When Fort Solis was initially introduced final yr throughout Summer time Video games Fest 2022, many assumed it could be a typical sci-fi horror recreation in the identical ilk as Useless House, The Callisto Protocol, and Alien: Isolation. Nonetheless, after getting an opportunity to go hands-on with the sport, it’s clear that builders Fallen Leaf and Black Drakkar Video games are after a a lot totally different expertise, one which has the prospect to not solely separate it from its sci-fi horror friends however ship a novel story with some acquainted faces.
Coming into the demo on the gaming conference, I had little or no of an concept of what Fort Solis was actually about. By the point it was over, I used to be left with simply as a lot curiosity. In a really transient (quarter-hour whole) behind-closed-doors session, it was clear that Fallen Leaf was trying to showcase extra of the tone of the sport than anything. As an alternative of any actual motion, I used to be as an alternative handled to extra of a showcase of what the sport will look and play like. Regardless of the little quantity of actual gameplay, I got here away impressed by what Fallen Leaf was constructing.
What we find out about Fort Solis now isn’t a lot, however it appears to comply with most sci-fi thriller tales. You play as Jack Leary (portrayed by Roger Clark), a person tasked with investigating a mining station on Mars that has all of the sudden gone quiet. Arriving within the station, it’s clear that one thing unhealthy occur; papers are strewn about, issues had been clearly left in a rush, and most significantly, there’s nobody in sight.
Gameplay in Fort Solis appears about as barebones as you will get, with most of my time spent slowly exploring the empty house station. There was a quick quick-time occasion second, which had me dodging a falling platform as I entered a room. Based on a member of writer Pricey Villagers’ communications staff, the quick-time occasions in Fort Solis do have some form of penalties. Had I not dodged the platform, for instance, Leary would have developed a limp, however it’s unsure for a way lengthy.
After exploring a bit extra, the demo abruptly ends as Jack makes his manner exterior by way of a mining tunnel, and comes to search out himself trapped in a shocking storm taking place on Mars’ floor. Whereas there wasn’t a lot to criticize throughout my time with the gameplay, it did transfer considerably gradual, however that appeared extra by design than anything. It’s clear Fallen Leaf desires you to really feel simply as trapped and remoted as Leary is, and it does work, although it would transfer a bit extra slowly than you’d like.
The one companion you have got in your journey is fellow crew member Jessica Appleton (portrayed by Julia Brown), who will function a information and voice of interplay all through. Regardless of the drastic variations, their transient interactions in my demo jogged my memory of the connection between Delilah and Henry in Campo Santo’s hit journey recreation Firewatch, and that may not be without warning, because it was a recreation that Pricey Villagers talked about was an inspiration to Fallen Leaf.
Regardless of not attending to expertise a lot with my time of Fort Solis, it’s clear that issues like ambiance, story, and the way the sport appears are the true focuses right here. When it comes to graphics, they’ve knocked it out of the park, as Fort Solis may be one of many best-looking video games I’ve seen in a while. Not solely does the whole lot look beautiful, however the character animations within the recreation may additionally be a few of the finest in any recreation, a shocking factor coming from an indie studio, however one thing Fallen Leaf clearly needed to nail due to their casting.
Alongside Roger Clark (who starred as Arthur Morgan in Crimson Useless Redemption 2) and Julia Brown (who makes her online game debut in Fort Solis), the third star of Fort Solis is Troy Baker. Baker briefly appeared within the demo session I had within the type of a video message, however even in that, it was clear that getting these actors’ likenesses down was an enormous focus. Relying closely on the newest movement seize know-how, Fallen Leaf has completed a implausible job of showcasing the whole lot from the refined hitches in somebody’s gait after they transfer, the grunts of effort they make when hopping off a platform, or simply their varied facial expressions after they speak.
Environment is king in Fort Solis, and it’s one other space that Fallen Leaf appears to have gotten good. Alongside video games like Firewatch, Pricey Villagers mentions that films like 2009’s Moon and 2021’s Advert Astra had been large influences on Fort Solis, and it’s clear when taking part in. In contrast to video games like Useless House and even Alien: Isolation, there is no such thing as a overarching risk or monster ready to scare you. As an alternative, the dread comes from simply how regular the whole lot appears.
Taking part in previous horror video games set in house has you conditioned that opening doorways or getting into a brand new room will lastly exhibit some unseen alien creature able to pounce. Fallen Leaf channels that by presenting the trimmings of a typical sci-fi horror recreation however delivering one thing a bit extra methodical. The way in which the sport is offered (in a good, third-person perspective) additionally helps add to the general tense feeling of individuals. Rooms are giant however really feel small due to how near the protagonist you might be, and searching round looks like one massive sweeping digicam motion, priming you for a scare that isn’t there.
In the long run, it’s unknown precisely if some form of monstrous presence does exist in Fort Solis, however evidently Fallen Leaf are way more serious about exploring the extra mundane points of life in house, and the simmering dread that comes with it. The sport can nonetheless in all probability use a couple of fixes in the way you play to maintain from getting stale, however in simply 15 quick minutes with the sport, I used to be prepared for extra.
It’s clear that Fallen Leaf has a powerful imaginative and prescient of what they wish to accomplish with Fort Solis, and primarily based on my quick time with it, it’s one they’ve succeeded closely at.