Void Sols Review (Steam)

Rating: 8
Author: Jim Smale

by Jim Smale · November 29, 2024

Void Sols Review, A vast, twisting maze stretches out ahead, steeped in shadow. Enemies lurk behind every corner, but you must fight to survive. If you die, you have no choice but to try again. And again. And again. Death is just a lesson in the geometric gloom. Explore a top-down world as a lowly triangle, and take down powerful angular enemies and bosses as you venture through minimalist surroundings full of secrets. On your quest to liberate a subjugated world, you will face off against sword-wielding grunts, tricksy arrow-flinging fiends, and brutal boss fights that will test your resolve.

Void Sols Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
1.51GB Download size.
Steam achievements.
Full controller support.
Graphics settings – resolution, quality preset, fullscreen, bloom intensity, film grain intensity, and lens distortion intensity.
Difficult preset slider.
Controller settings – dead zone sliders, cursor speed, auto lock on, and controller disconnect pause.
Accessibility options – disable Sol loss on death, damage is taken/dealt, and stamina sliders, enhance visibility, screen effects on hurt, health and stamina effects, toggle interact hold, screenshake, disable flickering visuals, and font readability including a dyslexic option.
You can remap the controls.
Pop-up tutorials as you play, you can re-read them within the menus.
Light sparks are found and used to heal you, change equipment, restore potions, and are used as a respawn point. It also respawns enemies.
Light plays a major part in the game it only illuminates rooms you are in (small areas around you), and lighting torches can help.
Breakable objects cover the world and can drop items.
The stamina bar is used for combat and dashing.
Hack and slash combat with you needing to learn enemy patterns.
Top-down 2D game world.
Very stylish game with bright colors and a fantastic level design.
You and the enemies are ships in different shapes etc.
Very addictive with its movement and combat style.
Earn exp and level up to get points to put into your stats at Ligh Sparks.
You can kite enemies around and use the environment to your advantage.
It’s going for the Dark Souls-like combat and gameplay loop.
The game world is very minimalist yet some how feels deep and full of secrets.
It’s a game regardless of experience with the genre you can jump into amd get to grips with.
It’s awesome that they were able to capture and in most cases amplify the tension and sense of dread as you never know what is coming.
It’s possible to create a build of a character so everyone will have different experiences.
Sols drop from enemies and certain actions and items.
When you die you have one life to get back to them before they are gone forever.
Bank Sols at a Light Spark and use them to level up your stats.
You can stun enemies, along with other ailments.
Once you nail combat it really is brutally majestic.
Collect map pieces to uncover the map and also show any items hidden in the world.
You can Farm Sols.
Play how you want.
Breakable objects covering the world.
I love the big bright text pop-ups saying you can level up at the next light spark.
Very difficult.
Puzzles are in the game.
Unlock and equip secondary weapons.
As with games like this, you can discover and unlock shortcuts.
Despite the difficulty and minimalist approach, this game is highly addictive and fun to play.
Your load-out consists of primary and secondary weapons, an artifact, and a relic.
Line of sight is a big deal and can break aggro.
Character builds are surprisingly deep with all the items, gear, and stats.
Shields can let you bollock damage but also time blocks to parry and stun your enemy.
Massive boss battle encounters.
In-game cutscenes.

Void Sols Review Cons:

Menus are controlled with the stick acting like a mouse which is not always ideal.
Learning the combat only takes time as drawing and using your weapon is not immediate and you need to learn the timings.
Minimal graphic settings.
The cursor keeps resetting to the side of the screen when changing the menu or if the loading screens come up.
It’s more a minor annoyance but you cannot equip any weapons or items in the game world and instead have to goto a light spark.
At times it’s so tough to see the world or enemies.
You cannot pause the game.

Void Sols:

Official website.

Developer: Finite Reflection

Publisher: Modern Wolf

Store Links –

Steam

8/10

Graphics - 8/10
8/10

Sound - 8/10
8/10

Accessibility - 8/10
8/10

Length - 8/10
8/10

Fun Factor - 8/10

8/10

Summary

Void Sols offers a visually appealing experience with decent graphics and a manageable 1.51GB download size. The game supports Steam achievements and full controller functionality, enhancing the overall gameplay. Players can adjust various graphics settings, including resolution, quality presets, fullscreen mode, bloom intensity, film grain intensity, and lens distortion intensity. The game also features a difficulty preset slider and comprehensive controller settings, such as dead zone sliders, cursor speed, auto lock-on, and controller disconnect pause. Accessibility options are robust, allowing players to disable Sol loss on death, adjust damage taken/dealt and stamina sliders, enhance visibility, and toggle various screen effects. The controls are fully re mappable, and pop-up tutorials are available throughout the game, which can be re-read in the menus.

The gameplay revolves around light sparks, which are used for healing, changing equipment, restoring potions, and serving as respawn points. Light plays a crucial role, illuminating only the rooms you are in and allowing players to light torches for better visibility. The game world is filled with breakable objects that can drop items, and the stamina bar is essential for combat and dashing. The hack-and-slash combat requires players to learn enemy patterns, and the top-down 2D game world is stylish with bright colors and fantastic level design. Both the player and enemies are represented as ships in various shapes, adding to the game’s unique aesthetic. The movement and combat style are highly addictive, and players can earn experience points to level up and allocate points to their stats at light sparks.

“Void Sols” aims for a Dark Souls-like combat and gameplay loop, with a minimalist yet deep game world full of secrets. The game is accessible to players of all experience levels, capturing and amplifying tension and dread as players never know what to expect. Character builds are customizable, allowing for varied experiences, and Sols, which drop from enemies and certain actions, can be banked at light sparks to level up stats. Players can stun enemies and inflict other ailments, and once combat is mastered, it becomes brutally majestic. The game includes map pieces to uncover hidden items, and players can farm Sols and play according to their preferences. The bright text pop-ups indicating level-up opportunities at light sparks are a nice touch.

Despite its many strengths, “Void Sols” has some drawbacks. The game is very difficult, with puzzles and massive boss battles adding to the challenge. The minimalist approach can make it tough to see the world or enemies at times, and the game cannot be paused. Menus are controlled with the stick acting like a mouse, which is not always ideal, and the cursor resets to the side of the screen when changing menus or during loading screens. Additionally, players cannot equip weapons or items in the game world and must go to a light spark to do so. However, the game’s addictive nature, deep character builds, and engaging combat make it a highly enjoyable experience.