What we think
Solarix is a dark, moody stealth horror game that tries to mix elements from early Thief games, System Shock and Dead Space. It does this by throwing an amnesiac into a space station patrolled by infected remnants of his former crew, telling him he doesn't have much choice other than to take his chances in the dark.
It's an excellent example of how a creepy setting can overpower you with unease, insecurity and desperation. And, like all good horror games, it doesn't rely on jump scare tactics or a constant stream of noise to get you going - instead, the audio drenchs you in an atmosphere that leaves you wondering whether you really are alone or not.
Sadly, though, the design is a bit too faithful to its source material - it's not hard to fall into a trap of getting stuck behind a box or something else you can't hide from and have to reload if you want to escape. In addition, there's a lot of hacking and sneaking required in Solarix that can become very fiddly and frustrating.
Sound and Graphics
Solarix's graphics are decent but they lack the technical muscle of games like 1999's System Shock 2. Thankfully, there are some genuine eerie sounds and ambient music to help drench you in darkness, and it's easy enough to find something scary even when the enemies aren't doing anything unexpected.
The story is a bit thin and there's nothing particularly new here, but it's an engaging one that rewards patience with collectible audio logs and radio conversations revealing the story's connections. There's also a small amount of combat to keep you busy, and it's all surprisingly fun.
