Solasta II Preview
If you’re a fan of turn-based RPGs, you must be pinching yourself right about now. We’re definitely in a golden age of the genre and the good times are in no danger of fading any time soon. A great example of the fun to come is Tactical Adventures’ sequel to their hit TRPG, Solasta: Crown of the Magister. Solasta II is just around the corner and promises to be a more polished and even better experience.
When I was in Tor Wen
I had the chance to attend a hands-on presentation by the developers and then play a couple of hours of Solasta II’s upcoming Steam Fest demo. I enjoyed the first game. Unfortunately, some of its gameplay goodness was undercut by a tepid story and lackluster presentation. Not so with Solasta II. I can’t speak to the overarching narrative yet but the game is, for starters, a huge visual upgrade.
In the demo, I guided a pre-rolled party of four adventurers through a handful of combat scenarios and narrative beats. The quartet of heroes showcased the game’s races — Human, Halfling, Elf, Dwarf — paired with some iconic fantasy RPG classes. I got to examine the quaint Celtic-inspired village of Tor Wen, talk to the locals, explore the countryside, and start to dive into the story. There was obviously a clash of cultures and ideologies going on, as well as the threat of a destructive dragon to deal with.
Visuals aren’t everything, but Solasta II is a much better-looking game than the 2021 original. Characters and landscapes are impressively more detailed and have an attractive, slightly stylized look. The environments made me think of intricately crafted dioramas. Character models in cut scenes have more lifelike and expressive animations and quality voice acting. From the town to the beaches and ancient-looking ruins, it felt like an interesting — and genuinely living — world worth exploring.
Ruling Class
Solasta: Crown of the Magister was widely praised for its authentic implementation of the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition ruleset. Once again, playing Solasta feels like a tabletop session of D and D come to life. This of course comes through in its many dialogue options filled with different approaches, skill checks, and outcomes. It also shines through in combat.
The demo had a few combat scenarios to try out and saved the game and played through them several times to try out my party’s various skills and weapons. While I had no control over my Fighter-Cleric, Rogue, Sorcerer, or Paladin’s initial creation or skillsets, they were all viable and synergized well. Depending on the enemies and situation, some were obviously more prepared than others. For instance, the Rogue wasn’t great in situations with multiple, mobile enemies but the Sorcerer shone.
As in most TRPGs, combat is deliberate and thoughtful. Using either controller or keyboard and mouse it was easy to move and position characters and make hopefully good tactical decisions. There were a few small technical hiccups in the demo but that’s to be expected of a game not even yet in Early Access.
Worth the Wait
2021’s Solasta: Crown of the Magister was full of promise, with its excellent implementation of the 5th Edition SND. Whatever rough edges the first game had seem to have been addressed by the sequel, which already looks and sounds better, and plays like a tabletop RPG fan’s dream. TRPGs like Solasta II are always big and ambitious, so there’s a lot to look forward to. Solasta II heads into Early Access in 2025.
Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.
