Tactical Adventures recently released a demo for Solasta 2, and being a fan of their first game, Solasta: Crown of the Magister, I couldn’t help but throw myself over the demo. But before eagerly diving in, I had some concerns since its announcement, seeing as they now have ditched the game engine Unity for Unreal, starting development fresh from scratch. To my surprise and delight, I didn’t have to worry. Solasta 2 looks absolutely phenomenal, and it runs well too – considering the engine.
The engine & controls
However, it’s not without some minor issues, engine-wise. While it ran well, it’s clear that it’s a more demanding engine, since I had some slowdowns when I entered the cavern area – where the visuals came to its crescendo. While exploring the caverns, the FPS went from a solid 60, to about 45. This can be optimized, hopefully. Another graphic problem is the “ghosting” and “smearing”, when moving, which I think is caused by the DLSS. DLSS seems to be forced on, even when the resolution is set to 100%. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what is causing this. It seems to be part of all modern games now, especially those involving the Unreal 5 engine. I suspect TAA antialiasing, if not the DLSS. So, while the visuals are great, it’s not fully crisp, with noticeable “ghosting effects” in movement.
An awesome thing with the new engine visuals, beyond giving Solasta a massive upgrade in graphics, is that you can play it with keyboard & mouse in third-person from the get-go, unlike Baldur’s Gate 3 that required a controller to do so. If you want that third-person RPG Dragon Age: Origins experience, there is nothing hindering you. I did try half of the demo with an Xbox controller, and it worked splendidly. The UI is nice and functioning, regardless of what you use. However, I’m curious about the scroll list, instead of using a grid-based system for the inventory. That’s probably the only blemish on the UI. As it looks a bit awkward and overly “console”, favoring a gamepad over mouse & keyboard.
D&D 5e gameplay
Much of the gameplay remains the same. The combat is turn-based, and there are skill-checks for everything – from discovering lore to convincing NPCs of your intention. The characters, from the ones presented in the demo, still interject in dialogue, keeping the feeling of the adventuring party being alive – instead of having the focus on one main protagonist. I truly hope this is something that will still be a part of Solasta 2 for when it’s time to create your own dungeon raiding gang.
I did notice two things that were missing. It seems you can’t drop unwanted gear from the inventory, which is a bit odd, seeing as encumbrance is a mechanic. Could be an oversight, or I just missed the option somehow. But, when it comes to direct gameplay involving combat, there is one major mechanic missing: Ready Action, essentially the “overwatch” system from the first game. I used this regularly in Solasta, and it sure felt missed now. Not sure why this was removed, when much of the gameplay is the same. Curious, to say the least, since I can’t figure out at all why it was removed. Maybe it made the game too easy? Or maybe, once again, I somehow managed to overlook the option.
I should also add that height differences still play a big role in the environment. One major difference now: if you play with direct control, aka controlling your party manually, you have to instigate jumping, climbing and swimming yourself. It’s a minor addition, but it adds a welcome interaction to gameplay, making it feel like you are in complete control of your group.
For the future
Solasta 2 impressed and surprised me in how good it looks, and how great it feels to play. This is an RPG to truly look forward to. It’s supposed to be released in Early Access this year, and while I hoped for a full release, I guess it’s better than nothing. I highly recommend giving the game a go, especially if you are starved for classic fantasy adventure!
Thanks for reading. Until next time!
/Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 