The Red Solstice

The Red Solstice for PC is a dynamic tactical strategy taking place in a science-fiction universe. The game is mainly oriented towards cooperative multiplayer matches. The title was developed by Ironward, an independent Croatian studio, while Polish company, IMGN.PRO was a publisher. Ironward were inspired by games such as StarCraft, XCOM, and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War.

Plot

The action takes place in distant future, in the year 117 After Earth. This strange epoch refers to an event – a pandemic of a powerful virus which had decimated the humanity. The survivors moved to Mars, and settled a few colonies around the planet. One day, following a communication loss, an elite squad of space marines is sent to Tharsis. It turns out that the colony was taken over by hordes of monsters, while an incredibly powerful storm called The Red Solstice is slowly approaching Tharsis.

Mechanics

Each session in The Red Solstice lasts about an hour. Most of the time, the eight-person team is tasked with fighting hordes of beasts, accomplishing certain objectives, and evacuating safely after that. Along the way, the soldiers have to gather resources and various items (weaponry, ammunition, medkits, explosives, etc.) and survive increasingly ferocious attacks, using the gathered supplies to e.g. build fortifications. It may turn out that the gameplay model presented above has changed – for example, in Fortification mode, where the players have to defend the transmitter against enemy forces.

The Red Solstice for PC requires fast thinking and constant cooperation from the whole team. We can choose from eight classes, including assault, heavy support, recon, marksman, medic, and demolition specialist. To combat repetitiveness, many elements are randomly generated – this mainly affects the locations of resources and enemies, and the type of loot and encountered enemies.

Both singleplayer and multiplayer modes offer a story campaign. Multiplayer campaign tells a story of two separated squads – Unit Black Light and Unit Night Fighter – while lone players are left with a set of 14 missions which are also divided between two main subplots. The singleplayer story is oriented around certain characters which are expanded upon in the course of the story, allowing us to get to know them better and create a bond. As mentioned earlier, the title is cooperation-oriented, so finding other players to play with is recommended (in both single, as well as multiplayer games).

Technical Aspects

The visuals in The Red Solstice aren’t breathtaking, but the game still looks alright, considering rather modest budget. Interestingly enough, Ironward used their own engine, based on OpenGL.

Last updated on December 21, 2016