Fort Solis’ story is held back by its clunky gameplay

22.08.2023 - 18:01 / polygon.com / Roger Clark

The infinite darkness of space is a canvas upon which humans frequently paint our fears. Aliens, monsters, gods all occupy space “up there” as we yearn to figure out our own sense of place “down here.” Fort Solis, a third-person linear narrative thriller, tries to tap into the tension that space is meant to evoke.

It has gorgeous graphics, impressive voice acting performances, and an interesting premise. But the game is hampered by frustrating mechanics, including the inability to run or sprint, and an over-reliance on quick-time events. Worst of all, Fort Solis’ storytelling is so linear that the player’s choices don’t seem to impact narrative outcomes at all.

In 2080, Jack Leary (voiced by Red Dead Redemption 2’s Roger Clark) is part of a two-person engineering crew on Mars. He responds to a distress beacon at a nearby mining base, the titular Fort Solis. However, no one appears to be around, and there are signs someone or something is sabotaging the base. Jack must find out what happened to the skeleton crew and what is causing the ongoing emergency.

I spent most of the game exploring the abandoned station, examining workers’ quarters, rec rooms, and various worker hubs. I found work stations abandoned, and explored greenhouses and lab stations where work seemed to have been stopped halfway through. As I wandered, I interacted with audio and video logs of the missing crew to piece together what people at the station were “really” doing and eventually what happened.

This is the most linear game I’ve played in some time. Player actions don’t appear to influence the story in any way. There are no dialogue options, decisions, or apparent moral repercussions to player input. Indeed, the game’s design didn’t really let me contribute at all outside of basic exploration during its five-hour run time.

Fort Solis is visually beautiful and well performed, at least. I loved the game’s atmosphere, particularly the gorgeous retro sci-fi aesthetic and liminal spaces the talented artists created. To add to that, the game has some stunning sound direction that often gave me goosebumps.

The main cast also pulled out all the stops. Roger Clark will live in infamy as Red Dead Redemption 2’s Arthur Morgan — and in Fort Solis, we hear his natural Irish American accent that might surprise those who are more familiar with his previous roles. Even minor characters who appear for mere seconds deserve praise for great performances. As a result, dialogue feels natural and believable.

Unfortunately, Fort Solis is also hampered by aggravating design choices. The game has no sprint or run feature. Considering how much walking is involved, this was incredibly frustrating, since Jack ambles ahead slowly. There’s no denying the