The strategy game The Red Solstice was released in July 2015 on Steam and now its successor is in the wings. It is currently in Alpha and is expected to be released in 2020. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch played the new title and spoke with Hrvoje Horvatek, the CEO of developer Ironward.
What kind of game is it? In The Red Solstice 2, you take on the role of a Marine in the year 117 After Earth. In a world dominated by megacorporations and technology, you fight against mutants and the biomass that spreads and covers more and more of the map.
In terms of gameplay, The Red Solstice is reminiscent of X-COM. You control a character who primarily uses firearms and grenades in the fight against the monsters and can take cover behind barricades. You observe the action from an isometric perspective.
However, the title forgoes turn-based actions and operates in real-time. You move with mouse clicks and aim with the mouse at enemies. Additionally, your class gives you access to four abilities that can be upgraded during a game round, similar to League of Legends.
In the current version of the game, there is only multiplayer, which I tested with other alpha testers and which is very tactical. However, a single player mode is also planned where you must save the Earth and receive NPCs that you can equip and train. Additionally, the game is intended to continue as “Games as a Service” with further updates.
How does the game generally work? The goal of The Red Solstice 2 is to complete a mission and leave the location alive afterward. In the current version, I faced 3 mission objectives that needed to be completed. These missions involved making power available at specific locations or exploring environments.
If you manage to complete all tasks, the entire map is bombed to eliminate all enemies. Therefore, you must evacuate beforehand. However, the entire group can also die, and that can lead to a complete loss of the round.
The mutants on the map, in turn, try to prevent you from successfully completing your tasks. They spawn in 15 waves, and over time they become stronger. In addition, the so-called biomass spreads across the entire map, making regions difficult to access.
Everything revolves around the right strategy
The preparation: Even before the start of my first game round, it becomes clear: strategy is essential. Our group consisted of 8 players who coordinated in a tactics discussion in voice chat about who would use which class.
In The Red Solstice 2, you have 8 classes to choose from, but in my test, only 4 of them were playable. For the team, at least one medic is indispensable because healing plays a crucial role when facing hordes of opponents. I was entrusted with the Assault, a damage dealer with various abilities and some defensive attributes. And probably the easiest class in the game.
Each class can be customized before the round starts. There are various attributes and weapons to choose from. However, each attribute has a “Power Value,” and there is a maximum number that must not be exceeded.
In the game, you can also improve skills by leveling up and use various items you find in boxes and cabinets all over the map. In addition to potions and bandages, there are grenades, rockets, objects that can be placed as obstacles, and special ammunition for additional damage.
The right strategy: Once the characters are equipped and the group is ready, you go into the match. There are 5 different difficulty levels to choose from. We played “Soldier,” the second difficulty, and even that was challenging.
Upon arriving on the map, it was necessary to find a clear strategy to complete the missions and stay alive:
- In round 1, we decided that one group would complete the tasks on the map while the other battled the biomass.
- In round 2, however, we ignored the biomass completely and focused entirely on the tasks.
Both strategies have their pros and cons.
If you step into this mass, enemies immediately appear at that spot. If you do not fight the biomass, it will eventually cover the entire map, and you will be attacked by enemies accordingly.
However, the mass can be destroyed by attacking its core with explosions. There are grenades, but also gas pipes on the map that can quickly put an end to it.
A life in constant fear
This is how the matches went: In the first round, I was part of the group fighting the biomass. During the first waves of enemies, it worked quite well, but eventually, we fell into a kind of ambush. The enemy masses grew larger, I panicked, separated from the group, and died.
Although dying in the game does not mean the end, it requires even more concentration from my teammates. They can revive me with found revival orbs or the entire group with the help of a large machine.
A mass resurrection also took place in our case since 3 players were already down. However, the biomass had already spread too far by then. After completing 2 out of 3 missions, we decided on a tactical retreat and evacuated the group to retain the progress.
In round 2, we completely ignored the biomass and focused on the missions. This worked well at first and allowed us to solve all 3 tasks. But eventually, the biomass trapped us and prevented a possible escape.
While we completed more missions, we could not evacuate any players. Therefore, the round was officially lost, and there was no progress for us.
What makes the game so interesting? Even though I felt completely overwhelmed in the first few minutes, The Red Solstice 2 immediately captured my interest. The tactical approach and precise communications fascinated me, even though I understood nothing at first.
However, the game also has a somewhat scary aspect:
- On the one hand, the game world is very dark, and enemies appear suddenly and unexpectedly. This and the spreading biomass create a horror effect.
- On the other hand, I constantly lived in fear of disappointing the group. The group consisted of the CEO of Ironward, 5 experienced alpha testers, and a friend and me, with both of us having no idea about the game.
I quickly got the hang of controlling my character. There is a mode where enemies are shot automatically. However, this causes little damage, consumes a lot of ammunition, and random targets are selected. The mode works well when you are still exploring the map.
However, it is better to specifically target enemies with the mouse and then eliminate them with a few shots or special attacks. Although ammunition is not scarce in the game, we found ourselves multiple times in situations where ammunition had to be shared between players.
The mutants can not only deal damage but also use special attacks to damage your suit, crippling you, disabling abilities, or restricting your vision. This also contributed to a feeling of constant threat.
Release this year, although some features are missing
What condition is the game currently in? Currently, The Red Solstice 2 is still in Alpha, and you can tell. In round 2, one mission did not work properly, and a player got stuck in a bug and had to be left behind by us.
In addition, some features are missing, as Hrvoje Horvatek told us – including:
- The complete single player
- New and varied missions in a match (currently, many play out very similarly)
- 4 of the 8 classes
- More map options
Nevertheless, the game is set to release in 2020 as a complete title. An early access like the predecessor is not planned. The game is expected to cost around 25 euros.
What happens after the release? According to Hrvoje Horvatek, after the release, free updates in the form of cosmetic and gameplay content are planned. They will bring new maps, enemies, and missions.
Additionally, The Red Solstice 2 will receive paid DLCs. Through these, you can acquire new classes and weapons for the game.
Potential: Exciting for all RTS fans
The Red Solstice 2 was a game that I had not considered at all before taking first place at gamesweekberlin. However, the first few minutes in the game were really fun, even though I would have preferred playing with a group of beginners rather than with experienced alpha testers.
The gameplay was intuitive and already in the second round, I felt useful in the group. The difficulty level of the game is high and can still be increased. Tactics fans who want to push themselves to the limit should have fun here.
The approach with different tasks per game round is interesting, as well as the tactical dropping out in the middle. This means you do not have to finish a match necessarily or win it, but can bail when it gets tight.
I have concerns about long-term motivation. Even if new maps and missions come, the game principle remains very similar. In addition, you have to like the game’s graphic style.
Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun during the playtest and look forward to both the upcoming single player and playing with friends in multiplayer.
Alexander Leitsch
Editor at MeinMMO
