Fort Solis: Everything We Know

1 year ago 97

Fallen Leaf Studios and Black Drakkar Games have come together to collaborate on Fort Solis, an all-new sci-fi survival horror game starring Troy Baker (The Last of Us) and Roger Clark (Red Dead Redemption 2). Built with a loose Q3 2023 launch in mind, the two teams will be bringing the intergalactic horror to PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.

So, what more do we know about the game, besides the fact that it’ll feature two of gaming’s most prestigious voice actors? Well, a significant amount, thanks to Fallen Leaf and Black Drakkar engaging in numerous interviews since first bringing it to light a little ways back. So, if you’re curious to know more about it, then read on. Fort Solis: what is it, and why should you be keeping an eye out for it later this year?

What Is Fort Solis?

Fort Solis is an upcoming third-person survival-horror game by Fallen Leaf Studios. Its premise, presumably backed by a rich and immersive horror aesthetic, will be based around Mars. Specifically, one lone engineer’s journey to the seemingly deserted regions during a routine check-up following the triggering of an alarm. Dead Space, anyone?

To summarize, in Fallen Leaf Studios’ words: “Fort Solis is a single player third person thriller set over one long night on Mars. Engineer Jack Leary responds to a routine alarm where events unravel and escalate out of control in a way he could never have imagined.”

Story

Fort Solis follows Jack Leary, an engineer who’s tasked with responding to a routine check-up at a facility on the far side of Mars. Upon arrival, the ill-fated expert learns of a terrible storm that’s headed towards the fort. In a bid to secure shelter from the imminent storm and make contact with those inside, Jack enters, unaware of what mysteries await on the other side.

According to the blurb, Fort Solis will take place over the course of a single night, during which you will have to navigate the facilities and whittle down the hours until morning finally arrives. But as for how you will spend these twilight hours tiptoeing through the vacant halls of an underground labyrinth, however, remains unclear.

Gameplay

Fallen Leaf Studios describes Fort Solis as being a “third-person thriller” game. Its heart and soul, at least from what we’ve gathered from the blurb and in-game footage, will lie with its exploration and fact finding elements. And while combat could play a role in the overall gameplay experience, it seems the bulk of the campaign will involve “audio logs, surveillance footage of past or present events” that pertain to the whereabouts of Fort Solis’ missing crew.

As with any horror game that fosters a derelict locale, atmospherically, it will be more or less an experience, rather than a full-fledged combat-studded romp through the wilderness. But again, there are a lot of gaps that have yet to be filled in regards to gameplay—so best take a lot of this with a grain of salt. Regardless, Fort Solis will supposedly boast a “high-fidelity experience designed to completely immerse the player in the cast and their long night.”

“Players will be able to explore the isolated storm bearing surface, the creepy service tunnels absent of any light or the multiple departments that help Fort Solis function on a day-to-day basis such as Engineering, Medical and Communications,” the description adds. “As the story unfolds locations can easily be revisited for additional story context or continue to serve as a backdrop to the fate that awaits Jack with each passing hour.”

Development

Fallen Leaf Studios, a relatively new firm based over in Liverpool, UK, first announced Fort Solis back in 2022, at which point it provided a trailer outlining its premise, along with the star-studded cast featuring both Troy Baker and Roger Clark. Since making it official, the independent studio has teased a fair share of exclusive previews, mostly by way of elaborating on the game’s protagonist and the atmospheric locale.

Of course, there hasn’t been any word on a definite release date yet, though Fallen Leaf has made it clear that it will be aiming for a Q3 2023 launch on consoles and PC.

Trailer

Fort Solis Reveal Trailer | Summer Game Fest 2022

Caught your eye? If so, you’ll be glad to know that Fallen Leaf Studios did actually bring a few trailers to port back in 2022. And while we have yet to see any in-depth gameplay trailers showcasing any combat (if applicable), the studio has lifted the veil on the game’s characters and overall plotline. You can catch the initial announcement trailer in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Fort Solis will be coming to PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam in Q3 2023. Will it be coming to Xbox Series X|S? In short, no. Or at least, neither Fallen Leaf nor Black Drakkar have announced anything on the matter, which leads us to believe that the game will be exclusive to PlayStation and PC. It hasn’t been said whether or not a PlayStation 4 version will be available on launch.

At present, there are no confirmed special or deluxe editions outside of the standard digital copy on consoles and PC. Does this mean it won’t come with any at all? Again, it’s hard to say, as developers typically aim to announce such news in the months leading up to its release window. Without anything already stowed away in the pipeline, though, it’s looking increasingly unlikely at this point.

For more information on the Fort Solis launch, you can follow the official social feed here. If anything changes ahead of its Q3 release, we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Fort Solis when it drops later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.

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