Sole Demo

Although you rarely think about it, light is what allows us to perceive the world around us, which is especially important for a creature that does not really have much else to go on. Thanks to electricity, even the nights are much easier to bare for people all over the world, so we are rarely in complete darkness anymore. On the other hand, it’s interesting to see what the absence of light can do.

Sole is an interesting walking simulator that allows you to see just how powerful light can be, especially in places where it hasn’t been seen for a very long time. The developers strived to provide you with an “aesthetic-driven experience”, which means that there are no bothersome text boxes to read and no dialog whatsoever. Instead, you just float around the environment, following a neat path through the ruins.

Speaking of which, the whole thing takes place in a pretty mysterious world, one that is apparently abandoned. However, the relics of the civilizations that lived there are still present, and you can bring some of them to life by simply exploring. Hence, you get to find out more about this civilization and have a fun time while doing so, which is a neat trick.

The game is played from a third-person perspective, which means that you have to use the mouse in order to move the camera around. Unfortunately, the controls are a tad unrefined at this point, as well as jerky and frustrating. You have to hold down the right-click in order to pan or rotate the camera, but the acceleration is all wrong and you often find yourself going too far.

This has a tremendous effect on the atmosphere, because instead of relaxing and admiring the landscapes you are fighting the controls. Speaking of which, the graphics are definitely nice, especially thanks to the gorgeous level design and the nice lighting effects. The music is not bad either, but it appears to run out every now and again, probably because this is still just a demo.

In the end, Sole is on the right path, since there are not many games like this out there, which is a good thing. However, it needs more work in the controls department, otherwise the whole thing can be a bit too frustrating. You can support the developers by participating in their Kickstarter campaign.