SolSeraph is a mix of strategy and platforms. Does the concept sound familiar to you? Sure, because it’s a tribute to the classic ActRaiser, a 16-bit video game created by the developers of the legendary Terranigma. Has the playable tribute of the Chileans of the Ace Team been up to par? We tell you its keys in our SolSeraph analysis. By the god Helios!
Sometimes we forget that video game developers also have their hearts. Behind the gloomy image that users have of artists, locked in their thoughts of code, design, gameplay and sound, there are people who are also in love with our leisure, so they also have their myths, their favorites and their own references to idolize. Ace Team, who made Rock of Ages or Zeno Clash , have once again shown their passion for a classic game far removed from the greats of the pantheon of video game history: ActRaiser. The result? SolSeraph , a true tribute to Quintet and Enix on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
As was the case with the original ActRaiser , the production has sections of strategy and platforms, mixing two concepts that seem like water and oil but that end up marrying in an organic and certainly justified way. The god Helios, the protagonist of the adventure, must visit different locations on earth to stop the fearsome ancient gods, who are sowing chaos among human civilizations. To end his reign, you will have to face intricate levels of platforms, hordes of enemies and wonderful final bosses that will grant you new powers with which to face new threats.
On paper it may sound like a somewhat strange and unusual concept. Does it work in practice? SolSeraph is a competent independent video game with lights and shadows , but satisfying enough to enjoy a great classic-style adventure in which you find yourself with an authentic forgotten Super Nintendo classic.
SolSeraph Announcement Trailer
Sol Seraph, come from heavenThe beginning of each of the game sections is simple: you will have to descend from the skies to the new map and fight against dozens of enemies in sections of platforms that will allow you to open the territory to Helios . Once inside each new section, you will manage the town’s strategy against rival attacks in a tower defense mode in which you can open new paths to access new levels of platforms. Once completed, you will access the last level of each world, with its respective battle against the final boss of the turn and access to a new power that will allow you to improve Helios’ abilities.
The hordes could not be more repetitive: kill enemies and pass sections. The end .
The action levels are divided into two types: hordes and traditional platforms . Of the first type, there is not much to explain, since the proposal is not very imaginative and seems to be there to fill in areas where they could not build levels according to what is expected of a tribute to ActRaiser . The most classic levels are much more interesting: Helios has a melee attack and different abilities that he adds when he finishes off final enemies. His jump double also stands out, which is of great help at specific moments of the game. As was the case in the original game, Helios will have a large energy tank with which he can survive the many threats that arrive by land, sea and air. It will improve energy as we finish new screens.
The platforms sections are the most interesting of SolSeraph. ACE Team has built some truly epic levels.
SolSeraph is a true tribute to Quintet and EnixFinal boss battles are reserved at the end of each world section. They are usually represented by great enemies who, accompanied by other rivals, will make things very difficult for Helios. Once defeated, the player adds a new attack. Among the extras are healing powers, powerful flares, ice attacks that shoot 180 degrees or the possibility of flooding the stage. As the arsenal improves, the better the game and the broader the options when facing each of the challenges that ACE Team faces SolSeraph players . They are competent levels with a certain classic aftertaste, so much so that you will prefer to have platforms to insipid hordes.
Retro tower defenseSolSeraph wouldn’t be a tribute to ActRaiser if it didn’t have a real-time strategy section. This has been the case: between the action screens there are moments of strategy in which we will have to manage the resources of the villagers in each section of the map to fight monsters. The objective is none other than to avoid the rush to the central area of the town, so defense points will have to be created to prevent the arrival of the enemy. To do this, you will have to create houses, have food, wood and enough souls to take advantage of the magical powers that Helios gives to the villagers of each region.
There is no great work behind the story. Just a few conversations between the characters of each tribe and a bland outcome.
As you complete new actions, you are accessing new constructions , which can be helped by the protagonist god himself by sending lightning against rivals, rain, slowing down the weather or sending a divine soldier who will help allied units to end all threats that To present themselves. Enemies in the action sections have been exploited for the strategy campaign and some areas are dotted with weather elements that change the dynamics of the game. So far they are all good ideas and intentions. The problem? It seems that wood is too powerful an element and that it opens the doors to the rest of the constructions in an uneven way, ruining the section.
Although in the first tower defense missions it cost me a little more and I saw a consistent challenge, I soon deduced that the strategy to follow was to collect as much wood in the area as possible in the first turns to start building houses, farms and jobs. war. From there it only remains to wait for the collection of weapons to be able to unlock a new area of the map and overcome the different levels of action until you reach the final enemy. SolSeraph may have required some other resource that would have complicated the strategy sections a bit more, since the fast access and without any limitation to the wood turns half the software into a mere procedure between screen and screen.
Divine, but not so muchThe legendary Yuzo Koshiro , known for his incredible work on the soundtrack to the legendary Streets of Rage, set the original ActRaiser to music. For the occasion, ACE wanted to work with the Japanese artist, who has composed the main theme of the title. The rest of the soundtrack is provided by Patricio Meneses, who has been able to compose some catchy songs reminiscent of 16-bit classics but with a serious problem: some melodies are somewhat repetitive and do not appear as a loop during the recording. game, presenting sections in which, suddenly, silence reigns. Just as repetitive are the voices and sounds of rivals and the din of battle – no great job here.
Helios will improve his skills with each final enemy defeated. Ready to unlock all your skills?
While Helios looks great, I can’t say the same for the other enemies. He is not very imaginative when it comes to creating the different monsters of the video game, opting for an army of topics that go on horseback from the tributes to the original ActRaiser and the different monsters that have been in the imaginary of the genre of the last 35 years. This is not the case with the final bosses: there are some great ones that will be a pleasant surprise for the player. Don’t lose sight of them! Varied in the scenarios, it looks much better on PS4, Xbox One and PC than on Nintendo Switch, port with lower resolution and ratio of images per second.
Despite having had a pleasant experience at the controls of SolSeraph on Switch, the reality is that I also suffered a fatal bug that forced me to restart the game when it was very advanced. I was able to get in touch with the developers, who have come up with a solution and hope to have it fixed for the release of the game. Beyond my incident, the reality is that it has been a gratifying experience that, if it had known how to put its strategy section at the height of the platforms, it would have shone as a magnificent option to play a good, beautiful and cheap game in summer . In the end, and although it does not disappoint, it does not stand out in any of its sections either, being parked for the nostalgic people who want to meet again with an approach to the Quintet classic in 2019.
“Discreet”
SolSeraph
6.0
Readers
(1)
SolSeraph’s good intentions are seen on all four sides, but also some questionable decisions in the playable, visual and sound design of the production. Its platform sections are very enjoyable and varied, quite the opposite of the bland horde moments. The tower defense part is fun and functional, but it is not able to maintain the challenge when you add all the structures and it ends up being a mere procedure between section and action section. Being a good video game and a great tribute to the ActRaiser series, it could have aspired to more if it had been more careful in detail.
- A genuine homage to the classic ActRaiser
- Fun in the platforming sections, wish I had a few more levels!
- Helios’ new attacks help the protagonist and enhance the adventure
- Good ideas in moments of strategy …
- … Although tower defense ends up being too simple as the game progresses
- Horde abuse is disappointing. They do not contribute anything
- Little imaginative in sound and visual
