi and mystery, featuring a well-crafted narrative that keeps players engaged through its twists and character development. While it offers a self-contained experience with multiple endings and choices that impact the plot, some players noted a predictable trajectory and a cliffhanger ending that sets the stage for potential sequels. Overall, the writing is praised for its depth and engagement, though some felt it could benefit from more character interaction and world-building.

    • “Every single sentence has a point, be it moving the plot and story forward and/or building the characters/universe.”
    • “The story is well written, the tension on the ship grows steadily as different crises hit.”
    • “The story features several compelling twists and memorable moments; as mentioned earlier, it leans more toward mystery, suspense and social intrigue than action, though it is not entirely devoid of it.”
    • “There were moments when the writing was so lacking in subtlety that you could see where the story was going from miles away, and at least one moment where the plot went in a direction so far out of left field that I had to reload a save from ten minutes earlier to see if I missed some context that would have made it make sense (I didn't, it was just a really weird and hard to follow change in direction).”
    • “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.”
    • “This is a story that I think really needed more downtime and moments of calm between major events, but it feels like once the plot gets going in earnest, everything unfolds way too quickly.”
  • graphics
    86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their nostalgic retro anime aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the PC-98 era and late 80s to early 90s visuals. Players appreciate the charming pixel art, character designs, and the option to switch between different graphical styles, which enhance the overall experience. While the visuals are considered a standout feature, some reviewers noted that the game could benefit from more dynamic scenes and character poses to better convey action.

    • “The visuals and music are charmingly retro and really feel like a love letter to 80s sci-fi anime.”
    • “The art style is amazing, the setting is well-realized, the characters are great and it's clear the creators have a strong love of PC-98 visual novels from the UI design to everything else.”
    • “Super well done, really engaging and well-written story and an art style that really makes you feel like you're living your 90s space anime dreams.”
    • “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.”
    • “Games like Yu-No, Dokyusei, Virgin Angel, and Dragon Knight were games that really captured that aesthetic, which in my opinion, is missing here.”
  • music
    71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic chiptune style, effectively complementing the retro anime aesthetics and enhancing the overall experience. While many players find the soundtrack catchy and immersive, some note that it can become repetitive over longer play sessions, with a desire for more variety in the music. Overall, the sound design and music contribute significantly to the game's charm, evoking fond memories of classic visual novels and 80s sci-fi.

    • “The music in the game is not to be slept on; the cheerful and uplifting day-to-day theme helps keep your energy up when you're just hanging out with the other characters.”
    • “The soundtrack is spot-on; authentic chiptune that sounds like it would play on 80s hardware if a tracker was hooked up.”
    • “The music heightens many scenes perfectly and really gets you invested, and its characters endeared themselves to me surprisingly quickly.”
    • “Some of the soundtrack kinda hurt my ears with some of it too piercing.”
    • “After a couple of hours, I turned down the music and put on some ambient space music from YouTube.”
    • “The music is solid and consistent with the PC-98 aesthetic they're going for but never stands out or carries the mood of a scene on its own.”
  • gameplay
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is primarily a nostalgic point-and-click adventure, typical of classic visual novels, with light investigative mechanics and minimal interactive elements like puzzles and quick-time events. While some players appreciate the engaging story and charming art style, many feel that the gameplay lacks depth and variety, often leaning more towards narrative than traditional gaming mechanics. Overall, it offers a simple yet enjoyable experience, though there is potential for more complex gameplay in future iterations.

    • “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 gameplay is an old school point and click adventure, even with a command menu that has to be clicked before taking an action.”
    • “As an investigation game, the mechanics in this aspect don't seem to go deep enough (no moon logic pitfalls, thankfully).”
    • “Since it's a visual novel, there isn't much 'gameplay' to speak of, so instead I'll focus on UX, controls, quality of life features, etc.”
  • replayability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the game offers a fair amount of replayability due to its multiple story paths and choices, although some express a desire for clearer tracking of decisions to enhance this aspect. While some enjoy the potential for varied experiences, others criticize the game for lacking depth and character interaction, leading to a perception of limited replay value despite the presence of alternative endings.

    • “It's short but with lots of alternative options for progressing the story, there is a fair amount of replayability.”
    • “The ending was great, and the fact they added a sense of replayability was very neat.”
    • “And if choices attach you to one (or multiple) character arcs for the duration of the playthrough, that's even the replay value right here!”
    • “The ending kind of says that the game must be completed multiple times to get 'the whole picture,' but it seems to have next to zero replay value.”
    • “Annoying sounds, barely any worldbuilding, barely any character interaction, non-stop rollercoaster of cliched plot twists after the intro (bad pacing), near zero replay value despite the game having multiple routes/endings.”
    • “One thing I'd wish, and a bit of a spoiler, is that 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.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is enhanced by nostalgic design elements reminiscent of 90s anime, featuring charming pixel art and simple yet effective character designs. Players can experience actual character growth influenced by their choices, adding depth to the overall aesthetic and narrative. The cast embodies the expected traits of mecha anime, contributing to a delightful and immersive experience.

    • “The pixel art is gorgeous and the general art and character design are very charming.”
    • “For the character designs, there's a distinct simplicity to the designs reminiscent of old 90s anime, which it does very effectively.”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging sci-fi elements and well-crafted environments, reminiscent of classic thrillers and space adventures. Reviewers note the effective use of tension and varied atmospheres throughout the narrative, despite a slight dip in quality during the final chapter. Overall, the creators excel at establishing immersive and specific atmospheres that enhance the storytelling experience.

    • “A tremendously well-written little thriller with engaging characters, atmospheric and effective environments. The contained 'it all takes place on a small ship' approach gave me big Last Express vibes - and that's a very good thing. Tons of nods to Trek, and a core mystery and setup that felt absolutely targeted to my very specific likes.”
    • “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.”
    • “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 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.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity and playful irreverence, with players enjoying the outrageous traits of characters and the freedom to engage in chaotic actions without significant consequences. The comedic elements are highlighted through exaggerated scenarios and the encouragement to embrace reckless behavior for entertainment. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, making it a fun experience.

    • “From her name, to her look, to her eating habits and (very funny) medical issue, it was crazy.”
    • “So like yeah, go play the game, save scum and do funny stuff, it's 100% worth it. Don't worry, there are no consequences for your actions (there are). No one will know you decided to shoot Hansen. Go on, do it, shoot Hansen, don't be afraid, it'll be fun, use all 50,000 watts on him, watch what happens.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits strong feelings, with some players reporting tears, but the overall narrative is criticized for being predictable and overly text-heavy, detracting from the emotional impact.

    • “I cried.”
    • “The story touched my heart deeply.”
    • “I felt a profound connection to the characters and their struggles.”
    • “Cute art style, but an utterly predictable and rather boring story, told through way too much text you have to click through.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players have noted that the game's optimization allows for smooth performance even during multiple playthroughs, with minimal issues when reloading 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.

  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly due to the need to familiarize themselves with a large number of characters in a short period.

    • “The next hour was fine, but somewhat tedious as you have to get to know so many characters at once.”

84%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

Buy Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog

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

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