Solatorobo: Red the Hunter DS
User Score
8.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11

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  1. BraceHare
    Jul 12, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Really shines in creating a vibrant and engrossing world. The characters themselves are pretty standard archetypes for the genre, furry status notwithstanding, but done reasonably well; they always seem like they're acting in accordance with their own motivations and the world they live in, instead of doing things because other similar characters from other works would have, so in that respect despite being unoriginal they are still very solid characters.

    As for the story, I really loved the 11th hour reveal defining the origins of the world. A lot of people I know hated it; it is indeed largely "superfluous"; however, it is a clever twist which adds to the weight of the game's messages (and it does have several, although they are pretty minimal and conventional and easy to miss). It also explains much, perhaps some of it not actually needing explaining. As I said at the beginning of this review though, the main strength of the game is its world, and the reveal at the end is an extension of that.

    As for gameplay: the mechanics are developed and smooth, but the difficulty curve is nonexistent, and the game holds your hand in many ways that can get annoying over time. This game is very much not recommended if you're solely or mostly interested in complex, engaging gameplay. It falls closer to interactive story than it does to game in many senses, so if that's not your bag, then go ahead and skip it, but you will be missing out on getting to explore a very unique and interesting world.

    A minor nitpick goes to the bizarre flourishes of homophobia and transphobia displayed by the protagonist and partly the game itself, including a gay man who is constantly making Red uncomfortable by flirting with him, and a main character who dresses and looks male while being biologically female. This second item is particularly bizarre because it comes as a big reveal complete with Red chastising her for "deceiving" him, but is then suddenly and completely dropped from the story, with the character in question starting to wear female stereotypical clothing. It almost feels like, in an otherwise ruthlessly consistent and well developed game world, there was a brainstorming session where some upper level boss went "wouldn't it be hilarious if...?", and it just sort of got shoehorned into the game.

    I deeply enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone with a serious interest in any of the main underlying aesthetics/genres (steampunk, furry, mecha, etc) as well as anyone interested in experiencing a unique world. I tend to enjoy games more for their world than anything else though, and your mileage may vary. Kind of wish there was merchandise available for the game stateside, I would totally buy a wall scroll.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 40
  3. Negative: 2 out of 40
  1. GameCritics
    Jan 23, 2012
    30
    There were interesting ideas-and a very pretty opening video-but everything about Solatorobo felt…flat.
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  2. PALGN
    Dec 30, 2011
    60
    Solatorobo is a title full of great ideas, which were wasted with shoddy execution. Nevertheless, those interested in games with great stories should check it out.
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  3. Nintendojo
    Dec 15, 2011
    100
    A great swan song for the DS. Its production values are stellar, the game plays very well, and is chock-full of some sweet content. Plus, it's literally as close to MegaMan Legends 3 that any 3DS owners are likely to get in terms of play, style, and overall feeling.
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