Last Updated on Mar 12, 2026 @ 15:54:46 PM.
Over the past few days, I have had the opportunity to try out the brand-new game Solateria from the developer Studio Doodal that tasks the player with taking control of a Pyron Warrior named Tott as they explore a dark and dreary world in search of the king who has gone missing.
Throughout this adventure, the player will come across different enemies that block their path, as well as pathways that are locked and/or hidden away due to a lack of abilities, thanks to the Metroidvania aspects of the game.
During my time with Solateria, I was able to explore all the different areas that were on offer. As this is a game with challenging bosses and problematic parkour, there were some situations I was unable to progress through in time for this review.
The World of Solateria is Beautifully Hand-Crafted and Very Large, with Loads of Places to Explore
One of the first things players will see upon booting up Solateria and loading into the game is the hand-crafted world they will be exploring throughout their adventure. Although the world looks grim, it is actually very beautiful when you look a bit closer, with incredible details thrown in both in the foreground and in the background.
As I explored Solateria, I often found myself looking around at the game’s scenery to see what I could, and often I found myself staring towards the background of the game at the detail that was put back there, which was often quite a lot, but it was sadly quite blurred due to the distance it was from the foreground so that it didn’t take your attention too much.
That being said, I was still intrigued by what was going on in both the foreground and background of Solateria, as the scenery is very interactive, with the player being able to see and move through flowers, even to the point of cutting them; use certain tree branches to climb between areas; and even destroy vine walls to discover new locations.
This, to me, was a new change of pace for a game like Solateria, as often devs would simply fill these gaps with, say, a wooden door or some rocks, but instead Studio Doodal stuck with the theme and used specific environmental details to help keep secrets hidden without them being too obvious. Because of this, I was constantly searching for hidden secrets and even found myself pleasantly surprised when I would find a small hidden cave behind some vines.
Due to the overall game world taking place in various locations, it was very nice to see how the dev team was able to make each location feel as fresh as the last while also keeping the level of detail and art design at a high point, making the world feel both alive and, in a story sense, dead all at once.
The most important part of the game world is that it wasn’t small at all, with plenty of locations to explore and so many secrets to find. I was never running out of things to do or struggling to find my way, as I was able to explore the world of Solateria to my heart’s content, or at least till I ran out of locations I could go to till I got a new ability.
The Combat is Good at Punishing Mistakes, But Also Good at Rewarding Success, Especially Against Bosses
When it comes to an Action Metroidvania game like Solateria, one of the most important mechanics within the game is being able to fight the enemies laid before you in a clean and efficient way while also slowly growing in power in various ways, and Solateria does this very well in a lot of different ways.
Throughout Solateria, there are plenty of ways to help boost your character up to gain an edge in combat, as well as skills that you can acquire to make surviving the different encounters ahead of you a little easier, but the key mechanic at play is the simple combat style that Tott possesses.
The key weapon choice of Tott in Solateria is a Pyron Wristband that allows them to wield two floating blades in combat so that they can perform some very cool and fun combat tricks. Right from the start, players gain access to these weapons, and they can instantly see how effective they are with their fast combos, serious damage, and even their defensive capabilities.
Straight away, one of the first things I found regarding these weapons is that they are very responsive and move so quickly; I was sometimes barely able to keep up myself with what my character was doing, but there was a very steep learning curve when using these weapons, as the early game does throw a lot at you from the start that the player needs to get used to in order to survive.
Along with the game’s main weapon, there were also a few other additional mechanics that helped me within the battles within Solateria, such as the game’s leveling system that has you ranking up certain stats throughout your run that are permanently increased unless you reset them; a food-making mechanic that again permanently boosts stats; core stones that can be equipped, rotated, and even upgraded to improve your chances; and so many more.
Each of these mechanics was very easy to learn as I progressed through the game, but the only issue I had with them was that they were all thrown at me very early on within the game, nearly back to back with barely a minute to grasp what each one was, but with time I was able to master these different mechanics and slowly design some good builds that helped me progress through the game.
Another mechanic that I feel deserves its own mention is the different abilities you can unlock during your playthrough, as these abilities are very unique in how they can help you in combat while also being very limited due to the Heat Core mechanic, which essentially limits the abilities to a certain number of uses before you need to rest and gain more.
Although these abilities aren’t overpowered, especially when you first unlock them, they are very useful in a pinch, as they can help boost the damage you are doing to the enemies and bosses you are fighting, even to the point of helping you deal damage to enemies you cannot reach in certain situations. Along with these abilities being quite strong, their visual effects were also very good, making them look as good as they feel to play with.
Once I was able to master the weapons and their offensive and defensive capabilities, the overall combat for the game wasn’t that challenging, at least in the early game, as the standard enemies were often one-trick ponies that I could learn and master through time and practice. The bosses, on the other hand, were a force to be reckoned with, and skill alone wouldn’t help me push through them.
As with any game like this, bosses in Solateria are the biggest challenge in the game, with so many of them having devastating attacks you need to learn, difficult combos to parry/dodge, and massive health bars that make your own look like nothing, but for those who are looking for a fair challenge, you have come to the right game.
Throughout my time with the game, I often found myself coming across the bosses and struggling for the first part as I had to learn their attacks, discover the right time to counterattack, and just overall try to survive their punishing combos, and after playing around with the game’s parry mechanic, Pyron Action, dodge, and more that I won’t spoil, I found that these bosses weren’t overly challenging to the point the devs made them too hard but instead just required patience and skill that would take time to come together.
The Story is Full of Hidden Lore That Tells a Vast Story With Plenty of Characters to Back it Up
As always, when it comes to my reviews, I will try my best to refrain from overly spoiling the game’s plot, as this is the type of game that I feel players would really want to explore in their own time, as the story as a whole is on another level. Sadly, due to my skill level not being enough to finish the game, I haven’t been able to complete it, but speaking to the overall game’s story, it definitely kept my interest.
Throughout Solateria the player will be able to find all kinds of lore pieces that can help them piece together what has happened in this world whether it be from the various characters you meet along the way that each have their own stories to tell, or the games hidden lore that can be found by exploring the game’s world, there is plenty to find and plenty to learn.
For me, when it comes to finding lore in game’s I often find it quite annoying as it requires searching 100% of the game and finding every secret that the game has hidden from the player, and as much as this doesn’t sound too complicated, it can be very taxing and could likely take a lot of time and patience especially when dealing with the parkour sections.
However, finding these lore pieces does help to fill in some of the blanks when it comes to the game’s story, as they aren’t just small tidbits that barely reveal anything, but they are, in fact very informative, bringing a lot of information to the forefront so that the player can understand what is going on around them in a simple way.
Along with the hidden lore, there is a lot of lore hidden in plain sight as well which is good to see as there are stone tablets located throughout the world that again are full of information that reveals the game’s backstory and the world you are running around in, but they also create more questions than answers especially within the first few sections in the game.
The biggest part of the game’s story that really struck me was just simply how it felt so down to earth with all the different characters having a role to play as they helped me move through the game and discovered what was going on, along with the fact that some of them suffer from memory loss, but still having the knowledge to preserve what they did know and the world around them.
Overall, the story I was able to witness, the game does manage to keep you in the loop very well thanks to the numerous conversations you can have with the NPCs as well as their ability to help explain what is happening, while even having the lore page in the menu making sure that you can remind yourself what you have done in the past, the information you have found, and even why the bosses you encountered were there in the first place.
If I had to pick how I felt while playing Solateria I would have to say that I often felt sad about what was going on, as the bosses backstories were very deep and upsetting once you learned and understood what led them to be what they were, but it also had a lot of moments of power for your character making you feel strong even against the tough odds you have been put against.
Solateria
Summary
When it comes to Solateria, I had a very fun time exploring the vast world that the game had to offer, as there were plenty of secrets to find both in terms of loot and lore, while also having plenty of challenges to overcome.
Speaking of challenges, I massively enjoyed the combat, as it wasn’t just difficult for difficulty’s sake, but it was challenging enough that it kept me engaged and encouraged me to learn the parry and dodge windows so that I was able to conquer my enemies efficiently.
The game’s story itself was very heartbreaking as I played through, as a lot of the bosses had very sad backstories that drew on my heartstrings, while also having NPC characters that also had their own stories to tell, while also adding to the main game’s story in their own way.
HOURS PLAYED: 10
PLAYED ON: PC
- The world was large with a lot of exploration options that kept me busy.
- The enemies were tough but in a fun way as it kept me engaged while also learning the parry windows.
- The characters had a lot to share and were able to help me understand the story while also expanding their own narratives.
- The parkour was difficult in some cases especially in the earlier stages.
- The game often threw too much at me at once overwhelming me in certain situations.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our review of John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, or check out our article talking about PlayStation’s State of Play and one of the games that stood out to us.
Liam is a Senior Editor, Writer, and Critic for Thumb Wars and has been working with the team since day one. Liam is a big fan of all things gaming, as you will catch him playing all of the new releases from every genre you can imagine. Whether you find Liam gaming just for fun or spending his free time streaming, you will always find a smile on his face when it comes to all things gaming.
