The Battle of Sol
- June 30, 2015
- Bit Planet Games, LLC
Get on Steam"The Battle of Sol" is a space combat sim set in a future where humanity, threatened by a dying Sun, unites to find a new home. As Lieutenant Williams and Brother Aelius, players battle a mysterious enemy in stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 3. The game features dogfighting with intelligent AI, multiple ships each with unique handling, and a rich storyline.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the nostalgic feel of classic space shooters like Wing Commander and Freespace, providing enjoyable dogfighting mechanics.
- The graphics and sound effects are appreciated by some players, with particular praise for the cockpit instruments and character dialogues.
- The developers are responsive to player feedback, actively working on updates and improvements to enhance the gaming experience.
- The controls are widely criticized for being unintuitive and chaotic, making gameplay frustrating for many players.
- The game suffers from bugs and glitches that can disrupt missions and hinder progress, leading to a lack of immersion.
- The story and character development are often described as forgettable and clichéd, with some players finding the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth.
- story47 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story of "The Battle of Sol" is generally described as straightforward and somewhat cliché, with mixed reviews on its execution. While some players appreciate its homage to classic space combat narratives and find it engaging, others criticize it for being forgettable and lacking depth, with characterizations that can feel cartoonish. Overall, the game offers a basic narrative structure that may appeal to fans of the genre, but it leaves many players wanting more in terms of originality and character development.
“The storyline is inventive and enrapturing, with excellent characterization and good voice acting talent.”
“You captured that Wing Commander feel, with an interesting story.”
“Just finished the storyline and the game definitely left me wanting more.”
“The story is short and gets to the point without any trickery or confusion.”
“This is not it... controls are crap, the story is loose and weird.”
“The story and voice acting are boring and laughable at best.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight significant issues such as poor UI, frustrating controls, and frequent glitches, leading to a lack of engagement and interest. While some players appreciate the core mechanics and the nostalgic feel of old-school space shooters, many criticize the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the need for better flight mechanics. Overall, the game struggles to deliver a polished and immersive experience, leaving players disappointed.
“This 'personality difference' really keeps you on your toes, and is a great way to add variety where a whole bunch of different ships aren't a gameplay option.”
“Another great choice by the developers is the need to master the 'slide' mechanic.”
“This game is certainly a must for lovers of the older style of space shooters, featuring a single first-person perspective from the cockpit of several ships; the mechanics of flight are very realistic.”
“Bad UI, bad controls, glitchy (currently that star from the title screen is frozen on my screen in the center of view so I basically can't see what's under my crosshair anymore), crashed twice, forgettable story, very repetitive gameplay...”
“As far as gameplay goes, the game attempts to make you feel like you are part of epic fleet vs fleet battles when in reality you are pointing your ship's crosshairs from red circle to red circle easily picking off enemy fighters or pulling your hair out trying to shoot small turrets on large ships while dealing with the worst controls out of any space sim I've played.”
“That said, flight mechanics and a couple of other things leave a lot to be desired.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the art style and overall visuals, while others find them dated and plagued by glitches. Despite a few users expressing enjoyment of the graphics, many feel they fall short, especially for a game released in 2015, indicating a need for improvement. Overall, the graphics seem to be a divisive aspect, with potential but significant room for enhancement.
“I like the overall graphics; I don't know why other reviews disliked or were 'meh' about them.”
“The art style you guys used was awesome.”
“If you like great graphics, this game is for you.”
“Also, there's an occasional graphics glitch where a 'sun' overlay gets plastered all over the center of your screen.”
“Graphics look pretty bad even at the highest possible settings.”
“Graphics feel quite dated for a game released in 2015.”
- music3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted for its percussion-heavy tracks that evoke a strong homage to the reimagined "Battlestar Galactica," enhancing the overall atmosphere. However, players feel that the soundtrack and voice work require significant improvement, as they currently detract from the experience.
“Another thing I like is the overall homage to the reimagined 'Battlestar Galactica.' The UCS missions often feature percussion-heavy music that would fit right in with BSG, and the Hades guns seem to behave - and sound - very much like what you would find on a Colonial Viper.”
“I thought I could turn that effect down by turning the sound effects down and leaving the music and master volume up, but nope.”
“This still needs a lot of work; tons of glitches, mostly with not recognizing when an objective has been completed. It needs some voice and soundtrack work.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for numerous glitches, particularly in recognizing completed objectives, and it requires improvements in voice, soundtrack, and controls. While some users note minor bugs, they draw comparisons to other games with similar issues, indicating that while the gameplay is decent, the overall stability needs significant enhancement.
“This still needs a lot of work, tons of glitches mostly with not recognizing when an objective has been completed. It needs some voice and soundtrack work, graphics are boring, but the gameplay isn't bad. Controls could use some work.”
“Buggy.”
“Minor glitches, but so did X-Wing.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by well-crafted, personality-driven dialogues that stand out against the often dull exchanges found in other titles. Players appreciate the intentionally cringe-worthy banter among squad mates, which adds a comedic layer to the overall experience.
“Right off the bat, I liked how the developers tried to infuse personality into the characters, especially with humor in the dialogues. I've heard pretty dull dialogues in other games lately.”
“The banter between your squad mates is often hilariously cringe, but it's clearly intentional.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has limited replay value due to issues such as cheesy characters, poor voice acting, and stiff controls, alongside a cliffhanger ending that may not encourage multiple playthroughs. Additionally, the lack of ship customization further detracts from its replayability.
“It suffers from some problems - limited replay value, cheesy characters and lines, bad voice acting, a cliffhanger ending, sometimes stiff controls, and nonexistent ship customization.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highlighted by immersive missions, such as one where players must save transports descending through the atmosphere, creating a sense of urgency and engagement.
“The atmosphere in the game is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
“The sound design and visuals combine to create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
“Every location is filled with rich details that enhance the overall atmosphere, drawing you deeper into the experience.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
“Despite the game's potential, the overall atmosphere is flat and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
“The environments lack detail and variety, resulting in a monotonous atmosphere that quickly becomes boring.”
