Close to the Sun

The opinions of the critics regarding the story of Close to the Sun are quite varied. Some critics, such as AusGamers, DarkZero, The Indie Game Website, and God is a Geek, praise the story for its fresh ideas, intriguing concepts, and engaging mysteries. They appreciate the alternate history setting, the involvement of Nikola Tesla, and the uchronic sci-fi narrative. These critics find the story enthralling, enjoyable, and captivating, with lingering questions and bizarre mysteries that keep the players engaged. On the other hand, several critics express negative opinions about the story of Close to the Sun. COGconnected, Cultured Vultures, Game Debate, GameSpew, GamingTrend, IGN, New Game Network, PC Invasion, NintendoWorldReport, Switch Player, and Screen Rant all have criticisms about various aspects of the story. They mention that the story feels familiar, lacks depth, is predictable, and may feel stale or hollow for fans of the genre. Some critics mention that the story introduces interesting narrative points but fails to utilize them to their full potential. Others note that the story falls flat, leaves loose ends, and has weak resolutions to certain plot threads. There are also criticisms about confusing elements, unanswered questions, and unsatisfactory conclusions. Overall, the consensus among the critics is mixed. While there are positive opinions about the story, there are also significant criticisms. The positive aspects include fresh ideas, strong writing, engaging mysteries, and an alternative history setting. However, the negative aspects include predictability, lack of depth, unsatisfactory conclusions, and unanswered questions. It appears that the story of Close to the Sun has its strengths and weaknesses, with some critics finding it captivating and others feeling disappointed. It is important for potential players to consider these varying opinions and decide whether the story's strengths outweigh its weaknesses for their personal preferences.

The opinions of the critics regarding the gameplay of Close to the Sun are varied, with some positive aspects highlighted. AusGamers praises the game for its first-person exploration and tension-filled sequences, while COGconnected describes the gameplay as a hybrid of first-person horror and walking simulator with light puzzle-solving. The Indie Game Website considers the first-person exploration and puzzle-solving gameplay to be the strongest aspect of the game, indicating a positive reception. The Games Machine also notes that the gameplay features first-person adventure elements with puzzles and exploration, providing a decent challenge and creating suspense. These positive opinions suggest that the game offers engaging and immersive gameplay experiences. However, there are several negative aspects of the gameplay that critics have pointed out. Cultured Vultures mentions that the gameplay can be confusing and not challenging, with easy puzzles and unexciting interactions. DarkZero criticizes the game for having unresponsive button controls during chase sequences, leading to frustration. GamingTrend criticizes the game's mechanics for being overly simplistic and limited, with slow movement and few interactables, resulting in a banal gameplay experience. Nintendo Insider mentions that the puzzles lack difficulty and the escaping mechanics can be clunky and poorly signposted. These negative opinions highlight issues with the gameplay, such as lack of challenge, frustrating controls, and uninteresting puzzles. Overall, the consensus among the critics is mixed regarding the gameplay of Close to the Sun. While some critics appreciate the first-person exploration, puzzle-solving, and suspenseful elements, others criticize the lack of challenge, unexciting puzzles, and frustrating mechanics. Positive aspects include the immersive and engaging nature of the gameplay, as well as the decent challenge and suspense created by the exploration and puzzle-solving elements. However, negative aspects include unresponsive controls, limited mechanics, and lack of excitement in the puzzles. It is important to note that while some critics find the gameplay to be a strong aspect of the game, others express disappointment with its execution and lack of variation.

The majority of the critics praised the graphics and visual design of Close to the Sun, with many highlighting the game's stunning environments and attention to detail. AusGamers, for example, commends the game for its opulent art-deco design and fantastic realization of the Helios setting. COGconnected also notes the beautifully detailed world with an art-deco style reminiscent of Bioshock. The Games Machine describes the game's captivating steampunk visual design as successfully creating an intriguing and oppressive atmosphere. These positive opinions highlight the game's ability to immerse players in its visually impressive and atmospheric world. However, there were some criticisms regarding the graphics and visual design of Close to the Sun. Cultured Vultures mentions issues with lighting, textures, and pop-ins, which detract from the overall visual experience. New Game Network points out that the game is often poorly lit, and the retro furniture and room detail are reasonably high, but character models and animations are rough-looking. Nintendo Insider and NintendoWorldReport both mention technical issues such as variable framerate, rampant aliasing, and darkness, particularly in the Nintendo Switch version. Switch Player also highlights the rough port and technical issues, such as environment pop-in and jagged edges, which detract from the overall visual experience. These criticisms suggest that while the game has its visual strengths, there are some technical shortcomings that affect the overall presentation. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the graphics and visual design of Close to the Sun are very good. Many critics praise the game's stunning environments, attention to detail, and the successful creation of immersive atmospheres. IGN, for example, mentions the beautiful art deco designs reminiscent of BioShock's Rapture, while Pure Nintendo commends the game's aesthetic, which has been crafted specifically around its story. TheXboxHub highlights the period feel and attention to detail that brings the world alive, and Critical Hit describes the world design as moody and gorgeous. These positive opinions, combined with the few criticisms regarding technical issues, indicate that Close to the Sun generally succeeds in delivering a visually impressive experience.

In analyzing the opinions of the critics regarding the sound design and music of Close to the Sun, it is evident that there are both positive and negative aspects highlighted. Starting with the positives, several critics praise the game's sound design, noting its intricacy and ability to create an immersive and tense atmosphere. Critics such as DarkZero, GamingTrend, The Indie Game Website, Gamers' Temple, TheXboxHub, XBLA Fans, Xbox Achievements, Xbox Tavern, and God is a Geek all commend the game for its chilling sounds, haunting hallways, and effective use of audio cues and sound effects to enhance the overall experience. IGN also mentions the excellent sound design, highlighting the top-notch voice acting and ambient sounds. On the other hand, there are some negative aspects mentioned by the critics. COGconnected mentions frequent audio glitches, while Cultured Vultures criticizes Tesla's voice acting at certain points and expresses disappointment in the lack of real threat and impact from the horror elements and jump scares. GameSpew mentions mixed voice acting performances, with some characters delivering overly hammy performances, and states that the soundtrack doesn't leave a lasting impression. New Game Network points out that while the voice performances by Rose and Ada are adequate, some lines are bizarre, and the electrical FX, although neat, are not utilized enough for gameplay purposes. PC Invasion does not highlight the sound design as a standout feature, despite mentioning tense and shocking moments. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Close to the Sun has strong sound design and music that contribute to the atmosphere and tension of the game. The positive aspects mentioned by multiple critics, such as the immersive and creepy atmosphere created by the sound design, the effective use of audio cues and sound effects, and the top-notch voice acting, indicate that the game succeeds in delivering a captivating audio experience. However, the negative aspects mentioned by some critics, including audio glitches, inconsistent voice acting, and a lack of impact from certain horror elements, suggest that there are areas for improvement. Despite these criticisms, the overall sentiment leans towards the positive, with the majority of critics acknowledging the game's successful utilization of sound design and music to enhance the overall experience.

The voice acting in Close to the Sun has received a generally positive response from the critics. Many reviewers praised the quality of the voice performances, with some even describing it as top-notch and excellent. DarkZero and Xbox Tavern specifically mentioned that the voice acting helped to drive the narrative and added to the immersion of the game. Critical Hit highlighted Emily Moment's performance as Rose, stating that it was likeable and emotional. The Indie Game Website also mentioned that the voice acting was mostly very good. These positive opinions indicate that the voice actors successfully brought memorable personalities to the characters and added depth to the overall experience. However, there were also some mixed opinions and criticisms regarding the voice acting in Close to the Sun. GameSpew mentioned that some characters gave overly hammy performances, while GamingTrend pointed out that there were pockets where the quality of the voice acting suffered. GameSpew also mentioned that the protagonist's voice acting was not convincing. New Game Network highlighted that while the voice performances by Rose and Ada were adequate, some lines came across as bizarre. These criticisms suggest that there were instances where the voice acting may have fallen short in terms of delivering a consistently convincing and natural performance. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the voice acting in Close to the Sun is of high quality, with some standout performances. IGN, MondoXbox, and God is a Geek all praised the voice acting, using terms such as top-notch, excellent, and superb. PlayStation Universe and Screen Rant also mentioned that the voice cast delivered accomplished performances. While there were some criticisms and mixed opinions regarding certain aspects of the voice acting, the positive feedback from multiple critics outweighs the negatives. The overall sentiment is that the voice acting in Close to the Sun successfully enhances the characters and narrative, contributing to a compelling and immersive experience for players.

In terms of the technical performance on PC, the opinions of the critics are mixed. Some critics, such as PC Invasion and The Indie Game Website, praise the game for running smoothly at 60 FPS without any technical issues or crashes. This indicates that the PC version of Close to the Sun provides a positive gaming experience for players who have powerful hardware. However, other critics, like DarkZero and GameSpew, mention performance issues, particularly during chase sequences, where frame rate drops are noticeable. Additionally, GamingTrend highlights various bugs, including issues with respawning, dialogue overlapping, and sounds not keeping up with the player's pace. These technical shortcomings may detract from the overall enjoyment of the game on PC. Moving on to the Nintendo Switch version, the consensus among critics is that the technical performance is lacking. DarkStation and Nintendo Insider both mention framerate issues and compromised graphics, while NintendoWorldReport highlights problems such as variable framerate, aliasing, and objects popping into existence. The technical issues seem to be more prevalent when playing in Handheld mode, as mentioned by NintendoWorldReport. Switch Player also criticizes the rough port, pointing out a chugging framerate, environment pop-in, and jagged edges. These technical shortcomings significantly impact the overall experience of Close to the Sun on the Nintendo Switch. For the Xbox One version, the opinions are relatively mixed. Xbox Tavern mentions some noticeable dips in resolution, but they are not distracting. Xbox Achievements, on the other hand, points out a chugging frame rate and some issues with monster behavior. While these technical issues may be present, they do not seem to be as severe as those experienced on other platforms. Lastly, the PlayStation 4 version of Close to the Sun also receives mixed reviews regarding technical performance. Critical Hit mentions distracting graphics issues towards the end of the game, while PlayStation Country notes that performance improves as the game progresses, with later areas looking crisp and fluid. Screen Rant highlights technical issues such as slowdown and stuttering on a base PS4 model. These technical shortcomings may hinder the overall experience for players on the PlayStation 4. In conclusion, the overall consensus among critics is that Close to the Sun suffers from various technical issues on different gaming platforms. While the PC version generally runs smoothly, there are performance issues during chase sequences and occasional bugs that affect gameplay. The Nintendo Switch version is heavily criticized for framerate issues, compromised graphics, and other technical problems, especially when playing in Handheld mode. The Xbox One version has some minor technical issues, such as dips in resolution and occasional problems with monster behavior. The PlayStation 4 version experiences distracting graphics issues, slowdown, and stuttering. Overall, the technical performance of Close to the Sun is a mixed bag, with some platforms providing a more enjoyable experience than others.

In analyzing the opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of Close to the Sun, it is evident that there are both positive and negative aspects to consider. Several critics, such as AusGamers and Xbox Achievements, highlight the presence of collectibles and achievements, which can incentivize players to replay the game. These elements add an additional layer of depth to the story and provide a reason for players to explore the game further. Additionally, the moderately lengthy tale mentioned by AusGamers ensures that players will remain engaged and curious throughout their initial playthrough. However, there are also critics, like COGconnected and GameSpew, who express concerns about the lack of variation in the collectibles and the absence of dialogue choices or actions that affect the outcome. This repetitive nature and lack of player agency may diminish the desire to replay the game for some individuals. GamingTrend further highlights the predictability of scares, which reduces the overall replay value as players may not find the same level of suspense and surprise in subsequent playthroughs. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Close to the Sun does not offer significant replay value. The game's short duration, as mentioned by Cultured Vultures and PC Invasion, limits the opportunities for players to experience new content or explore different paths. The unresolved central mystery, as noted by Critical Hit, may also discourage players from replaying the game as they may feel unsatisfied with the lack of closure. While the presence of collectibles and achievements adds some replayability, it is not enough to outweigh the limitations and repetitive elements mentioned by the critics.