Today's Release] "Fort Solis" Clear Review!　What the hell happened here? A sci-fi thriller in which you explore a facility while battling an unexplainable fear!

An immersive experience created by stunning graphics and thorough production

The setting of this game is a mining site on Mars in the year 2080. While working at night with his partner Jessica, Jack receives an emergency call from Fort Solis, a nearby facility. Jack rushes to Fort Solis, but finds that the power is out everywhere and there is no sign of life. Suspicious, he searches the facility to find out why the distress call was sent out. This is the synopsis of the film.

The graphics in this film are impressive, thanks in part to the use of the latest game engine, Unreal Engine 5. The PS5 version allows the user to choose between "Performance," which emphasizes frame rate, and "Graphics," which prioritizes image quality, When graphics is selected, ray tracing, which reflects light reflections in real time, is also turned on.

Another feature of this film is the use of long takes, in which scenes are shot intermittently with a camera and not interspersed with cuts. At the beginning of the story, there is a scene in which Jack and Jessica are working on a job site, and from this point on, the camera follows the main character throughout the film. Since the screen does not switch at all, the sense of realism is so high that it is almost as if you are playing the movie as it is.

In addition, all information and maps are viewed through a wristwatch-like device worn on the right arm. For better or worse, game-like effects such as a map that fills the screen were eliminated as much as possible, and this also enhanced the sense of immersion.

Investigating the events that took place at the facility through voice recordings and messages

The objective of this work is to investigate the events that took place at the facility while collecting evidence. We are going around Fort Solis, which is partially blacked out, but there is an unnatural absence of people. Further investigation reveals a variety of information, including a door with a broken lever, a suit with bloodstains, and the relationships between employees through the audio recordings left behind.

Objects that can be examined are indicated by small circles on the screen, so the search will proceed smoothly. The information gathered can be viewed at any time on a wristwatch-like device.

Is this an incident or an accident? Why are there no employees, have they already been evacuated, or have they been killed somewhere? If so, what was the cause? Was someone killed, or was it an illness caused by a contagious disease? The more evidence we have, the more reasonable these questions become. Then you realize that the events at Fort Solis were much more serious than you had imagined.

At first, I felt like I was just exploring a slightly dark facility, but as I began to examine the evidence, it was interesting to realize that I had somehow been investigating a bad scene, even though I didn't really understand what was going on. When you think that something might be lurking around the corner you had been casually passing, every place you had been exploring becomes instantly suspicious, and a sense of dread gradually grows inside you.

Even if I tried to erase my uneasiness, there is already evidence of it, and above all, it is hard to forget what I once thought. I am not sure if the developers intended this, but I thought it was brilliant how they created the impression of something you see over and over again, changing as you progress.

The inconvenience of having to walk only stirs up a sense of dread.

In this film, you cannot run. The only way to get anywhere is to walk, which was somewhat inconvenient during the game. However, in the past, it would be impossible to run due to functional problems in the modern world, so I guess that is the way the game's transportation system is designed. The slow pace of the game also made it easier to find clues in "Fort Solis," where information gathering is important.

Above all, the inconvenience of having no other choice but to walk was a source of fear. As I have already mentioned, the more we learn about the events, the more horrified we become, and the faster we want to run through the darkness, the less rest we feel because we can't run at all.

Under these circumstances, the story is interspersed with events from time to time. When you try to climb on a wire, you almost lose your position, or when you are walking in a warehouse, a cargo suddenly approaches you, and you are asked to give a specific command. Although I cannot say for sure since I played only one round of the game, the events continued to unfold even if I failed to enter a command, so it seems that the storyline of this work has many branches, large and small.

In some cases, the actions taken by the player also affected the content of the events and the story itself, as when doing A led to the development of B. The investigation inside Fort Solis, the specification of having to walk, and the events requiring command input kept the author's emotions taut from the beginning to the end of this review. I felt I understood why this title is in the thriller genre, which stirs up a sense of tension and anxiety in the player, rather than a horror story that scares people.

It took me about 5 to 6 hours to complete the game. Although the volume of the game is small, it is compact enough to be a thriller-type adventure, and you can enjoy the intense story and performance in a short time. I recommend this title especially to those who are looking for a story and atmosphere in a game.

Title Information

• ■Fort Solis
• Compatibility: PS5
• Genre: Adventure
• Player: 1 player
• Release date: September 7, 2023
• Price: 4,950 yen (tax included)
• CERO: C (for ages 15 and up)
• Publisher: 3goo Inc.

• Buy the DL version PS5 version

@2023 Dear villagers. Developed by Fallen Leaf. All Rights Reserved "Fort Solis" is registered trademarks of "Fallen Leaf" Published and distributed by 3goo K.K. in Japan.