S.O.L Search of Light – Review

GAME INFORMATION: Release: April 25, 2024 Players: 01 player Genre: Action-adventure, puzzle and platform video game Developer: Trigger the Monster Publisher: Firenut Games Available languages: English, Spanish (Spain) Available on platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC (STEAM). Age rating: For ages 10 and older. Game version analyzed: Nintendo Switch.

Hello everyone, how are you? Today we are coming with the analysis of the game SOL: Search of the light, a game that takes place in a universe with a steampunk and dark fantasy theme that combines tower defense mechanics, village management and puzzles.  

To start the analysis, we need to say that this is an independent game, developed by Trigger the Monster and published by Firenut Games and was released in April 2024 for Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam), with the version analyzed in this post being the Nintendo Switch version.

History

When we start the game, we see the enigmatic character who will be our protagonist in this adventure. First of all, we find ourselves in an apparently devastated environment, where we need to interact with the environment, building our refuge in a kind of village, where we have some robots, who can help us on this journey, both in the construction of our structures, and in the defense of the village.

Mechanics and gameplay

We are presented right on the selection screen with advantage options, which can be acquired throughout the game, advantages that tend to improve the game experience and evolve the construction and management of our village as we continue our journey in this mysterious universe.

The game has a sequential map, which allows us to access different scenarios via dimensional portals at the end of each completed “phase”. This map is changed procedurally each time our character is defeated. It is also important to note that, when defeated, you return to the beginning of the game, losing all your evolution, and being able to select advantages for the next round, however, always starting from scratch and following this interdimensional map procedurally.

To progress through the gameplay, the player is challenged several times with puzzles involving moving objects, which is reminiscent of the Ultrahand mechanics in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, where our protagonist can move objects to access new areas and continue to the portal at the end of the scenario. During the exploration of these scenarios, our protagonist receives fragments that can be used as resources to reactivate and improve the structures of the abandoned village, as well as recruit new construction or defense robots, as well as all the resources of that location, such as the market, turret, walls, and several other resources.

Graphics and Sound

Regarding the quality of graphics and sound, the game has an interesting visual identity, its entire setting in a dark world works, however, at times, the scenario goes a little too far and becomes dark, especially in some puzzles, but nothing that affects the gameplay, in the case of sound, it creates an ambiance for the story that is being told, however, it does not have a striking soundtrack to the point of being remembered when the game is turned off.

Fun

In terms of fun, we can say that this will depend on the style of play you practice, as the issue of returning to the beginning after each defeat can be a deterrent, at the same time that this cycle can become something challenging, making the player strive and always seek their best run.

Performance and Optimization

The game’s performance is a bit slow at times. I had some problems with lag in the game’s controls, and in rare moments, the character even got “stuck” in some gaps in the scene. Overall, the graphics are beautiful and different, but moments of performance failure sometimes take us out of the immersion, especially when there is a delay between the command and the character’s response.

Conclusion

Overall, the game features very interesting scenarios and dimensions. The peculiar and challenging gameplay style may attract the attention of hardcore fans, but will put off more casual players due to the restart every round. The character design is initially interesting, but over time it ends up becoming generic. The puzzles are mostly simple, and the enemies can be challenging, sometimes difficult, forcing the player to choose the best advantages in the initial mine and customize the game according to their gameplay style. It can be considered a unique experience that rewards players who commit to developing the story in search of the surface of this mysterious world.

Positive points:

*Universe construction;

*Resource/village management;

*Simplicity of commands.

Negative points:

*Lack of localized language (only Spanish and English);

*Command response;

*Soundtrack.

Rating:
Graphics: 7.0
Fun: 6.0
Gameplay: 6.0
Sound: 6.0
Performance and Optimization: 5.0
FINAL GRADE: 6.0/10.0