[First Impression] Red Solstice 2: Survivors, Intense Survival Strategy!

Behind our actually low interest in strategy-based games, there was a moment in the past when games like this were the main entertainment. Stronghold Crusader to Command & Conquer: Red Alert are just some of the titles we loved so much. If we get the opportunity to try out a similar game then we will gladly accept it with open arms. We just happened to get this opportunity some time ago after getting exclusive access to playing Red Solstice 2: Survivors.

Present as a sequel to the strategy game The Red Solstice which was released in 2015, this game promises a more exciting and tense tactical real-time playing experience. Because the access to play that we get is still limited to the initial demo version, expectations and assessments for it can be a little tolerable, at least until we can try out the final version later which will be released on 17 June at Steam.
Rather than linger, here is a summary of our early impressions for Red Solstice 2: Survivors!

More Solid Strategy Gameplay

When we enter into the gameplay, the initial impression we get is the presentation aspect which is similar to the popular RTS game StarCraft, including the gameplay operation. You need to use the mouse to click and move the character and attack enemies around the battlefield, which can also involve more exciting action with the Class Skills of the warrior character you control. So even though at first glance there are clear similarities, it won’t take long until you notice a strong difference as well.

During the course of the game you only need to control one soldier, which in the early part of your task is to collect reinforcements in the form of additional soldiers who follow the command. If you have got several soldiers, you can give various orders that play an important role in managing the strategy of combat power. Each soldier has weapons and stats that can be strengthened as the game progresses, and they are also divided into several classes such as marksman, healer (must have at least one) and many more.

The battles in this game involve fighting between squads of tough space warriors against the alien race STROL. This game provides the option of two shooting modes while in the middle of combat action, namely manual and sentry. Manually controlling the shot has many advantages, such as higher attack power and long range of sight, but with a note that you need to be able to aim with precision.

While the sentry mode allows your character to attack automatically, the attack range is only limited in a much smaller circle. Although practical, later there will be many moments where the number of enemies coming from various directions will explode and can penetrate the sentry mode defense. This is indeed very dangerous, because the character you play can die easily in just a few fatal attacks.

Customization also plays a very important role in maximizing the combat power of your character. In this game you are offered with a fairly complete character upgrade option. The options it offers already include default weapons, support and defense components that can be further customized with additional skills. Besides being able to provide extra abilities that are more varied, but also can have an effect on the active skills that your character uses. So before starting the battle, it’s a good idea for you to prepare weapons, equipment and also a variety of skills that are considered most suitable for the battle scenario that must be faced. But be careful, because there are also skills that have reciprocal effects such as the use of grenades with AOE attacks that can injure teammates.

We also feel the need to discuss the weapon options in this game which are divided into two types, namely primary and secondary weapons. Interestingly, the backup weapon that you can use has a higher attack power, it’s just that you need to shoot it manually without auto aim. Each weapon has a very precise and non-stackable bullet capacity. This means that if there are still bullets left in one magazine that you don’t shoot until you reload, then the remaining bullets will be wasted and not added to the remaining bullets you still have. If you have run out of bullets, the remaining option is to fight with your bare hands and use special skills to eradicate the enemy.

Mission Flow to Features Offered

The main mission in Red Solstice 2: Survivors moves in a linear fashion, where you have to pass through an area to reach a certain position at the end of the map. During this journey you will be faced with many intense battles that can threaten the lives of the squad at any time, but at the same time there are also many distractions such as sources to look for valuable materials such as ammunition bags, automatic turrets and many more. Hunting for materials is a very important activity, especially in multiplayer mode, because the stock of ammunition and equipment you can carry will never be enough to face the dangers that lie in the way.

After completing the mission, you will be thrown back on the World Map screen that provides access to find resources or create new equipment. Any action you take in this menu will affect the in-game time for several days. Even if you delay the course of the battle mission, the world infection of the STROL alien race will grow fiercer and affect the difficulty level as well. To add an extra challenge, there is also an alien race invasion status with progress which if it reaches 100%, then humanity will be declared to have perished.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be depressed or worried about the fatal consequences, because from your playing experience the level of difficulty in this game is still quite friendly. This is also thanks to the features that allow you to go on expeditions to increase resources and strengthen weapons, including character customization which is quite complex and includes team strength synergies as well.

Conclusion

Overall, Red Solstice 2: Survivors is a game that is indeed quite fun and at least enough to evoke nostalgic memories for us when we were still active in this genre. Of course, because it is still limited to the initial demo version with considerable limitations, we have not been able to see the full potential that it is trying to offer such as how unique each character class variation and equipment options are provided. Although playing the game solo isn’t that difficult, we can’t give the same guarantee when trying to bring in a full squad of friends which of course demands a lot of co-operation and can be quite difficult to adapt in the beginning.

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