The Solus Project

The world of The Solus Project is totally worth exploring thanks to an interesting story and great art direction. It's just not much fun to actually play.

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"The Solus Project" is a first-person survival game set on a mysterious and uninhabited alien planet. As a lone astronaut, players must navigate the harsh environment, gather resources, and uncover the secrets of the planet in order to survive and ultimately find a way back home. With a focus on exploration, problem-solving, and atmospheric storytelling, players will experience a sense of isolation and desperation in their quest for survival.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,519 reviews

story329 positive mentions

stability34 negative mentions

The game offers a beautifully immersive experience with stunning graphics and atmospheric sound design.
The exploration and survival mechanics are engaging, providing a sense of urgency and tension as players navigate the alien environment.
The story unfolds gradually through environmental storytelling, keeping players intrigued and invested in uncovering the mysteries of the planet.

The survival mechanics can feel trivial, as resources are often abundant, diminishing the challenge of staying alive.
The game can become tedious with excessive backtracking and a lack of clear objectives, leading to frustration.
The ending is disappointing and leaves many questions unanswered, which may detract from the overall experience.

story
827 mentions
40 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of "The Solus Project" is a compelling blend of exploration and survival, primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling and scattered texts, which many players found engaging and immersive. While the narrative builds intrigue and mystery about the alien planet and its ancient civilization, some reviewers noted that the pacing can be slow, and the ending may leave players wanting more closure. Overall, the game is praised for its atmospheric setting and rich lore, making it a worthwhile experience for those who enjoy story-driven gameplay.
- “With stunning visuals, changing weather systems, and a gripping story, The Solus Project keeps you on edge while you piece together the planet’s secrets.”
- “The story is thoroughly involving with its mysterious narrative of alien life, and the suspense of whether or not the human race will survive rests on your shoulders!”
- “The story is interesting, the world is huge, and the environments are clearly lovingly designed.”
- “The story is thin, but the numerous journals and other texts made me want to know more and search every part of the islands, whether it be in the burning sun or freezing shadows.”
- “The story was lackluster and did not engage me much.”
- “The story is mostly told through writings you'll find on walls, gravestones, etc., and they are worth looking for.”
gameplay
339 mentions
28 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is characterized by a blend of exploration and survival mechanics, with players managing health, hunger, hydration, and temperature in a richly atmospheric alien world. While some players appreciate the engaging narrative and immersive environments, others criticize the survival elements as overly simplistic or trivial, often detracting from the overall experience. The game is described as a mix of walking simulator and light puzzle-solving, with a focus on exploration rather than deep survival mechanics, leading to a varied reception among players.
- “An enigmatic and desolate world, with gameplay similar to Subnautica and other survival/exploration sims.”
- “The gameplay is exploration-focused, with some survival mechanics thrown in for good measure, which are done very well in a non-obtrusive way that only adds a greater immersion.”
- “The survival gameplay initially seems promising, tracking your health, water, calories, body temperature and fatigue, as well as the environmental temperature, humidity and windspeed.”
- “It's too much wandering around hoping to find what you need with survival mechanics that are more of a nuisance than a challenge.”
- “The survival mechanics suck.”
- “The gameplay itself is really quite simple and the puzzles are really quite easy.”
graphics
312 mentions
64 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "The Solus Project" receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals, dynamic weather systems, and immersive environments that enhance the game's atmosphere. However, some players criticize the repetitive textures and lower-quality graphics, especially when compared to more recent titles. Overall, while the game showcases beautiful landscapes and effective use of Unreal Engine 4, it also suffers from technical issues and outdated elements that detract from the visual experience.
- “With stunning visuals, changing weather systems, and a gripping story, The Solus Project keeps you on edge while you piece together the planet’s secrets.”
- “The graphics are truly out of this world, and I'm enjoying the gameplay of exploring an alien world a lot.”
- “The visuals are absolutely breathtaking!”
- “Although the environment with its day and night cycle can be quite pretty, most of the graphics are just repetitive and low quality, even for a game from that time (2016).”
- “I am well above recommended spec but the graphics are below par and it froze then crashed on my first time out.”
- “It feels like the graphics honestly belonged to a game from a decade ago.”
atmosphere
262 mentions
70 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, featuring stunning visuals, dynamic weather effects, and a haunting sound design that enhances the sense of isolation and suspense. Players appreciate the blend of exploration and storytelling, with many noting the eerie and mysterious ambiance that keeps them engaged throughout their journey. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and pacing, the overall atmospheric experience is considered a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric and exploratory games.
- “Good survivor/exploration open world game that provides suspense and a terrifying atmosphere.”
- “A heavily atmospheric journey through beautiful alien landscapes.”
- “The atmosphere created by the dev team is f***ing great and the plot keeps you interested and wanting to learn more about the strange forsaken planet you find yourself on.”
- “The problem is that this is a game that relies solely on atmosphere, given that nothing happens 99% of the time, and doesn't have the sense of presence that an experience like this requires.”
- “Very imaginative environment and atmosphere on a distant planet, but as that novelty fades away, the visuals, level design, and quests became very dry after the first few hours.”
- “The atmosphere always manages to be somewhat eerie and at times, can scare the heck out of you.”
music
127 mentions
52 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and immersion, particularly during tense moments. While some users found the soundtrack beautiful and haunting, contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact, others criticized it as repetitive or derivative of other works, such as the film "Gravity." Overall, the sound design, including ambient effects and reactive music, is generally regarded as a strong aspect of the game, effectively complementing the visuals and gameplay experience.
- “Huge shout out to the sound/music designers, the music and effects are amazing, it really adds to the tense atmosphere and immersion of being on an alien planet with impending danger at any moment.”
- “The atmosphere and music further contributed to my enjoyment, eventually motivating me to purchase the official soundtrack.”
- “The music is really creepy yet pretty as well.”
- “Mediocre, repetitive soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack was okay, sometimes a little too much.”
- “Graphics are bland but okay, music is absent, sound is okay, game is buggy.”
optimization
50 mentions
32 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance and no stuttering, while others report significant issues, particularly in VR mode, including stuttering and memory leaks. Many users noted that the game runs well on higher-end systems but struggles on mid-range hardware, suggesting that further optimization is needed for a more consistent experience across different setups. Overall, while some players find the game immersive and visually appealing, the optimization concerns have led to recommendations for potential buyers to wait for updates before diving in.
- “Everything was perfectly smooth and no stuttering.”
- “I can’t see any bugs; it is well optimized and polished by now, Unreal Engine does a great job.”
- “The game world is beautifully rendered with UE4 and highly optimized for any machine.”
- “Last time I played it, the performance was terrible on a GTX 1080.”
- “Another downside is that the game's performance can drop very badly after playing it for a few hours, almost as if it is running out of memory (due to a memory leak).”
- “This game has serious performance issues in VR.”
stability
38 mentions
11 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in VR controls and cutscenes, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. However, some users noted that after patches, their experiences improved, with minimal issues reported in later sessions. Overall, while a portion of players enjoyed a stable experience, a considerable number found the game too buggy to recommend.
- “Apart from a few issues brought about by the use of the teleport facility, which on occasions allowed me to jump to areas of the game that the game logic hadn't anticipated, it's been a bug-free stable experience for me.”
- “The game runs completely bug-free for me, but I understand the first release was not really that stable.”
- “I've only played about 30 minutes of it, but it was bug-free and ran great.”
- “I really wanted to like this game - but it is so buggy that I can't play it anymore.”
- “But it's quite buggy at times; the interface blinks in and out, and once I got stuck in a death loop and had to load my auto-save.”
- “Purchased this for the Vive; this is very buggy, do not recommend.”
grinding
36 mentions
8 % positive mentions
-6 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with many describing it as tedious and frustrating due to slow movement, excessive backtracking, and a lack of convenient save options. While some appreciate the survival mechanics and atmospheric elements, others feel that the exploration and resource gathering can feel like a chore, detracting from the enjoyment of the game. However, a few users noted that adjusting the difficulty can alleviate some of the grindiness, allowing for a more enjoyable experience.
- “Unlike other survival games, there is no farming—only gathering.”
- “The grinding in this game feels rewarding, as every effort contributes to my character's growth.”
- “I appreciate how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels tedious and always offers a sense of progression.”
- “It gets tedious.”
- “Like many survival games, it starts awesome then it's a tedious walking simulator with increasingly annoying puzzles that don't make any sense and require most users to search the internet for clues.”
- “Unfortunately, survival is not tense or difficult, just tedious and boring.”
emotional
15 mentions
93 % positive mentions
-13 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
Players report a deeply emotional experience with the game, highlighting its immersive atmosphere and the ability to evoke strong feelings of isolation and beauty in a hostile environment. The narrative is praised for its emotional depth, with some players expressing that it left them feeling drained yet satisfied, while others noted the game's capacity to make them feel like they were truly living another character's life. Overall, the emotional engagement is a standout feature, making it a memorable experience for many.
- “I have played this game again, 3 years later, and it still made me feel as though I am playing it for the first time.”
- “This is a story that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I found the emotionally charged conclusion to it very satisfying.”
- “There were some play sessions that left me emotionally drained.”
- “The atmosphere is great, but the game itself feels dull and the story is incredibly boring.”
- “While the visuals create an emotional backdrop, the narrative fails to engage, leaving me feeling disconnected.”
- “I was hoping for a deep emotional experience, but instead, I found the story to be flat and uninteresting.”
replayability
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is generally viewed as limited due to its linear structure and scripted story, with many players expressing a desire for additional content like DLC to enhance replay value. While some enjoyed their initial playthrough, citing a lengthy experience of around 30 hours, the absence of multiplayer options and dynamic elements contributes to a consensus that replayability is minimal. A few players found some enjoyment in revisiting the game, particularly in different formats, but the lack of significant replay incentives remains a common critique.
- “Took me almost 30 hours to complete and there is lots of replayability here.”
- “The game is long, and replayable.”
- “There is definitely some replayability here for me.”
- “Not much replayability, since the game is linear, but I enjoyed the few evenings it took me to play this through.”
- “- Very limited replay value.”
- “The only problem is it has no replay value whatsoever.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of unintentional comedy stemming from poor controls and design choices, alongside some creative elements like the inclusion of a laughing baby doll trope. While there are moments of imaginative humor, the overall execution is marred by frustrating gameplay mechanics and technical issues, leading to a comedic experience that may not be entirely intentional.
- “Great imagination went into this game, even a little humor.”
- “Heh, they even did the predictable 'horror' trope of one part of the game following you around with laughing baby doll things, in space...”
- “The controls are hilariously bad and counterintuitive.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the game's full-price model as a welcome departure from the prevalent trend of early access titles that often feel like cash grabs. However, there are suggestions to improve the game's polish before heavily promoting its VR support.
- “Such a refreshing change to pay for a full-fledged VR game rather than yet another early access cash grab.”
- “May I suggest you wait on advertising VR support until it's a lot more polished.”