Survival sandbox games feel a dime-a-dozen these days. And while plenty put their own twist on the genre by adding things like dinosaurs or player permadeath, The Solus Project aims to do something different: it wants to tell a story.
The Solus Project starts with you marooned on a strange planet. There are no creatures here, just plants, caves, ruins, and dangerous weather. There are also no other players to hunt you down - the game is meant to be experienced alone, just you exploring the environment, crafting the resources needed to survive and uncovering the planet's secrets. It's just spaceman Joe vs. the alien volcano.
The game is broken up into traditional levels, but each features both open-world exploration and crafting, as well as more linear story content. Judging from the trailer above, I'd say it makes me think of "walking simulator" narrative games like Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, but with more ways to interact. We'll have to wait for the game to come out before judging how well it successfully marries the concepts, but color me intrigued.
Developer GRIP Digital plans to release the game episodically via Steam Early Access and Xbox One Preview starting February 18 and February 26, respectively. The final launch, with all levels completed and polished, is planned for May.
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