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Solo: Islands of the Heart
Released On: Aug 1, 2019
55
User Score
Available after 4 ratings
tbd
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
55
14% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
43% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
43% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
55
14% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
43% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
43% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
New players will join the videogame entertainment in the seek of the uniqueness of Solo. This is a game that offers a tool for people who care about their own love relationships, but maybe don't care for videogames that much.
Solo: Islands of the Heart seems like it’s trying to be your counselor. Go to an actual counselor. The gameplay is calming, the scenery is cute, the colors are vibrant, the design is unique, and the puzzles require a good amount of thinking without being too easy, but its attempt to analyze a real human person with pre-determined questions starts it off teetering on the wrong foot. It never quite regains its balance.
Despite its flaws, Solo: Islands of the Heart is an interesting experiment which weaves its puzzler gameplay and mature themes together well. Some design choices and technical issues hold the game back from being truly remarkable, but going in with an open mind and allowing myself some vulnerability delivered an emotional trip I hadn’t quite experienced from a game before.
Solo: Islands of the Heart is a pleasant game with some interesting puzzle box action, but its core premise, built around relationships, is disappointingly underwhelming, and disconnected from the gameplay surrounding it.
If you’re a less cynical person than me, then, I’ll say that there may be something here you’ll enjoy — but even if there is, the camera-work may be terrible enough that not even the most optimistic person will want to give up on this game and admit defeat.
Unless recently divorced and/or identifying as non-binary, I have a hard time envisioning that many will get $19.99 worth of fun here. Solo, while having its heart in the right place, would have been better off as a visual novel. As a short game, it just doesn’t have enough focus on its aesthetics, camera, puzzles, or optimal porting.
I admire Solo: Islands of the Heart for its ambition, but virtually every aspect of the game falls short of the noble goals of making an introspective puzzle game centered on love and relationships. The narrative is limited and mildly antagonistic, the block puzzle gameplay transforms into a disaster once the magic staff is introduced, and the serenity of the islands and graphics are dragged down by a middling port to Switch. If you really want someone to question your decisions on love, go see a therapist. This isn’t the game for that.
User Reviews
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Summary Love is a universal feeling, but each of us experiences it in a different way. Solo – Islands of the Heart explores the theme of love in an introspective way, allowing players to identify and reflect on their own experiences. The world is divided into archipelagos, with each island representing a unique puzzle. Solving puzzles will award...
Rated T
for Teen
Platforms:
- Nintendo Switch
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 4
Initial Release Date: Aug 1, 2019
Developer:
- Team Gotham
Publisher: Merge Games
Genres:
