Fort Solis is just one of the many games added onto the list of sudden releases that literally no one was anticipating. Focussed on an atmospheric and beautiful experience, Fort Solis is a game shrouded in mystery and claiming to be a narrative experience which sounded right up my street. Following on from some of the best walking simulator games, such as Firewatch, Everyone’s Gone to the Rapture and SOMA, Fort Solis had set itself up for greatness but its sudden release is one that not only catches everyone by surprise but is made worse by the flood of negative reviews. Since an hour of its release, Fort Solis has already received a total of 22 negative reviews that do not recommend the game, alongside other coverage that seems to wholeheartedly agree with those who got the game early. So, what went wrong?
The Problem With Pretty Video Games
Given the genre that Fort Solis is dipping into – narrative-driven walking simulator, the results are one that are incredibly disappointing to say the least. Before deciding on pulling the trigger on this game, you cannot help but look at the current reviews that are available, both on Steam and elsewhere. But with everywhere saying that you shouldn’t buy, it is hard to not be persuaded by the opinions. But where exactly did this game go wrong? By what little information we have about the game so far, we see that it is meant to be an immersive and cinematic experience that should play out more like a film than a video game (hence the walking simulator gameplay). With the constantly used Troy Baker (no offence to him, I just want more voice actors in my video games) to provide the level of emotion needed in a game all about following a distress call that likely resulted in everyone who sent it to be long dead before the arrival of Jack (Troy Baker), Fort Solis is the pretty film version of Among Us.
Fort Solis is the worst video game I have ever played & completed in 20 years of gaming.
DaemonX_HUN on Steam
It appears as though where Fort Solis went wrong is the all-in or nothing technique on the look that the game provides. There appears to be nothing in the narrative category that warrants your attention and has a lacklustre finish which for a story-driven, walking simulator, is a massive red flag. For one that focusses on delivering an immersive story with stunning graphics, it does not do much from either perspective as it forces you to take in the slow atmosphere due to having no run mechanic and only one button to use throughout the adventure. The game looks to add nothing in its messaging as although it states to be all about its narrative, players have already found that the only time you are really playing is in a few QTEs. Aside from that, players claim that it “fails to offer a particularly compelling narrative or even engaging gameplay elements” (Gare on Steam).
Video games in the recent years are constantly all-style-no-substance and it is incredibly frustrating to say the least. I rarely feel the need or want to purchase a game made by a AAA studio due to the fact that it is always all about how it looks rather than the actual gameplay, how it makes you feel whilst playing, and having an interesting story that grips you into wanting more. To say that it is rare that I get excited for video games is an understatement and the switch from narrative-driven games to a “look how pretty I am” just does not cut it anymore; especially in the walking simulator department. Whilst many are blinded by aesthetics, having only the story to take in from a game like Fort Solis is already sealing its fate when its story is one that holds a predictable plot twist and a mediocre finish.
Poor Optimization in Video Games
No amount of aesthetic beauty could make up for having to hold down one button for minutes at a time
Tauriq Moosa for Polygon
Following on from the narrative complaints, Fort Solis appears to have joined the list of poorly optimized video games. This is not surprising due to the mass amounts of recent video game releases that do terrible on release. But with a game that is all about a linear and short experience that you can immerse yourself in, having “3 crashes in 10 minutes” (TAiGA on Steam) and no option to run, skip cutscenes and dialogue, or manual save, it is hard to immerse yourself in an experience when the game cannot function on even the highest of PC technology. How this will play on console is uncertain but it is safe to assume that the crashes will persist on the PS5.
DaemonX_HUN on SteamBe prepared for a locked FOV with a character that literally blocks half of your screen.
This is not the first nor the last time a video game like this will disappoint consumers the way that this game already has done. With pretty visuals and no story to back it up but the ongoing performance issues and strange choices that the Devs made with limited window resolution support and the inability to rebind keys, Fort Solis is one that many want compensation for (even when they got the game early and for free). Every review on Steam bashes the game for running terribly and having difficulty to run on 60fps. What is bizarre about recent video game releases, regardless of the size and budget the Developer has, every release is so poorly optimized that it appears to only work for those who are making the game in the first place and no one else. It is as if no one tests these games before release and for a game that is more like a film than an actual playable experience, you’d do better putting on Interstellar and watching with a controller in your hand.
Final Thoughts
To compare, Baldur’s Gate 3 is making waves in the video game industry for its great narrative, massive amount of content, fun gameplay and unique characters that players are choosing to ignore the glaring performance issues such as crashes and bugs due to the fact that they just adore the game. They are able to oversee the bad for all of the good that the game provides and it is due to the level of care given all-round in crafting an actual video game. Others such as Elden Ring, even Tears of the Kingdom are bringing back that passion gamers had long forgotten due to the consistent release of poor video games and unfortunately Fort Solis has joined the list from the get-go.
