Close to the Sun Reviews
Close to the Sun is a spectacle piece for the explorative player that is well worth sinking time and money into. Despite the horror label, the game is not so scary that it cannot be enjoyed by everyone. The game may be short with a frustrating conclusion but this should not deter players from picking up this title. From highly detailed environments to smooth gameplay, Close to the Sun is a short, but unique experience that deserves players attention.
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.
Close to the Sun delivers one of the best horror narratives in years thanks to an engaging and atmospheric experience
If you’re looking for a narrative-focused horror game which isn’t ‘too’ scary, Close to the Sun is for you. Visually the game looks beautiful, despite the piles of body parts and blood-soaked walls, with the Helios’ decorations being a brilliant replication of Art Deco interior design with a hint of Steampunk engineering. The story will have you hooked, as you go out of your way to fill in the blanks and find all of the hidden collectables, bringing you to a conclusion which I hope spawns a sequel at some point in the future. Despite the issues, which I mentioned in my review, the overall experience is one which shouldn’t be missed regardless of whatever platform you prefer to play on.
If you like story-driven suspenseful horror games which aren’t too scary, Close to the Sun is perfect for you. With it’s beautiful Art Deco design, horrific scenes of gore and brutality, incredible inventions from Nikola Tesla, and an engaging storyline, you’ll be hooked from the moment you step aboard the Helios. I found some of the narrative predictable and muddy towards the final chapters, but the overall experience was very enjoyable and entertaining. If you go into the game thinking it’s going to be like Bioshock, you’ll be disappointed, be open-minded and you’ll enjoy it a lot more.
Close to the Sun’s level design is broken into chapters with some clever placed collectables enhances the need to explore and the willingness to find out where the story is going. This very nature will ensure that you won’t put this stunning game down, until it’s finished. Just like a good series on Netflix, you will find yourself binge playing, it’s that good. A true work of art!
If you like first-person adventure games of the horror and mystery variety then you'll definitely enjoy Close to the Sun.
So all in all Storm In A Teacup have done a great job with Close To The Sun. Its story driven action, combined with puzzle solving and the unnerving fact that you can’t defend yourself, all gets packaged up into a nice neat bundle of joy to play through. Close To The Sun thoroughly deserves its Thumb Culture Gold Award
Close to the Sun deserves praise for the world it builds and just how gorgeously rendered that world is.
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
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
In the end, your enjoyment of Close to the Sun will depend on whether you want to be surprised. If you've played some of the previously mentioned games, you know exactly what to expect in terms of pacing and story, even if the subject matter is different. The lack of combat is an interesting choice, but the simple puzzles and slightly frustrating chase sequences dull the experience, while the inability to view collectibles after you leave a level significantly diminishes their value.
Although the slow tempo of the gameplay might not be appealing to everyone, and although the story could have ended much, much better, Close to the Sun is still a great title that easily worth 5 to 6 hours of your time.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Close to the Sun is an experience that I enjoyed but I also found myself wanting a bit more out of.
Close to the Sun is a harrowing and thoughtfully designed first-person exploration adventure that shows a twisted world in which Nikola Tesla's ideas came to life.
Close to the Sun is certainly an enjoyable journey, one that does include some jump scares and horror moments along the way while exploring what is a bit of a disturbing view on an alternate timeline.
A good lineal adventure. It lacks in the horror part the suspense Will keep on your toes, the story keeps you tangled and presentation is functional
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Close to the Sun is a smart narrative adventure, but some of its elements ruin the tension of its well-crafted world.
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.