Solace State: Emotional Cyberpunk Stories

I was hoping for a realistic and in-depth take both on politics and psychology, but the game leans towards being more of a light-hearted tale about the group of buddies spending time and trying to pose as a part of something bigger, while occasionally demonstrating "bad things [i]may[/i] happen to [i]bad[/i] guys and that's [i]probably totally ok[/i]" personal ideology. Not a bad game per se, but not something I can enjoy though. P.S. Main menu song is nice.

DISCLAIMER: I made the trailers for this game. I rarely leave reviews on any games, let alone ones I did work for, but Solace State was on my radar long before I was approached to make the trailer, and unlike with most games I make trailers for, I did actually get to play this one through and experience it as intended in my time with it. Simply put, it didn't disappoint. As well as being incredibly stylish, this game is an optimistic yet informed take on the importance of collective action, and a really juicy bit of scifi too. I feel like a lot of left-leaning political games occupy quite a cynical space. I love a lot of them, but Solace State makes an compelling case for something more hopeful. Like yeah, ♥♥♥♥ sucks. But what if we wrangled a gang of good friends and actually did something about it? My initial cut of the trailer was very Torrent-heavy, which speaks to my love of him as a character. I actually had to play through a lot of scenes again, spending time with other characters to get more variety in footage lol. I'm really excited that the game is finally out so that I can talk to people about it.

The revolution will be televised, but it'll also be presented in a slick looking and sounding cyberpunk visual novel that tackles issues of oppression and the call to activism in a way that I've not seen before. Solace State's story begins with Chloe, an iconohacker capable of lots of very cool cyberpunky hacking tomfoolery, trying to break into an area of a city that's been locked down by the local fascist regime. In involving herself in that mess, she finds herself pulled into an even bigger conspiracy whose machinations are so heinous and dire that she can't help but be pushed into a call to arms in a story that sees a few quiet voices begin to blossom into a loud and boisterous revolution. The game's primary focus is on activism and building a grassroots revolution to take the fight to the hearts of the people, whether it be trying to win individual people over or attempting occupations and demonstrations. Chloe's interpersonal relationships with her ragtag group of freedom fighters also play a huge role in flavoring the story, with everyone having unique and interesting backgrounds. And it's all very well paced, with equal amounts of time paid to the heavier subjects of oppression and protesting, while still making time for the characters to enjoy a lot of quiet warm moments with one another, while also sprinkling in some really fun espionage and action scenes for good measure. And the best part? You get a LOT of control over how this revolution and Chloe's story plays out. Choices in Solace State feel substantial, and I often found myself pondering them for more than a few minutes to steel myself for the ramifications of the things I was about to make Chloe say or do. Rather than putting you on designated compartmentalized routes, the choices you make and how conversations play out for Chloe affect the flow of the world, characters' views of Chloe, and the narrative's direction in ways that can be truly felt, from the start of the game to the ending. It's a game where the choices affect so much that multiple playthroughs would be rewarding just to see how else things can swing. All of that on top of the fact that the game just looks and sounds amazing. The game's mix of 3D environments with 2D character images gives Solace State a look all its own. The character designs are all sharp and eye catching, and feature a good number of expressions that help get the game's emotional depth across. The camera zooms and pans through various parts of the city during and between conversations, almost like a drone flythrough of a diorama. Narration is often splayed across the sides of skyscrapers and on the pavement in a way that almost feels like graffiti left behind by an activist demonstration. It's rare that visual novels get to look and feel this dynamic with actual level design that lets you fully drink in and immerse yourself in the details of the world its characters inhabit. "Unique" is really the best word I can use to desribe Solace State. From its visual presentation down to its subject matter, it sets itself apart in a way that felt really refreshing, while also embracing everything about visual novels that make me continue to enjoy them. It's rich, warm, and incredibly inspiring and absolutely worth your time if you want something a little different in your visual novel experience.

It has such a unique look and deals with some really heady and beautiful themes of rebellion and freedom.

Its very stylish visual novel with many branching choices. It has an interesting setting and characters. It'll update this review when I finish.

Solace State goes beyond my expectations. First, what I expected after following the trailers and the dev’s livestreams: It's not the usual fantasy or romance story. The story of characters who end up uniting politically is realistic. It reflects the real world, where people protest and fight against the odds, and more importantly for their rights. It’s about hope. It’s about not giving up. Now, what's unexpected is this: It's totally involving! There are some really funny moments! And I love the first encounter of Chloe and Torrent. So charmingly sweet! The game is immersive in a space and time not too different from our present. The dialogue is life-like... but also poetic. Creative license, why not. The emotional bonds between the key characters, and you as Chloe, are beyond words, as you ponder over how you should choose the next step. The feeling is kind of similar to watching a very emotional movie in which you fall for the protagonist. But here in Solace State, you are the protagonist who is making tough choices for her friends and her future. I won’t rush to the end. I’ll take my time to savour and linger around those magic moments, while the unusual graphic treatment keeps enticing me to move on to the next scene. Until then, a more complete review. Thanks for reading. Hope you share my feelings.

Solace State is a game filled with a personable cast and incredible writing both in its depth and characterization. There were a lot of times I audibly guffawed from the game's wittiness and found myself moved by its prose. The game's utilization of a blended 3d and 2d art style uplifts the story while reflecting its core ideas. The orthographic camera and the emphasis on framing by cutting through models is breathtakingly refreshing. Visually, I don't think there's a game that can truly compare.

I don't usually post reviews but this game could use a little more love. It's been a few years since I actually sunk my teeth into a Visual Novel. I am glad I did though, the story is really gripping with diverse, memorable characters. I prefer games where choices matter, you know, decisions have weight. Every choice you make in Solace State definitely feels heavy. Your enemy is a competent and frighteningly efficient Fascist regime. Exploring the resistance in Solace State takes cyberpunk back to its political roots while still presenting a fresh take on the genre. In addition to the intelligent writing the 2D and 3D visuals mesh beautifully from scene to scene and add emotional pop to each moment in the story, and Chloe's hacking is a useful mechanic for exploring character depth. Definitely a recommended play for anyone looking for a thriller that doesn't skimp on the feels.

While I have yet to reach any one of the 38(!!) endings, Solace State has been the most captivating, cinematic, and human visual novel I’ve played. From the dynamic camera motion that sweeps across the city, revealing Abraxa and our heroes location in it to the numerous, layered texts gleaned from scraping front-of-mind thoughts, Solace State captures the dizzying, instantaneous, and simultaneously spacious and claustrophobic nature of existing in a futuristic surveillance state as someone able to blur the lines between digital and physical. The details paid to each part of this city life allow for the characters to develop their own connection to and ways of navigating the social and political realities of their world and brings the player along for an experience of multiple informed perspectives. However, despite the heavy sci-fi setting and riveting plot, what sold me on the game was its relentless dedication to humanness, often seeming to posit that our humanity and connections are what will continue to buoy us through future crises and changes. The characters so often check in with one another after a stressful or difficult scenario, offering care, appreciation, concern, and attuning themselves to their companions. At one point, a character even offers a real grounding exercise to another! Even the minor characters that support the protagonists show support towards our heroes in genuine and authentic ways. And all this softness isn’t to say the game doesn’t have its very real moments of brutality. Though, even these are still shown from a very human lens by examining the immediate and lasting effects of such violent choices. The way representation is handled is also beautiful. The cast is varied in the way each character holds their race, gender, sexuality, and ability in a genuine way that shows a deep desire for players of all backgrounds to find something to relate to and a character to fall for. No character feels tokenized or stereotyped, and there is never a moment where a character becomes less than a nuanced and full human. There are sweet gay moms, and they just get to be sweet gay moms! Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention all the cosplay potential in Solace State. With so much gorgeous art and beautiful character design, there is so much inspiration to be found for fun, cyberpunk lewks. A floral jacket with a red-trimmed collar? Circle-Triangle asymmetric knee accents? Flowing white frock under a military jacket? I’ll take them all, please! If you love a good story and want something that treats its characters with as much respect as it treats its political and technological philosophies, then do yourself a favor and play Solace State.

This game is thrilling with its politics! It's even kinda got poetry. Maybe poetic justice? Lots of surprisingly tense moments. The dev's good at creating exciting scenes through the camera work and writing. It's classy, haven't seen something that looks like this before. Atmospheric.