Solstice Chronicles: MIA Review - Not Bad, Not Good, Just There

fair
key review info
  • Game: Solstice Chronicles: MIA
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: Yes  
  • Reviewed on:
Solstice Chronicles: MIA

Solstice Chronicles: MIA is an isometric shooter that will either offer a proper challenge or endless hours of frustration, although the choice is going to be entirely yours.

One of the problems with these types of games is that it's a little bit difficult to define the genre. It's technically a twin-stick isometric shooter, but that's a bit too much. While it makes for a proper technical description, it's not really representative.

For the sake of the people that just want to play it, will call it an isometric shooter and be done with it. And, to be fair, it's not like Solstice Chronicles: MIA marks the beginning of a new genre. There are lots of predecessors, with some great games such as the more famous Shadowgrounds series.

In fact, the genre is much older than that. If I were to cast my memory even further, I could name Crimsonland in 2003 or Zax: The Alien Hunter from 2001. It's possible to go even further back, but you get the idea. Solstice Chronicles: MIA doesn't pretend to be original, only to expand on an already established formula.

Story and gameplay

The story itself is not something that you would ever consider to be deep or engaging. You're a marine that's been left behind on Mars following some event that turned people into mutants and other creatures.

Solstice Chronicles: MIA
Solstice Chronicles: MIA
Solstice Chronicles: MIA
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For the most part, your job is to make it back alive, but hints of an underlying mystery are everywhere. Why were you left behind? What's really happening on Mars? Unfortunately, the story is second place to the gameplay, and that’s usually where most people will draw the line. Why go through all the trouble of building an entire world if you’re not going to take advantage?

The lack of a proper story is a common problem with isometric shooters. They seem to be considered too “arcadish”, and developers don’t bother to go deeper with the storyline. Even if an award-winning author does not write it, there should be something in the background, acting as scaffolding. If anything, this could be the biggest drawback for the game, more than anything else.

As for the gameplay, there isn’t much to tell. I said that it’s a twin-stick shooter and that pretty much covers it. That doesn’t mean that you have to play with a controller, and I didn’t. I usually play with a keyboard and mouse because it provides much better accuracy, in most genres. Some games do require a controller, but, surprisingly, twin-stick shooters are much easier to play with a mouse and keyboard, despite what people might think.

Unfortunately, it seems that the control scheme for Solstice Chronicles: MIA was not adapted well for keyboard and mouse, or at least not all the way. While people using a mouse will feel the effects of improved accuracy immediately, they will also notice that the mouse doesn’t also control the direction of the movement.

Solstice Chronicles: MIA
Solstice Chronicles: MIA
Solstice Chronicles: MIA
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Literally, all the games in this genre have the option (unless implemented by default) to use the mouse to control the direction of the character. And I'm sure that Solstice Chronicles: MIA  developers know this because in the game that’s only possible when aiming the gun. It’s a weird choice because you’re forced to use the keyboard to move around and it’s not a pretty sight. The advantage I have from using the mouse is still too great to switch to the controller, so the control scheme ended up being really annoying, at least for me.

As for the gameplay itself, players should have no problem in figuring out what to do right away. The basic idea is to stay alive and kill everything that’s not you. The most important aspect you have to know right from the start, and which is not explained properly, is that there isn’t a precise number of enemies in each level.

In fact, the game is set up in such a way that depending on your actions you might be attacked by more and more enemies. It’s not exactly a transparent system, here is the gist of it. There is a general threat level that escalates based on your actions. Some are predetermined, like opening a gate or a generator, and can’t be avoided.

The main character is accompanied everywhere by a chatty drone, that’s also quite funny, and which has certain powers. It can provide a shield, gather munitions, and even taunt the enemies to decrease the general threat level. Activating some of the drone functions will immediately raise the threat level, and more enemies will attack, including some really powerful ones.

The best way to decrease the threat level, and the most dangerous one at that, is to activate the taunt, but you better be near some automated turrets. Or you can be cheeky about it and run to the end of the level. It’s not possible all the time, but it’s certainly a worthwhile escape plan.

Another drawback is the overall level design, which feels like it’s made to seem grand with no real purpose behind it. You can always see where you have to go during the missions, but there is a lot left to be explored. The problem is that much of the levels are basically empty. From time to time, players will find some upgrade or points for the character, but not often enough to justify wandering off on a regular basis.

Solstice Chronicles: MIA
Solstice Chronicles: MIA
Solstice Chronicles: MIA
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Finally, we have to talk a little bit about the upgrade screen, which is available between missions. There are a lot of categories, and each of them supports multiple points. Furthermore, some of the latter abilities will only be unlocked after a certain amount of points have been expended. In any case, the descriptions of the active and passive skills are not all that clear, not to mention that they don’t appear to be all that effective.

The fact that the weapons perform better after being used, and have their own levels, is much useful that the upgraded character traits and functions, and that alone should make you consider the game twice.

Graphics and sound

Solstice Chronicles: MIA is built on the Unreal Engine, and it looks OK. Given the power of the technology, it could have looked much better, and for most of the time, it doesn’t take advantage of the awesomeness that is the Unreal Engine.

The coolest effects are the flashlights and the bullet tracing, but the awe stops there. The textures are rather bland, the levels don’t have all that much detail, and the characters animations, for the protagonist and enemies, are almost at a minimum.

When you put all of it together, you’re left with something that’s just there, with decent visuals and not much else. The sound department doesn’t help either. The only redeeming quality if the voice and the interactions with the drone, but they are few and far in between.


The Good

  • Nice graphical effects when shooting monsters
  • Useful weapon upgrade system
  • Chatty and funny drone

The Bad

  • The threat system is not clear
  • Some levels can be bypassed just by running
  • Mediocre graphics
  • The control scheme for mouse and keyboard is weird

Conclusion

Solstice Chronicles: MIA is not a triple-A game, but it’s good enough to warrant a try. The difficult levels alone should encourage some players to give it a try. But, if you’re looking for an engaging storyline and striking visuals, you should look someplace else.

It’s not a bad game, by any measure, but it’s not good either. And that’s the worst place to be in for a game is a market that’s dominated by mediocrity.

story 6
gameplay 7
concept 6
graphics 7
audio 7
multiplayer 6
final rating 6.5
Editor's review
fair
 

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Solstice Chronicles: MIA
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