Game Review: Solar Rift

Solar Rift is a game with a cool loading screen.

See the tessellations? Those gradually get filled in as the game loads.

However, it'd be stupid to review the loading screen.

In a nutshell, Solar Rift is a two-dimensional Metroid clone.

It's got some variations-each kind of destructible block and each kind of door can only be affected by one weapon, for instance, and the weapons are, instead of stackable, fixed weapons that play into a sort of elemental wheel. (Light-missile-ice-fire-dark, if you're wondering. Yes, "missile" is an element after a fashion.) There are also special blocks that move only if you shoot them with a specific weapon. This is actually one of the most fun parts of the game, as you can hop on top of one and ride it around by shooting it. (No, in physics terms it wouldn't make sense. However, the blocks look like they're actually pieces of technology that are activated by being shot... sort of. I don't have screenshots because I'm running late and the game takes ten minutes or so to load and traveling through it takes forever.)

But like Metroid, you search for secret items, you upgrade considerably over time, the story involves searching a desolate world for ancient artifacts, and the vast majority of your enemies are nonhumanoid. It also has the same kinds of jumping puzzles as Metroid, and the same "go back and get stuff you couldn't reach before" gameplay style that made Super Metroid so popular back in the day and keeps it popular even now.

My sister remarked that if the protagonist doesn't turn out to be a girl, it will be lame.

Solar Rift has nice gameplay (mostly), good graphics, isn't too buggy, and is free. I can safely say that it will take up at least an hour of your time, and that's if you're a good speed gamer. I recommend it, especially if you're a 2D Metroid fan.

-Signing off.