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Real-Time Tactics Red Solstice 2: What if nu-XCOM was more of an RPG, real-time, and had coop? LET'S FIND OUT!

Joined
Jan 14, 2018
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Codex Year of the Donut
Kind of surprised this doesn't have a thread considering it released last year.




https://505games.com/games/red-solstice-2-survivors/
Survival Strategy: The Red Solstice 2: Survivors combines tactical missions with ongoing survival against the STROL virus. Explore the entire planet in a campaign that expands over time with a single goal – survival of humanity.
Strategic Base: Customize and grow your character. Research and upgrade new technologies and combat suits, ready for action. Prepare assets for deployment on combat missions – artillery, tactical nukes, reinforcements, dropships and much more.
Real Time Tactical Battlefield: Fight in an open battlefield in real time, while adapting and making plans on the move.
Combat Missions: Deploy alone or with other players into combat missions to contain the spreading biomass infection. Manage your resources, explore an open map and secure areas in order to save humanity.
Three Mission Types: Over 15 main missions and more than 20 side missions, with each having a different mission type (exploration, exploration and stealth)
8 Player Co-op: Join campaigns and combat missions from other players – or let them join yours. Bring your own research and resources into their campaign, play together and work towards the survival of the planet.
Unique Classes: Choose between 6 classes, each with a unique gameplay experience – Assault, Demolition, Heavy Support, Marksman, Medic and Recon.
Powerful Weapons: Cause mass destruction, wipe out battlefields and decimate entire colonies.
Biomass Infestation: Fight the spreading threat which changes the environment and adapts to your actions.
Anyone played this?
 

ChronoGuru

Literate
Joined
Oct 7, 2022
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8
Looking into it, it seems pretty neat. Might be right up my alley if it handles the gameplay concepts well.

Also appears to have a season pass full of content, with future DLC planned.

Not sure I want to pay full price, though. Just missed a recent sale by a few weeks it seems.
 
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Retardo

Learned
Joined
Jun 26, 2020
Messages
206
Okay, I've tried it.

Its kinda janky, but good, like advanced alien swarm/helldivers.
Game does no handholding, like it says "enable the reactor" and sets a waypoint, but does not explain that in order to actually get into the building you have to restore the power grid first. Guess that's the reason behind buttmad reviews in steam.

I've played a round with bots, and liked it. Dunno about the tactical part though, looks like bots can either hold position, advance or follow you.
 
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
2,930
I played it awhile ago, only thing I did not like is that it does not really feel like your tactical decisions matter all that much in the end..like it feels like pretty much anything would work so long as you button spam it fast enough and often enough. I wish the game were a little more deliberate, slower but higher damage/ lower HP or something to make it feel more tactical and less arcade like, but I often feel like that about modern games...I guess it does have the 'slow down' action by 90% button or whatever, but it still feels like you can just spam turrets everywhere and there are endless monster hordes..maybe that is my problem, it feels like an arcade game and less like a RPG (which I would prefer) because there are endless hordes of monsters and you can just spam all sorts of shit and throw it at them endlessly.
 

Galdred

Studio Draconis
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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I played it awhile ago, only thing I did not like is that it does not really feel like your tactical decisions matter all that much in the end..like it feels like pretty much anything would work so long as you button spam it fast enough and often enough. I wish the game were a little more deliberate, slower but higher damage/ lower HP or something to make it feel more tactical and less arcade like, but I often feel like that about modern games...I guess it does have the 'slow down' action by 90% button or whatever, but it still feels like you can just spam turrets everywhere and there are endless monster hordes..maybe that is my problem, it feels like an arcade game and less like a RPG (which I would prefer) because there are endless hordes of monsters and you can just spam all sorts of shit and throw it at them endlessly.
How does the tactical part compare to something like Republic Commando?
 

Retardo

Learned
Joined
Jun 26, 2020
Messages
206
I played it awhile ago, only thing I did not like is that it does not really feel like your tactical decisions matter all that much in the end..like it feels like pretty much anything would work so long as you button spam it fast enough and often enough. I wish the game were a little more deliberate, slower but higher damage/ lower HP or something to make it feel more tactical and less arcade like, but I often feel like that about modern games...I guess it does have the 'slow down' action by 90% button or whatever, but it still feels like you can just spam turrets everywhere and there are endless monster hordes..maybe that is my problem, it feels like an arcade game and less like a RPG (which I would prefer) because there are endless hordes of monsters and you can just spam all sorts of shit and throw it at them endlessly.
How does the tactical part compare to something like Republic Commando?
Quite similar, if my memories of RC are correct.
I'm playing the campaign right now, and it is (slowly) showing the importance of positioning, its buffs and how laying out traps is instrumental in dealing with bosses.
 
Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
2,930
I played it awhile ago, only thing I did not like is that it does not really feel like your tactical decisions matter all that much in the end..like it feels like pretty much anything would work so long as you button spam it fast enough and often enough. I wish the game were a little more deliberate, slower but higher damage/ lower HP or something to make it feel more tactical and less arcade like, but I often feel like that about modern games...I guess it does have the 'slow down' action by 90% button or whatever, but it still feels like you can just spam turrets everywhere and there are endless monster hordes..maybe that is my problem, it feels like an arcade game and less like a RPG (which I would prefer) because there are endless hordes of monsters and you can just spam all sorts of shit and throw it at them endlessly.
How does the tactical part compare to something like Republic Commando?
Quite similar, if my memories of RC are correct.
I'm playing the campaign right now, and it is (slowly) showing the importance of positioning, its buffs and how laying out traps is instrumental in dealing with bosses.
I never played republic commando, but above poster is correct, setting traps, positioning and laying down turrets is of vital importance.
 

Zanzoken

Arcane
Joined
Dec 16, 2014
Messages
3,557
This looks kinda cool but too frantic and popamole for my taste.

We really need a squad-based tactics game that is RTwP and places more emphasis on player strategy / character skill. The only one that comes to mind is the UFO Afterlight series, which are a lot fun even though they lack proper cover mechanics.
 

Retardo

Learned
Joined
Jun 26, 2020
Messages
206
This looks kinda cool but too frantic and popamole for my taste.

We really need a squad-based tactics game that is RTwP and places more emphasis on player strategy / character skill. The only one that comes to mind is the UFO Afterlight series, which are a lot fun even though they lack proper cover mechanics

We sure do need one, too bad we don't have much being released in the recent years. Door kickers, no plan B, what else?
UFO After* series was mediocre at best, with shitty balancing.
I've tried to play this

but dropped it because it was janky as fuck.
 

Zanzoken

Arcane
Joined
Dec 16, 2014
Messages
3,557
This looks kinda cool but too frantic and popamole for my taste.

We really need a squad-based tactics game that is RTwP and places more emphasis on player strategy / character skill. The only one that comes to mind is the UFO Afterlight series, which are a lot fun even though they lack proper cover mechanics

We sure do need one, too bad we don't have much being released in the recent years. Door kickers, no plan B, what else?
UFO After* series was mediocre at best, with shitty balancing.
I've tried to play this

but dropped it because it was janky as fuck.


Door Kickers is cool, however it plays a bit differently. If you make a mistake, your guys get killed so fast, there's really not a lot you can do. So the challenge is really in drawing up a perfect plan to beat the level, almost like a puzzle game.

UFO Aftershock had more staying power with me, because your guys (and enemies) are beefier and can soak some damage. You still need to strategize, but the gunfights have more room to breathe, so you can make tactical adjustments on the fly. I eventually got bored with the strategy layer and the lack of variety in map and mission design, but the gameplay was really fun. It just needed some cover mechanics to simulate your guys hiding behind stuff.

I'd just love a game like X-Com or Syndicate with:
  • RTwP combat that is focused on gunfighting
  • Big open levels
  • Lots of mission variety
  • RPG-like character progression
  • Lots of weapons, armor, and gadgets to use in battle
Although it's not RTwP, I remember having high hopes for Satellite Reign. The overall feel and presentation of it is pretty close to what I want. Unfortunately the gameplay is shit.

 

Galdred

Studio Draconis
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Developer
Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
4,346
Location
Middle Empire
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
This looks kinda cool but too frantic and popamole for my taste.

We really need a squad-based tactics game that is RTwP and places more emphasis on player strategy / character skill. The only one that comes to mind is the UFO Afterlight series, which are a lot fun even though they lack proper cover mechanics

We sure do need one, too bad we don't have much being released in the recent years. Door kickers, no plan B, what else?
UFO After* series was mediocre at best, with shitty balancing.
I've tried to play this

but dropped it because it was janky as fuck.


Door Kickers is cool, however it plays a bit differently. If you make a mistake, your guys get killed so fast, there's really not a lot you can do. So the challenge is really in drawing up a perfect plan to beat the level, almost like a puzzle game.

UFO Aftershock had more staying power with me, because your guys (and enemies) are beefier and can soak some damage. You still need to strategize, but the gunfights have more room to breathe, so you can make tactical adjustments on the fly. I eventually got bored with the strategy layer and the lack of variety in map and mission design, but the gameplay was really fun. It just needed some cover mechanics to simulate your guys hiding behind stuff.

I'd just love a game like X-Com or Syndicate with:
  • RTwP combat that is focused on gunfighting
  • Big open levels
  • Lots of mission variety
  • RPG-like character progression
  • Lots of weapons, armor, and gadgets to use in battle
Although it's not RTwP, I remember having high hopes for Satellite Reign. The overall feel and presentation of it is pretty close to what I want. Unfortunately the gameplay is shit.


What about 7.62 ? The combat seemed top notch for RTwP, and I think it had most of these covered (no base building iirc).
There was also an old game called Solldiers of Anarchy that was RT (or RTwP, I don't remember), in which you had a base (without any base building), and missions during which you could captures enemy vehicles.
It was horribly imbalanced, but cool (in that collecting APC by roasting the crew inside with molotov cokctails was really strong).
You can also go full wargame and play any of the latter combat mission. I think they also have RTwP (on top of the traditional wego system). The Graviteam series would also work. But both are probably too far from squad management.
 
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Galdred

Studio Draconis
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Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
4,346
Location
Middle Empire
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I tried red Solstice 2, and it suffers from the same issue as Helldivers, as in it feels to be mostly made for multiplayer, and it doesn't feature local coop, which is a big issue (as the game would be a good fit for this format).
 

GreyViper

Prophet
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
1,523
Location
Estonia
Got it for 2 Eur for one of the key sellers, surprisingly addictive game when played as coop. It's a combination of so many ideas, like Xcom strategic map, combined with C&C and Starcraft aesthetic influence. Plays like Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop with way more customization and class options. The combat map reminded me of classic WC3 Dota maps where you have a main quest with random sidequest sprinkled in.
Another plus and this is big one, DLC content is integrated into the main campaign in one way or another.

Speaking of the DLCs, not fan of how its been handled, to get the full experience you need them all minus cosmetics and music. And the season pass or getting the separately costs 4x more than the main game itself.

Overall I think this is one of these hidden gems, with many things gone right, but was meh at launch. Id put in the same category as Space Rangers 2, Star Wolves series lots of ideas crammed together and it somehow works.

BUT again be aware this game really benefits a lot from coop, not single-player.
 

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