Having played plenty of indie games with lackluster stealth mechanics, I was surprised at just how satisfying the stealth is in this game. Steel Seed is Storm in a Teacup Studios’ first game, and yet the Hitman DNA seeps through this indie game’s veins providing refined stealth gameplay. Basic enemies have predictable patrol patterns, making it a frustration-free experience to sneak up and stealth kill them.

I particularly enjoy baiting enemies with a sound pulse as I hide behind cover only to take them out as they approach. Each enemy encounter you have in the game supplies you with plenty of obstacles to hide behind. There’s even patches of holographic grass that fully cloaks you when you’re crouched. You unlock an ability that remotely deploys these batches of holo grass later on which becomes particularly useful in densely populated zones. And what I like is how organic the areas manage to look despite the obvious gaminess here, and that’s thanks to the fantastic level design, which we’ll get into in a bit.

"Patches of holographic grass cloaks your visibility when you’re crouched."

Of course, stealth becomes broken and frustrating if the enemy AI isn’t adequate, and in this, Steel Seed doesn’t disappoint. Enemies catch you in their line of sight if you try rushing things, alerting others in the area of your presence. You can’t just crouch back in the grass or duck behind cover and hope enemies will immediately forget and retreat. They attack you until you completely leave the area or find a good enough hiding spot like a climbable tower above their heads. The smart enemy AI really compels the player to analyze the surrounding area for adequate hiding spots and evac routes in case things go wrong.

Thankfully, it’s easy to get a broad environmental mapping of any situation. Enemies have levels of alertness, with a red exclamation mark indicating pursuit and a yellow question mark prompting them to investigate. One of the main ways to avoid enemy patrols is marking them individually with Koby’s flight mode. You also unlock a patrol path marker ability later that shows each enemy’s specific patrol route.

To top things off, Koby can scan the environment for climbable ledges and hiding spots. You really do feel like Batman with all the intel at your disposal, and that’s mostly thanks to Koby. I also really like using Koby as a kind of shoulder turret. If you’ve played games with similar mechanics, you know how satisfying having your own ranged drone attacker is. Koby gets a number of skills throughout the game. Converting enemies to my side through the hacking skill in particular never gets old.

"Each skill has a prerequisite challenge checklist in order to unlock."

Each skill has a prerequisite challenge checklist in order to unlock. Getting the Skull Piercer skill requires you to destroy 10 enemies’ weak points, for example. This is a neat way to reward skillful play and encourage exploration of the game’s various mechanics. There’s a bunch of other stealth tools at your disposal that get unlocked in the skill tree as well, so I won’t spoil them all here. But you don’t have to rely solely on your perception and stealth IQ in Steel Seed; close quarters combat is also a viable, though less enjoyable, option.

I didn’t find the combat as engaging or interesting as stealth. You’re equipped with a single neon-lit laser sword and of course your ranged drone companion Koby for turret cover. There’s no blocking or parrying in Steel Seed. Nor can you change or upgrade your weapon.

The game instead hones in on dodging and brute force. Perfect dodges are especially crucial considering the brutal amount of damage each hit sustains to Zoe. On the normal difficulty setting, two to three normal hits KO you. And with no block options, dodging is the only way to avoid getting steamrolled. Timing a perfect dodge rewards you with a follow-up heavy attack and some energy restoration, if you unlocked it on the skill tree.

"There’s no blocking or parrying in Steel Seed."

My main source of apathy regarding combat isn’t with controls or anything, but the limited amount of melee options. You have a light attack and strong attack, each with one combo, but you cannot string the two types together smoothly. There’s no light attack dash or light aerial slam attacks either, which further limits melee options.

At least the lock-on works well enough and the general movement feels responsive. While combat isn’t necessarily terrible, it does leave one wanting a bit more out of close encounters, especially since hits are incredibly punishing with little defensive kit to offset it. This is something that’s easy to look past considering the game’s enjoyable and varied stealth mechanics, but it’s still felt when caught up in those close quarters situations where there’s little else but well-timed dodges to fall back on.

Unfortunately, the foes you engage with aren’t any more interesting than your melee options. The game severely lacks in enemy variety. This first five hours has almost nothing but common patrol robots and it doesn’t get much more varied from there. There’s not too many boss fights in the game either, which I’m okay with considering the larger emphasis on stealth overshadowing pure melee encounters. It’s likely the small enemy variety is due in part to the intelligent AI given to each enemy type. They focused on quality and not quantity regarding enemy design, which I can appreciate to an extent.

"It’s a good thing the basic controls are as tight as they are since you’ll be platforming through a sizable portion of the game."

Combat variety aside, Steel Seed is just plain fun to control. Movement is snappy and Zoe’s turn radius is razer sharp. She has a double jump that gets her parkouring across the terrain with a breeze. I do wish there was a mid-air dodge, but the slick slide-to-crouch and general dodge roll suffice well enough in most situations. I can’t even complain about the camera control, which was erratic pre-patch, but has since been greatly smoothed out with its own sensitivity settings. And it’s a good thing the basic controls are as tight as they are since you’ll be platforming through a sizable portion of the game.

3D platformers are among my favorite genres, and I’ve got to say I was surprised how well Steel Seed scratched that itch. I went in expecting a slow paced stealth game, but there’s plenty here to satisfy the parkour crowd too. The monolithic subterranean robot facility you’ll be adventuring through is a platforming paradise. It’s filled to the brim with balance beams, precarious platforms, deadly gaps, wall-run panels, and towering structures with everyone’s favorite yellow paint dotting climbable ledges.

"Every area has unique visuals and challenges, providing a fresh experience all the way to the end."

There’s a good amount of environmental storytelling throughout these platforming sections too. Each process of robot manufacturing gets explored in detail with refineries glowing with red heat and intricate caves housing dark secrets. Each environment dovetails into the next in an organic way too, making the large robotic facility feel all the more immersive to journey through. Something else that impresses me is the variety between environments. I never got fatigued by any repetitiveness at all (well, except in enemy variety); every area has unique visuals and challenges, providing a fresh experience all the way to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the 3D platforming aspect of the game, so much so that it sits alongside the stealth as my favorite feature that Steel Seed exhibits. That brings me to the game’s overall structure and flow.

You see, Steel Seed isn’t strictly linear but it’s not open-world in its design either. You’re going to hate me for using the dreaded comparison, but it’s by far the closest I can think of. Steel Seed’s levels are structured in a Soulslike manner, Demon’s Souls in particular. Fast-travel checkpoints compartmentalize each of the large zones (or Nodes as the game terms it) into levels.

While there’s very little of the classic looping design from Soulslikes here, there’s plenty of secrets off the beaten path with some branching areas here and there. The fast-travel stations, called S4VI or Savi, restore health in return for respawning the area’s enemies. It’s also here where you unlock skills and save the game. The game does autosave as you go, but your only manual option is at these S4VI stations. Oh, and fast travel stations indicate the completion percentage for each level, giving completionists even more incentive to scour every nook and cranny. I found the gameplay loop of platforming and stealthing my way from one S4VI station to the next to be quite addicting and fun.

"Fast travel stations indicate the completion percentage for each level, giving completionists even more incentive to scour every nook and cranny."

There’s also a hub area that you return to after retrieving each game’s major plot shards. Interestingly enough, the hub is home to a piano minigame. If you’ve played Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, you’ll instantly recognize the interface and function as it’s practically identical. Although there’s no sheet music to play to, you can play basic melodies using scales and chords and even alter the pitch range. Currently, the chords don’t show notation for anything outside of basic major and minor harmonies, and the F note is always sharped for some reason, but it’s a cool music minigame nonetheless.

Anyway, once you’re done tinkering the ivories, you’ll notice that the hub acts as the home for a majority of the game’s plot and progression. Your core objective throughout the game is retrieving four shards to bring your dad, and the future of humanity, back from a devastating cataclysm. While the hub provides a lot of the core plot progression, there’s more to be found through exploration. Data journals are scattered across levels helping shed more light on the massive facility and its history.

Being that this is a post-cataclysmic setting, there’s not a ton of plot advancement throughout the game. You’re retrieving the four McGuffins to save humanity and that’s largely the gist of it. I appreciate the simplistic plot device because the game does a good job filling out the background lore of Zoe’s scientist dad and his managing of the facility well. And despite being a post-cataclysm, the journey doesn’t feel totally silent or lonely either. Zoe and her droid companion banter and interact throughout the game in an endearing way that didn’t grate or irritate me.

The voice acting is good across the board and never felt out of place or overdone either. From a gameplay perspective though, the forced walking sequences during exposition and character reactions slow things down to a crawl, and the real bummer? There’s no way to skip them. I’d much rather have traditional skippable cutscenes than unskippable slow walk sequences, especially since many of them are placed right before a tough battle or parkour sequence where reloads are sure to occur due to a mistake or five.

"The forced walking sequences during exposition and character reactions slow things down to a crawl."

I’ve got to say, I’m thoroughly surprised by Steel Seed. It’s a very competent stealth action platformer from a new indie studio. The atmosphere and level design is awe-inspiring at times and the moment to moment action feels great thanks to responsive controls and fun stealth mechanics. More melee options would’ve helped vary the gameplay up a lot, but it’s serviceable as is. If you’re looking to scratch that stealth action itch, or someone who’s desperately clinging to anything resembling 3D platforming collectathons, like me, Steel Seed comes highly recommended.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Post-cataclysmic world

A more vivid descriptor than commonplace post-apocalypses, in Steel Seed you’ll navigate through the carcass of a planet-sized mega-factory, a world developers Storm in a Teacup describe as post-cataclysmic. See, a catastrophic event has left humanity on the brink of distinction, and with Earth uninhabitable machines sought control of the last remnants of humanity’s survival. Their AI-dominated underground facility is vast, haunting, and evocative, with towering industrial landscapes and eerie biodomes the venues for a narrative said to explore what it means to be human.

Drone companion – Koby’s flight mode

You awaken as Zoe, a human survivor within a robotic body. With no prior memory, Zoe’s journey becomes one of self-discovery (plus the overarching goal to find her father) but throughout her mission she’s accompanied by Koby, a prototype drone who can assist her in numerous ways. By entering Koby’s flight mode, Zoe can analyse surroundings, scan for paths and throughways, and interact with the environment such as flicking out-of-reach switches and engaging with mechanisms.

Stealth gameplay

Steel Seed is a stealth-action adventure, with regular stealth staples like shadows, distractions, and the environment key to successfully sneaking around. Numerous approaches to stealth can be adopted too, with the game not imposing one specific way to tackle an area stalked by numerous enemies. If you decide not to engage, you can crouch-walk Zoe through patches of holographic long grass. However, silent takedowns are, of course, present, with flashy kills possible from above, behind, and below. Stealth gameplay here resembles more of a sandbox style, with Storm in a Teacup founder and Steel Seed game director Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi bringing in expertise gleaned from formerly working on the Hitman series.

Using Koby for stealth

Observing enemy patrol patterns is a tried and tested method for a stealthy approach, and whilst we’ve already touched on Koby’s ability to scan the environment it’s worth repeating here that whilst assessing the lay of the land ahead Koby can add tags to multiple targets that’re visible to both the drone and Zoe. Knowing when and where your enemies will walk gives rise to silent takedowns or complete evasion. That holographic grass we mentioned: Koby can learn skills such as the ability to drop patches of said digital grass for areas that don’t have enough cover.

Parkour and platforming

In this sprawling subterranean facility parkour and 3D platforming are the principal means in which Zoe can get about. So, leaping over gaps, grabbing handholds, balancing over ledges, wall running, leaping to yet more handholds – all adorned with typical yellow paint – is the name of the game, and whilst all these classic parkour manoeuvres aren’t strictly unique to Steel Seed it’s this machine-built world – a facility designed for machines, not humans – which will provide unusual hazards and layouts, distinct interest in 3D platforming.

Dynamic combat

As per its Steam page, in Steel Seed you’ll “face off against various enemy types and challenging bosses, each with unique abilities”. Now, we haven’t seen much in the way of enemy variety in official gameplay footage shared thus far, but during an interview with publisher ESDigital Games’ brand manager Ilia Svanidze she spoke of Zoe encountering turrets, dual knife wielding Stalkers, and hulking Brutes in addition to weaker, simpler patrolling robots. When cover is blown and fighting becomes inevitable, Zoe has access to light and heavy attacks which utilise her glow-in-the-dark neon blade. Enemy blows are extremely powerful, so dodging also proves integral the flow of combat.

Perfect dodge

If players can dodge an enemy attack at the precise time, then they’ll execute a Perfect Dodge which will allow Zoe to unleash a special attack which deals an immense amount of damage. Perfect dodges emit a vibrant pulse of pixelated light, with the example shown via official gameplay of Zoe then barrel-rolling over the top of a lurching enemy, her neon blade scything through their servos like a hot knife through butter. Fingers crossed there’re heaps of special attack animations as perfect dodging seems like the most satisfactory method of wiping out Zoe’s enemies.

Using Koby in combat

Drone companion Koby isn’t just useful for scanning the environment. No, his front-mounted cannon makes him a useful sidekick during battle too. His firepower can be aimed squarely at an enemy’s weak points which provides a momentary stun in addition to dealing damage. Koby’s ranged attack capabilities extend to environmental objects too, in particular explosive barrels which can be shot from afar to blast multiple enemies to scrap.

Upgradeable abilities

During battle, Zoe and Koby will gain XP which can be ploughed straight into skill trees. Zoe possesses two skill trees whilst Koby has one and encompassing all three is a vast selection of passive abilities and primary skills and it’ll be up to players how they distribute their XP. It’s been stated that skill trees cannot be completed during a single playthrough, so players will need to consider which abilities they wish to unlock. In total there are forty skills available, with some examples being damage bonuses, cannon unlocks for Koby, or abilities to scan further into the environment.

Notable ability – hacking

One ability that has been prominently highlighted during official gameplay is the ability for Koby to hack enemies, so during one of Zoe’s silent takedowns instead of slicing her robot enemy in half Koby will visually scan the enemies head to presumably reprogram them to fight alongside the pair. It’s only a temporary switching of allegiance for the robot, but as demonstrated in gameplay this hacking ability will prove especially fruitful during encounters where Zoe is overwhelmed. The hacked robot will kill their allies, but furthermore provide a useful distraction for Koby to unleash his ranged firepower, or for Zoe to escape the situation entirely.

Secrets and hidden areas

Steel Seed is not an open world. Instead, missions are linear in design but each biome harbours numerous secrets, hidden areas, and multiple paths through. It’ll be down to Zoe and Koby to identify these secret areas, with collectibles the reward for scouring levels clean. These collectibles include audio logs and documents, items which will flesh out the game world to provide backstory on how the tragic events of humanity’s capitulation occurred. Locating hidden areas will be integral to understanding Steel Seed’s story to the fullest.

Thought-provoking sci-fi narrative

And to that end, Steel Seed is promising a thought-provoking sci-fi narrative which will have players considering the significance of humanity, of the perils of technology, of trust, resilience, control, and despair. This isn’t simply going to be a tale of survival but a meaningful journey whereby a deep and compelling narrative propels players through.

The publisher and developer both explain the delay as being required because the development teams have faced some technical hurdles. While the announcement doesn’t go too deep into these hurdles, they are seemingly related to platform adaptation related to certification tests that studios have to run on their game for a console release.

“Since the game’s announcement, your excitement has been truly inspiring, and we know how much you’ve been looking forward to a deep dive into a dark sci-fi future on all platforms,” wrote ESDigital Games head of marketing Ilia Svanidze in a statement announcing the delay.

“That’s why we want to be completely open with you: We encountered some technical hurdles related to platform adaptation when running our platform certification tests. Rather than rushing the console release and risking a potentially substandard console user experience that requires swift patching, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to delay the launch.”

Svanidze also explained that the studio will be using the extra time it is getting from the delay to further polish all versions of the game.

“Our goal is to ensure that all players, regardless of platform, enjoy a polished and seamless experience,” wrote Svanidze. “We are committed to delivering the ebst possible experience for our players. This additional time will allow us to optimise and polish all versions for launch, so they meet the standard we know you deserve.”

While Steel Seed is seeing a slight delay, as caught by WCCFTech, the game’s store listing on Steam has also been updated, revealing the required PC specs to play the game. The requirements for the game are quite modest, all things considered.

The minimum CPU required for Steel Seed is an Intel i7-3770K 3.,50 GHz or AMD equivalent CPU, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, Intel Arc 580 or AMD equivalent GPU. The recommended specs bumps this up slightly to an Intel Core i7 6700K 4.0 GHz or AMD equivalent CPU, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070, Intel Arc 770 or an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT GPU.

Aside from these, Steel Seed will also require players to run on Windows 10 or 11, and requires 16 GB of RAM and 50 GB of storage space.

Leading up to its release later this month, Steel Seed recently got a trailer that gave us a solid look at the opening few minutes of gameplay. In the trailer, protagonist Zoe and her robotic companion KOBY had to platform, sneak and fight their way through a collapsing industrial building as they try and figure out what is happening around them.

The title was originally announced all the way back in June 2023 during the Future Games Show of the time with a trailer.

Looks like it’s our turn to post the Square Image Of Doom, so let’s get this over with quickly, yeah?

We’re moving Steel Seed’s launch date to April 22 due to a few technical hurdles related to consoles.

No, it’s not an April Fools joke (though we’d much rather liked it to be… pic.twitter.com/4b9LfebtUS

— ESDigital Games (@ESDigital_Games) April 1, 2025

The trailer kicks things off by showing us a scene from what appears to be quite early in the game, with protagonist Zoe still lying in what seems to be some sort of medical bed. We also get to see Zoe’s robotic companion, KOBY, getting switched on as it flies around looking for Zoe.

Through KOBY’s perspective, we get to see the sci-fi grungy industrial vibes that Steel Seed seems to be going for. KOBY flies through what appears to be the between-the-wall maintenance spaces of an industrial building of some sort, complete with broken wires and other giant robots flying around. Ultimately, we get to see what appears to be the first time Zoe and KOBY meet.

The gameplay parts of the trailer starts off by showcasing some of the platforming capabilities that players will have in the shoes of Zoe. Along with more traditional moves like being able to climb up ledges, Zoe is also equipped with some sort of rocket thrusters in her boots that allow her to double-jump in order to cross wider gaps.

After spending some time with the game’s platforming mechanics and level design, things quickly start going wrong and an intense chase sequence ensues. Shortly after this, we get our first proper look at the title’s stealth mechanics and combat. When sneaking up on an enemy, Zoe will be able to destroy the enemy in a single hit.

Facing off against an enemy head-on leads to combat, which appears to be taking some cues from Soulslike RPGs. Zoe is seemingly equipped with a light attack and a heavy attack, and players can mix and match these to come up with more devastating combos. Zoe also has the ability to dodge enemy attacks, with more precise dodges being rewarded with what looks like a powerful follow-up attack.

Generally speaking, the extended gameplay trailer for Steel Seed appears to showcase the title’s early sections with essentially zero edits. We get to see the set up for the story, as well as what look like levels designed to be tutorials that will allow players to slowly come to terms with Zoe’s various abilities. After an extended stealth section where Zoe takes out several enemies with sneak attacks, the trailer ends at what looks like the beginning of a boss fight.

Steel Seed was originally unveiled all the way back in June 2023’s Future Games Show with a trailer. The game takes place in a distant future, with humanity having brought the planet to the brink of destruction through ceaseless industry. The game is being developed using Unreal Engine 5. While its original release date was slated for a 2024 window, the game has since been delayed to April 10. It is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Built on Unreal Engine 5, Steel Seed is a science fiction stealth action game that’s set in the distant future, where the planet has been driven to the brink of destruction by humans, who’re now nearly extinct, with AI having taken over to protect what remains of the world. The game is promising gorgeous sci-fi environments, a variety of tactical stealth options, a fast-paced combat systems, flexible progression mechanics, and more. Check out the announcement trailer below.

Steel Seed is due out sometime in 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

First person narrative adventure titles aren’t easy to pull off and while Storm in a Teacup’s Close to the Sun isn’t a masterpiece, it did offer something different from the norm. If you haven’t had the chance to experience the title, then it will be coming to PC via Steam and GOG later today. Check out the new launch trailer below.

Close to the Sun takes place in an alternate 19th century setting and focuses on Rose. After receiving a letter from her sister Ada, Rose travels to the massive ship Helios to unravel the mysteries that lay within. As players board the ship, it’s clear that whatever experiment its scientists were working on has gone horribly wrong.

Releasing first for PC exclusively on the Epic Games Store last year, Close to the Sun eventually came to Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. So those who held off on purchasing it for Steam will finally get their chance to play. You can check out our review here for more details.

It’s a new week of free games on the Epic Games Store. This week’s offerings include Frogwares’ Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments and Storm in a Teacup’s Close to the Sun. Both games will be available until April 16th, 8 AM PT so grab them now while you can. An Epic Games account will be needed along with downloading the launcher to play them.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is a pretty good mystery game where one’s decisions can influence each case’s ending. Even better is the fact that there are multiple solutions with plenty of intense investigative gameplay. As for Close to the Sun, it’s a first person mystery title with an aesthetic and setting akin to BioShock except with Nikola Tesla. What’s not to like?

Next week’s free games are Avalanche Studios’ Just Cause 4 and Santa Ragione’s Wheels of Aurelia. The former is an action open world title that’s also available on PlayStation Now and features much of the same chaos that’s defined the series. The latter is a narrative game about two women leaving Italy with dialogue choices influencing the ending. Stay tuned next week for when they go live.

Storm in a Teacup’s first person thriller Close to the Sun will be coming to consoles next month. It will be available digitally and physically on October 29th for Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Publisher Wired Productions is providing a Collector’s Edition for $98.66, which can currently be pre-ordered and has a 1000 copy print run planned.

The Collector’s Edition includes a bevy of extras, from a 48 page hardback art book to a seven inch vinyl record of the main theme song by Porcelain Pill. A physical copy of the game is provided along with a bonus digital PC version which can be redeemed on the Epic Games Store. All of tis is wrapped up in an Art Deco FuturePAK metal case.

Close to the Sun launched for PC earlier this year and takes places in an alternative 19th century setting. Players take on the role of Rose who journeys to the Helios, constructed by inventory Nikola Tesla, at the behest of her sister Ada. Of course, things have gone awry aboard the ship and it’s Rose’s job to set them right. Check out GamingBolt’s official review of the game here.

Storm in a Teacup’s first person adventure title Close to the Sun will be heading to the Nintendo Switch later this year. The developer announced the same in a new trailer, along with showcasing how the game would look on the hybrid platform. Check it out for yourself below.

Close to the Sun takes place in an alternative 19th century onboard the Helios, a large sea vessel for scientists and other visionaries. A journalist, Rose, receives an invitation from her sister to board the ship but suddenly comes across a number of strange occurrences. It isn’t long before inter-dimensional horrors and other hijinks emerge.

Developed on Unreal Engine 4, Close to the Sun is already available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The PC version is exclusive to the Epic Games Store currently. You can read our official review of the game here, where we praised its visuals and atmosphere, but ultimately found the gameplay to be wanting. Stay tuned for a concrete release date in the future.

"The gameplay is pretty straightforward, amounting to little more than pressing a few buttons, picking up scraps and figuring out where to go next."

On board the Helios, Rose is greeted with devastation. “Quarantine” is written on various walls in blood. Though her sister wrote the letter inviting her on-board, she claims to have done no such thing. Over time, it becomes clear that time travel, fueled by the science team’s desire to exploit the “One Electron” theory and harvest energy from alternate dimensions, is involved. Everything goes awry, murderous things make it through and people die. Your job is to meet up with Ada while avoiding the machinations of the mysterious Tesla and the murderous psychos on-board the Helios.

At its core, Close to the Sun is an adventure game with an aesthetic that embodies the beautifully ruined architecture of BioShock’s Rapture. Gorgeous statues are awash with warnings about the circle needing to be broken. Documents, passports, pictures and notes are strewn about the environment, inviting you to learn more about the poor souls on-board. There are corpses everywhere when the various rooms and hallways aren’t eerily deserted (save for the hazy after-images of those on-board). Several characters start out as voices in your receiver, offering instructions, cryptic warnings and insane ramblings aplenty.

Don’t get me wrong though – these aren’t the same games by any means. Instead of a first person shooter with RPG elements and complex systems controlling the inhabitants, Close to the Sun is more about exploration and puzzle solving. It’s about delving into this ruined mess of a ship and deciphering its puzzles while keeping all arms and legs mostly inside the ride at all times. The gameplay is pretty straightforward, amounting to little more than pressing a few buttons, picking up scraps and figuring out where to go next.

"Close to the Sun just feels like it’s scratching at the surface of its premise."

Here’s the thing – I enjoy creeping around the Helios, taking in the atmosphere, the minimal sounds and ruined sights of disaster. The lighting and texture work is spot on, showcasing the spic and span of ornate statues as well as the bloody remains of various individuals. Picking up various newspapers and notes to learn about potential spies sent by Edison conveyed the level of paranoia and tension that was no doubt apparent at the time. For all my not wanting to believe that Tesla could be so vain and narcissistic, I still found his own personal museum to be a treat. Tesla made a Death Ray and called it as such because it works as a preventive measure that no nation would want to go up against.

So clearly there are some nut-jobs aboard this floating disaster. Aubrey is perhaps the best example – he works in maintenance and requires Ada’s help to escape. He’s your main door opening guy and plays a key role in many of the set pieces, like when you’re escaping the crazed knife-wielding Ludwig to board a rail car. If it all sounds a bit too convenient – Aubrey’s assistance, Rose’s communication, Tesla’s shadiness – it just might be and the air of mystery is very well maintained despite this. The horror tones don’t really delve much deeper than providing gruesome scenes of the macabre. Honestly, there’s not much deeper meaning overall to this story.

I can see how that would appeal to some players, especially those who want a nice atmospheric adventure without being too inundated in philosophy. However, Close to the Sun just feels like it’s scratching at the surface of its premise. Though the gameplay isn’t strictly on-rails, like when searching for codes and figuring out how to progress forward, it’s pretty linear for the most part. Many doors are locked and prevent you from exploring the detailed environments, which basically amounts to them being pretty movie sets. Certain routes are strategically blocked to funnel you into specific paths.

"Close to the Sun a nice retro sci-fi tale to pick up and lose yourself in for a couple of hours before it eventually fades into memory."

While a linear experience without too much freedom can provide for excellent story-telling and characterization, Close to the Sun is just…fine on those counts. The characters themselves, aside from perhaps Aubrey (whose insane antics include using his dead friend’s arm as a backscratcher) and Tesla at times, aren’t especially appealing. I don’t really feel the sisterly dynamic between Ada and Rose all that much, mostly due to the script and voice acting. Again, this isn’t to say that either is terribly enacted but it doesn’t really drive much of the desperation to venture forth like it should. Throw in some rather stiff controls, whether it’s trying to precisely press some buttons or hopping and skipping away from danger, and Close to the Sun really doesn’t stand out on the gameplay front either.

Though it didn’t really enthuse me, the experience wasn’t a huge disappointment either. Close to the Sun a nice retro sci-fi tale to pick up and lose yourself in for a couple of hours before it eventually fades into memory. Fans of BioShock hoping for an equally compelling story here should be advised to watching more gameplay before taking the plunge. For everyone else, there are several other atmospheric, moody, horror and whatever other genre of adventure you could think of worth recommending over Close to the Sun. It doesn’t fly too close to wing-melting degrees of success as it does eye them from a safe distance.

This game was reviewed on PC.