Red Solstice 2: Survivors [Review]

Red Solstice 2: Survivors is a twin-stick shooter with a bullet hell amount of enemies coming at you. It is very tactical and in-depth, with many confusing menus for stats, weapons, and their stats, jobs of both yourself and your team, and even slight character customization. You can use these menus and features as much or as little as you want, so if it’s a bit overwhelming, adjust what you understand and don’t worry about the rest. I was more interested in the bullet hell aspect of the game, which is extremely fun. All the technical jargon and mechanics I did not understand were figured out over time with my team. In Red Solstice, you will be overwhelmed with enemies, almost to the point of claustrophobia. And you have limited ammo; this forces you to be conservative with your shots and makes it even more terrifying when swarmed. To not be overrun, you need to stay with your team. You’ll have six teammates, making a team of seven. This also means the game is a player co-op.

Whether you’re playing with actual people or NPCs, you should still stick together in order not to end up out of ammo and overrun. Red Solstice offers a variety of gameplay options, allowing players to customize their characters using weapons, stats, and abilities. One helpful feature is the auto-shoot toggle, which automates aiming and shooting, enabling players to focus solely on movement and dodging. Although auto-shoot deals slightly less damage and consumes more ammo, it simplifies gameplay and adds a rogue-lite element that some players may find appealing. I did come across a few glitches that I think are important to note. A small yet annoying one is that the color I make my armor sometimes changes between runs—not very big, but I still wanted to mention it. The more critical glitch I encountered was getting stuck at the very end of a level. I walked into a prop on the stage and couldn't move; I could still turn, shoot, and throw things (until I ran out of stuff to throw). One of my teammates I was playing the game with walked into me and became stuck. We had to wait out the timer. Even with those issues, I still enjoyed Red Solstice. I like that I can change the gameplay to suit my preferred gameplay style. Fans of twin-stick shooters are in for a fun treat!