The Solus Project Reviews
Janky, ugly and unpolished is the best way to describe The Solus Project. It had a noble idea of combining the walking sim narrative game with survival simulation stats, and on paper this is a concept that definitely has appeal. It is too bad that this was executed so badly, and it can all be attributed to failing to get the fundamentals of control and playability just right. The simple act of moving in standard mode is an agonizing slog, and god help the poor soul who tries to contend with incomprehensible VR controls. This is great for anyone who loves to torture themselves.
The Solus Project is poor survival game that plays far better as a walking simulator. The lack of any guidance in controls and direction will leave you feeling clueless on how to proceed throughout. The environments are bland and barren, and although the weather and day/night cycle offer some positives, they're all ultimately overshadowed by the game's negatives. To top it all off a below par PlayStation VR option and a large number of bugs turn what could have been a good survival title into a disappointing one.
A flawed take on the survival adventure template, The Solus Project's subpar execution ultimately undermines the few moments of true enjoyment that it occasionally provides.
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.
The Solus Project's story and survival mechanics look promising at first, but they ultimately fail to meet expectations.
From a conceptual standpoint, The Solus Project is fascinating. The sense of scale is amplified in VR, especially the fantastic skyboxes that cycle between day and night, massive planets in rotation around you, and the ferocity of the elements. That feeling of being stranded in an alien landscape, needing to survive, and needing to explore to complete your mission are a heavy weight from the drop. Where The Solus Project fails is in gameplay mechanics and puzzle psychology. Overly ambiguous controls and solutions meant that most of my playtime was a campaign of frustration and overcoming meaningless obstacles. The Solus Project is a game that I wanted to like, but every time it did something redeeming, I could be certain that another gameplay frustration was just around the corner.
The Solus Project ends up being somewhat of an anomaly with its version of survival and exploration gameplay. On one hand, the environments and setting are absolutely incredible and it becomes a world I want get lost in. Unfortunately, it's hard to recommend due to the cumbersome controls, unintuitive UI, and poor optimization of inventory management.
The Solus Project is definitely a game to stick with, The longer you're in it, the more you will get out of it, it's similar in vein to VR's other explore-em-up Robinson the Journey. However, even though there are no giant dinosaurs to gawp at the story and the imagination this world conjures up make this a better game, in my opinion. I just wish I wasn't bogged down having to manage the very things that keep you alive.
This is what the game does best, it gives you a definite sense that you are alone, things are dire and, if you fail, mankind fails with you.
The Solus Project uses VR features in a smart way, but outside the virtual reality, the game is repetitive and mediocre.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The Solus Project is a moody title that blends exploration and light survival with stunning graphics and voice acting that is out of this world. Though exploration is a key driving factor in The Solus Project, the real gem is in the audio design; muting the game and running throughout the wet environs of Gleise-6143-C is a completely different (and worse) experience. While the map and littered lore are core bits to The Solus Project, the audio is what makes this a title that many gamers will thoroughly enjoy. Unfortunately though the strange mix between light survival, exploration, and moody lore-driven walking simulator means that while each genre is individually a strong case for a solid game, but together they seem muddied as the game progresses.
A fun survival simulator on an alien world filled with secrets, only let down by a lack of focus and small immersion breakers that build up over the course of the game.
The Solus Project may not be at its best with the PSVR, but the game is worth playing in its standard mode on the PS4 thanks to the solid story that is wrapped around this survival/crafting game.
The Solus Project benefits from the fact that you can't just shoot your way out of a bad situation.
Despite mechanical discord and an unsatisfying story, the creepy atmosphere and gargantuan spectacle of The Solus Project is worth experiencing firsthand.
Exploration, survival, crafting, puzzles. In The Solus Project none of these elements touches heights of excellence, but otherwise the game is not bad at all.
Review in Italian | Read full review
In the end, The Solus Project is one of the most memorable and haunting games that I've ever played.
The Solus Project is a nice looking survival adventure. We are stranded on a planet that can sustain life. We discover stories of its past habitants and try to enable rescuing ourself. It's quite good, but buggy game.
Review in Polish | Read full review
With all its immersive graphical beauty, The Solus Project is a great survival experience game. While it does have some bugs, it is an immersive experience that looks great on PS VR – there is something great about standing on the beach watching a meteor shower or jumping into a pool of water in pitch black darkness. There is so much to explore that you'll be spending many hours on this alien planet.