Close to the Sun Reviews
The mystery unravels at a decent pace in Close to the Sun but limited gameplay, some flat characters and a fairly uncompelling narrative make it passable at best.
Close to the Sun is a lackluster and subpar example of first-person immersive horror. It fails to realize its potential by relying on cheap scares and gore without strong atmosphere and narrative to back it up. You can find better.
Close to the Sun delivers one of the best horror narratives in years thanks to an engaging and atmospheric experience
Close to the Sun is an exploration adventure game that has the visuals, the atmosphere and the tension, but one key element, the gameplay, is under cooked compared to the rest.
Overall, I found Close to the Sun very enjoyable and, to be frank, it has been a long time since a game has grabbed my attention enough to not only complete it but do so in such a timely manner. The ending of the game did leave me with some hopes for a continuation or at least a standalone DLC to explore the other angles of the story only hinted at. Currently, I find myself wondering what exactly does Tesla and rose to do in the future and how do they do it!
Close to the Sun doesn't have the most complex gameplay, but it has a genuinely interesting premise that draws you into a darkly intriguing mystery.
While Close to the Sun is a visual treat, it isn't quite matched by the game's substance; it dips a toe in the waters of numerous genres but fails to fully commit to one, and ultimately suffers because of it.
With such an amazingly thought up location of the Helios, Close to the Sun is an adventure full of atmosphere, tension and a surprisingly lack of people. The puzzle elements never felt out of reach but had an element of thinking to them.
A very competent, well-made survival horror adventure with clear BioShock inspirations, Close to the Sun is a smart and compelling game marred only by some ill-advised showing of naff monsters.
Close to the Sun successfully crafts a tense narrative and world through visual storytelling.
Close to the Sun has a huge potential. Supported by a technique of good quality, it however lacks dynamism. The fault of very slow movements and a gameplay that requires that we agree to walk to the discovery of clues more present to define an atmosphere, than to advance in the story. Not quite adventure game, not quite FPS either, it does not take clear enough direction to stand out. Nevertheless, it will satisfy the fans of the genre who do not have much to play at the moment.
Review in French | Read full review
The lack of interactivity and emotional connection, the ease of gameplay, and the almost total absence of replayability unfortunately prevent the Italian studio from flying high towards the sun.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Storm in a Teacup's Close to the Sun has quite a few flaws, but its unique, Nikola Tesla-inspired setting provides lots to love.
Despite the problems with the Switch port of the game, it’s still a game I’d recommend to horror fans, sci-fi fans, and yeah, BioShock fans.
Taking clear inspiration from the seminal BioShock series, Close to the Sun promises much but delivers a somewhat lacklustre exploration of a world 'enhanced' by Nikola Tesla's fascinating vision. The horror is ramped up with a tense and unsettling atmosphere, but cheap and repetitive jump scares lower the tone and the rudimentary puzzle sequences provide little in the way of real challenge. To make matters worse, the Switch is far from the ideal system to contain such a visually striking game; while the Helios remains a sight to behold, there's little here to warrant jumping aboard.
In short, a title that will surprise old and new. A story of mystery and terror that will not leave anyone indifferent.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Horror-adventure Close to the Sun pairs an emotionally-engaging narrative with arguably one of the most stunning and memorable game worlds of 2019. Pity about the frustrating gameplay choices and story decisions that ramp up in the final third of the game. They cast a shadow over the accomplishments that preceded them.
Storm in a Teacup did an excellent job in creating an intriguing and at the same time anxious setting, even if it's held back by shallow puzzles and pointless action sections.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Close to the Sun's bland narrative and lack of challenging mechanics, as well as being light on the scares, makes for a rather dull experience.
All things considered, though, I would heartily recommend Close to the Sun. With some fantastic world-building, an incredibly well detailed and atmospheric setting that's enhanced by a cast of interesting characters with great voice acting. The real issue comes from the lack of replay value, though for those who like to explore the world and story, there are reasons to go back.