Solstice Chronicles: MIA

If you put up with its clumsiness, there's a tough-as-nails isometric twin-stick action-me-do (that's the one!) here to play. Just one that doesn't really stand out from the crowd.

Solstice Chronicles: MIA is a mixed bag. The dialogue is actually well-written and both the aesthetic and gameplay are more than passable, but there is a feeling that with a little bit more attention, it could be even better.

Solstice Chronicles: MIA is a bit hard to sum up. It's well polished and offers moments of great fun, especially in co-op, but as a single player experience the game is slow and starts to drag quite quickly. In some aspects it feels rough and unfinished. As it stands, if you have a friend to play Solstice with, you're likely to enjoy your time with it - but if you're going to attempt the game solo, then maybe wait for a sale.

Bloody Alien Breed wannabe title on Switch is held back by technical hiccups.

A solid top-down shooter, Solstice Chronicles: MIA is very easy to pick up and has enough versatility to keep you coming back to explore its different options even after you've made it home to safety.

A shockingly cliché and poorly-constructed narrative, combined with a sense of monotony that sets in far too quickly, does let this game down though. It’s best played in very short bursts, with big breaks in-between sessions.

With its very different approach and some new ideas I’m a big fan of most of what Solstice Chronicles brings to the table...

It's not a bad game, by any measure, but it's not good either. And that's the worst place to be in for a game is a market that's dominated by mediocrity.

Solstice Chronicles: MIA. is a solid twin-stick shooter. I enjoyed the narrative, sequences, and even the sometimes cheesy voice work. I initially wasn't aware that the game provided skill points, in fact I accrued 19 points before I even knew the system existed. My main complaint honestly is the lack of online support, as that was hands down one of the best parts of The Red Solstice.

Solstice Chronicles: MIA knows that shooting things is fun, and the elements of the game work together beautifully to make the most out of the experience. It's a quality top-down RPG that has a lot of potential replay value.