Twin Stick Shooters are a staple of the indie gaming scene. This is good for me, as I love the genre, but the fact is that many of the games fall into the same tropes and conventions as all the others. Some differentiate themselves by becoming more character based, some by having a story to them, while others try something a little different. Solstice Chronicles: MIA is a Twin Stick Shooter that makes heavy use of tactical strategy. It has been done before, but somehow, the developers found a way to make it stand out. Whether its the unique environments or atmosphere, or the deeper gameplay, Solstice Chronicles: MIA manages to shine. brightly.
Story plays a much bigger role in this game than I expected, and the narrative did manage to keep me hooked for a while, but what sold me on it was the fact that you cannot rush in guns blazing. In fact, in many instances you must decide whether to attack or retreat. This is not something I’ve seen done all that much in the genre and it helped keep things fresh for me. Add into that, the skill tree and leveling elements, and you have one of the most unique twin stick shooters ever.
It is not perfect, and does get repetitive at times, and there are moments that throw you off due to a difficulty spike, but these are not big issues. Solstice Chronicles: MIA is one of the most developed and well designed twin stick shooters ever made. It manages to have a unique identity and has it without going down a path that will lead only to infamy. When I heard the premise of the game, I did not expect I would enjoy it that much, which made it a very pleasant surprise that I did.
Solstice Chronicles: MIA is a game I would recommend to all twin stick shooter fans, but also fans of action and strategy action games. You cannot go wrong with this one.
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Disclaimer: A review code was provided