Solasta 2 Preview

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Neokos’ homeland faces peril again, or so it seems, as Solasta 2 embarks on Early Access in 2025. Enthusiasts will have the opportunity to catch a sneak peek of the game with its demo release during Steam Next Fest. However, TopMob was granted the first taste of what’s to come with their initial Solasta 2 preview.

In the sequence of time following the occurrences of Solasta: Crown of the Magister, a fresh adventure unfolds around a quartet of orphans all bearing the surname Colwall. These individuals venture towards the coastal hamlet of Tor Wen, driven by the pursuit of an old comrade.

Sadly, the town is under attack – first by a massive black dragon, and then persistently plagued by earthquakes. The four orphaned children step up to assist the struggling townsfolk, but soon find themselves face-to-face with an ancient, fearsome entity from times long past, reawakened in the present day to sow chaos once more.

Gathering Your Party Before Venturing Forth

If you’re new to the Solasta games, they share the same fundamental rules as Dungeons & Dragons 5e, similar to Baldur’s Gate 3. To put it simply, while adhering to D&D 5e’s rule system, they can’t incorporate specific elements of D&D’s story and universe. Instead, they offer a distinct game world or setting to provide a unique gaming experience.

In the demonstration, players are provided with a quartet of readymade characters: Joralas the Elven Mage, Daisy the Halfling Thief, Neyra the Human Warrior-Priestess, and Knut the Dwarven Holy Knight. As soon as dialogue commences, each character is there to contribute their thoughts, with all their dialog skills active simultaneously.

If you’re familiar with games like D&D or Solasta, you’ll feel comfortable here because it closely follows the 5e rules, even including details like magic item attunement. For those who are new to this, a comprehensive tutorial system is available to help them get acquainted.

In this game, battles occur one move at a time, following an action point system, while your character’s abilities and dice throws determine outcomes beyond combat, such as persuasive dialogue during conversations and stealth maneuvers past adversaries.

Exploring The New Dungeon

In the demo of Solasta 2, the gameplay is divided into two distinct areas: a fishing hamlet and the caves hidden beneath it. The hamlet follows a straightforward path with narrow passages occasionally blocked by obstacles, guiding players towards a single store and a small group of non-player characters.

In this town, there aren’t many options for conversation or sights to explore, as it only showcases an early stage of gameplay that we’re currently focusing on. Essentially, you’ll find yourself moving directly towards the main mission with little deviation.

One point worth noting is that the voice acting in this version is significantly improved compared to the initial game. It’s yet to be seen how the main game will manage its diverse cast of characters, but the NPCs are richly characterized, even if player interaction with them is currently limited.

In the intriguing part of the labyrinth, you’ll find various scenarios unfolding differently:

1. An interaction with a secretive Kobold dragon cult, who have taken someone captive, presents itself.
2. The predicament of some fisherfolk who’ve found themselves stranded deeper within the caverns is another situation to be dealt with.

At the Kobold encampment, there are multiple strategies available: You could opt for a brutal attack to eliminate them immediately, or attempt to win them over by showing allegiance. Regardless of your choice, it impacts the narrative significantly, as these Kobolds might prove valuable allies in future events.

In the fisherfolk quest, the focus seems more on penalizing the player for taking extended breaks, as this could lead to their character’s demise at the claws of crab monsters. However, since the Solasta 2 demo doesn’t award experience points, the decision to aid the fisherfolk has minimal impact on the storyline or gameplay. But in the full game, there will likely be a system for factions, which could influence the narrative or gameplay dynamics.

For those anticipating to follow the path of the Dark Urge and rule as evil lords, prepare for a letdown since the creators disclosed prior to the demo release that the game doesn’t offer a villainous route. Although players can embrace the murderhobo persona, your ultimate role will be as a hero in this game.

A New Age Of Evil Begins

In the demonstration version of Solasta 2, you’ll encounter numerous skirmishes, primarily featuring colossal crabs, with Kobolds being optional participants. Unfortunately, these massive crustaceans don’t offer particularly challenging or engaging tactical encounters; instead, they serve as training fodder for players to familiarize themselves with the game rules.

In these last two confrontations, the action becomes even more captivating because the objective is shielding a fracturing Nexus with magical properties. The adversaries here are formidable, corrupted Kivuli warriors, reminiscent of the Dragonborn from D&D, who share a striking similarity with Draconians from D&D’s Dragonlance campaign as they detonate upon death.

In the heat of the last showdown, I found myself safeguarding the Nexus as a torrent of Kivuli surged forth. To keep the Nexus stable, I had to strategically allocate my Actions, slowing down its deterioration. As the magical energies crackled and sparked, they shattered the battlefield into pieces. This climactic finale was a tantalizing sneak peek into the intense tactical combats that can be orchestrated with the 5e rules, leaving me eager for more!

The demonstration finishes with a significant twist, skillfully paving the way for the main game’s narrative. Players of a specific other game may recognize a similarity in the conclusion, but we’ll keep that detail under wraps.

The Baldur’s Gate 3 Question

Unlike its earlier version, Solasta 2 arrives following Baldur’s Gate 3, making direct comparisons between them unavoidable due to their shared use of D&D 5e game mechanics.

In contrast to Solasta 2’s predicament, it’s a towering challenge. It’s unfortunate that its developers find themselves in this situation, especially given the immense popularity of Baldur’s Gate 3, which is currently hailed as one of the greatest video games ever made. And here I am, even observing dice rolls for Charisma checks in Solasta 2.

In essence, let me clarify this upfront – while Solasta 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 share the D&D ruleset, they are not aiming to be identical games. You shouldn’t anticipate complex character relationships or unique adventures that require a vast array of player choices. Instead, each game offers its own distinct experience within the Dungeons & Dragons universe.

In simpler terms, Solasta 2 leans more towards the traditional dungeon exploration style of gameplay, much like what I’d expect from a dungeon crawl experience. As an avid Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast, I can’t help but embrace this approach wholeheartedly because it offers me more single-player RPG experiences that mirror my beloved genre and settings.

The demo for Solasta 2 hints at an even more grandiose adventure compared to its prior version, one that organically broadens both the game’s universe and player engagement. However, it’s a bit disappointing that we may have to wait multiple years before fully experiencing this masterpiece, given that we’re merely glimpsing the initial stages of greatness now.

The Solasta 2 demo is scheduled for release on February 24, 2025, as part of Steam Next Fest. We were given a PC code for the demo to write this preview. Solasta 2 will commence its Early Access phase in the year 2025.

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2025-02-20 17:11