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| {{short description|2011 open world sandbox video game}} | |||
| {{Use dmy dates|date= |
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} | ||
| {{Infobox video game | {{Infobox video game | ||
| | title = Solar 2 | | title = Solar 2 | ||
| | collapsible = | | collapsible = | ||
| | state = | | state = | ||
| | image = |
| image = Solar 2 cover.jpg | ||
| | caption = | | caption = | ||
| | developer = Jay Watts | | developer = Jay Watts | ||
| Line 12: | Line 13: | ||
| | engine = ] | | engine = ] | ||
| | platforms = ], ], ], ], ] | | platforms = ], ], ], ], ] | ||
| | released = {{Unbulleted list| |
| released = {{Unbulleted list|''Microsoft Windows''|17 June 2011|''Xbox 360''|19 June 2011|''Mac OS X''|October 2012|''Android'', ''iOS''||March 2013}} | ||
| | genre = ], ] | | genre = ], ] | ||
| | modes = ] | | modes = ] | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Solar 2''' is an ] ] developed by Australian developer Jay Watts' video game studio, Murudai. It was released on 17 June 2011 on ] for ] and on 19 June 2011 on ] for the ]. The game was developed with Microsoft's ] tools, and its development was inspired by indie games such as ]. The game follows the player in their mission to accumulate enough mass to become several ]s, eventually becoming a ], which then produces a ]. | |||
| The game is a sequel to ''Solar'' (2009), and features most of the same key gameplay elements of its predecessor, expanded and polished considerably. It was developed over ten months and includes a score composed by sound designer and musician JP Neufeld. |
The game is a sequel to ''Solar'' (2009), and features most of the same key gameplay elements of its predecessor, expanded and polished considerably. It was developed over ten months and includes a score composed by sound designer and musician JP Neufeld. Solar 2 received mainly positive reviews from ], scoring 72 out of 100 on aggregate website ]. It was awarded the first prize at the 2011 Microsoft ] competition, and was among the video games showcased at the 10th ]. | ||
| == Gameplay == | == Gameplay == | ||
| Line 25: | Line 26: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| The game takes place in a borderless and randomly generated universe, filled with asteroids, planets, stars and ]s.<ref name="IGN1"/> Life forms are also present in the game. They appear on planets sufficiently big to store life, and are represented by a variety of ships of different size and attack power.<ref name="IGN1"/> Spaceships are coloured green if they belong to the player's planet, or to a planet that belongs to the player's |
The game takes place in a borderless and randomly generated universe, filled with asteroids, planets, stars and ]s.<ref name="IGN1"/> Life forms are also present in the game. They appear on planets sufficiently big to store life, and are represented by a variety of ships of different size and attack power.<ref name="IGN1"/> Spaceships are coloured green if they belong to the player's planet, or to a planet that belongs to the player's planetary system; red if they belong to an enemy planet or planetary system; and white if they don't belong to any planet or system.<ref name="TUT"/> All the spaceships in the map are controlled by the game's ] (AI), and they will constantly engage in combat against enemy ships, asteroids or planets to destroy them.<ref name="IGN1"/> | ||
| At the beginning of the game, the player accumulates mass by colliding their asteroid against other asteroids until enough mass has been gathered to become a small planet.<ref name="IGN1"/> From there, the player has to absorb other asteroids to make their planet grow enough to become a life planet; crashing against other objects will decrease the player's mass. At this point, life forms will evolve in the planet, creating spaceships, planetary shields and cannons.<ref name="IGN1"/> If the player wishes, they can accumulate more mass until their planet becomes a star.<ref name="GamePro"/> Life forms will disappear, but the player is able to attract planets to form a |
At the beginning of the game, the player accumulates mass by colliding their asteroid against other asteroids until enough mass has been gathered to become a small planet.<ref name="IGN1"/> From there, the player has to absorb other asteroids to make their planet grow enough to become a life planet; crashing against other objects will decrease the player's mass. At this point, life forms will evolve in the planet, creating spaceships, planetary shields and cannons.<ref name="IGN1"/> If the player wishes, they can accumulate more mass until their planet becomes a star.<ref name="GamePro"/> Life forms will disappear, but the player is able to attract planets to form a planetary system, further grow the star by absorbing other planets, or a combination of both.<ref name="IGN1"/><ref name="GamePro"/> The player can also create multi-star systems by selecting planets from their system and make them absorb asteroids until they become another star.<ref name="IGN1"/> | ||
| Growing the star will increase its gravitational force, which increases the number of planets the |
Growing the star will increase its gravitational force, which increases the number of planets the planetary system can have.<ref name="TUT"/> They are also able to attract planetary systems composed of stars with lower mass than that of the player, or being attracted to stars with bigger mass. If both stars collide, they will be reduced to a lesser size within the same type of object. For example, if the player controls a small star and collides against a medium star, the player will be disintegrated while the AI-controlled star will be reduced to a small star. Being reduced from a small star to a life planet is not possible, as well as being reduced from a small planet to an asteroid. In these cases, the player is ], with random mass, close to the place where they collided.<ref name="TUT"/> | ||
| ''Solar 2'' also includes a variety of achievements and object-oriented missions that can be played at any time.<ref name="PC Gamer"/> Missions can be found following the directional arrows in the interface, and the AI keeps track of which missions the player has finished.<ref name="TUT"/> The game also keeps record of several accomplishments the player has reached, such as the distance travelled, the number of objects and enemies destroyed by the player or the spaceships belonging to the player.<ref name="TUT"/> ''Solar 2'' allows the player to save progress at any point. A "save system" feature is also present; it allows the player to save specific configurations of stars and planets that the player has created. The player can respawn from them at any time.<ref name="TUT"/> | ''Solar 2'' also includes a variety of achievements and object-oriented missions that can be played at any time.<ref name="PC Gamer"/> Missions can be found following the directional arrows in the interface, and the AI keeps track of which missions the player has finished.<ref name="TUT"/> The game also keeps record of several accomplishments the player has reached, such as the distance travelled, the number of objects and enemies destroyed by the player or the spaceships belonging to the player.<ref name="TUT"/> ''Solar 2'' allows the player to save progress at any point. A "save system" feature is also present; it allows the player to save specific configurations of stars and planets that the player has created. The player can respawn from them at any time.<ref name="TUT"/> | ||
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| ''Solar 2'' was developed by Jay Watts under his video game studio Murudai. Watts, who received a degree in biotechnology from an Australian college, had no previous knowledge of video game development prior to coding ''Solar 2''{{'s}} predecessor, ''Solar'', for the Xbox 360.<ref name="indiepub"/> Development of ''Solar'' started in July 2008 as a ]. Many of the key gameplay elements featured in the sequel, such as the infinite sandbox, were envisioned during this timespan.<ref name="FEZ"/> In an interview with FleshEatingZipper, Watts revealed that ]'s indie game ] was an inspiration for him: "I loved the simplicity of the game and the ambiance."<ref name="FEZ"/> ''Solar'', released in 2009, became a commercial success; it sold 30,000 copies and allowed Watts to work full-time on its sequel.<ref name="FEZ"/> | ''Solar 2'' was developed by Jay Watts under his video game studio Murudai. Watts, who received a degree in biotechnology from an Australian college, had no previous knowledge of video game development prior to coding ''Solar 2''{{'s}} predecessor, ''Solar'', for the Xbox 360.<ref name="indiepub"/> Development of ''Solar'' started in July 2008 as a ]. Many of the key gameplay elements featured in the sequel, such as the infinite sandbox, were envisioned during this timespan.<ref name="FEZ"/> In an interview with FleshEatingZipper, Watts revealed that ]'s indie game ] was an inspiration for him: "I loved the simplicity of the game and the ambiance."<ref name="FEZ"/> ''Solar'', released in 2009, became a commercial success; it sold 30,000 copies and allowed Watts to work full-time on its sequel.<ref name="FEZ"/> | ||
| Development of ''Solar 2'' lasted for at least ten months.<ref name="FEZ"/> The game was developed using ], a set of tools focused on video game development created by ].<ref name="indiepub"/> According to Watts, ''Solar 2'' was "mainly expanding on original idea and polishing it to perfection."<ref name="dealspwn"/> However, he commented that the concept of both games took several design iterations to reach its final version: "I played with many, many ideas before finally settling on what I have now."<ref name="indiepub"/> Sound designer and musician JP Neufeld composed the game's score. According to Watts, this was done because there was "no way I could do music as good as he can."<ref name="indiepub"/> Both the Windows and Xbox 360 |
Development of ''Solar 2'' lasted for at least ten months.<ref name="FEZ"/> The game was developed using ], a set of tools focused on video game development created by ].<ref name="indiepub"/> According to Watts, ''Solar 2'' was "mainly expanding on original idea and polishing it to perfection."<ref name="dealspwn"/> However, he commented that the concept of both games took several design iterations to reach its final version: "I played with many, many ideas before finally settling on what I have now."<ref name="indiepub"/> Sound designer and musician JP Neufeld composed the game's score. According to Watts, this was done because there was "no way I could do music as good as he can."<ref name="indiepub"/> Both the Windows and Xbox 360 versions of the game were developed simultaneously. About the Xbox 360 version, Watts commented that "the lack of keyboards and the aging Xbox 360 hardware were a bit tricky, and updating the Xbox version is a huge pain to do."<ref name="dealspwn"/> | ||
| == Release == | == Release == | ||
| ⚫ | ''Solar 2'' was released on 17 June 2011 on ] for Microsoft Windows and on 19 June 2011 on ] for the Xbox 360.<ref>{{cite web|title=Solar 2|url=http://store.steampowered.com/app/97000/|work=]|publisher=]|access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Solar 2|url=http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Solar-2/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d802585508b4|work=]|publisher=]|access-date=10 April 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413144924/http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Solar-2/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d802585508b4|archive-date=13 April 2014}}</ref> In July 2012, Watts announced that he was working on ] and Linux versions of the game. However, given that the original game was developed using the Windows-only XNA platform, he expected the ports to be ready sometime before the end of the year.<ref name=muru1/> In October 2012, the Mac port was announced and released on Steam.<ref name=muru2/> The ] version of the game was released in March 2013.<ref name=muru3/><ref>{{cite web|title=Solar 2|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/solar-2/id599263900?ls=1&mt=8|work=]|publisher=]|access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref> An Android version was also made available in March 2013.<ref name="Android Central"/> | ||
| ⚫ | ''Solar 2'' was released on 17 June 2011 on ] for Microsoft Windows and on 19 June 2011 on ] for the Xbox 360.<ref>{{cite web|title=Solar 2|url=http://store.steampowered.com/app/97000/|work= |
||
| == Reception == | == Reception == | ||
| Line 53: | Line 53: | ||
| ''Solar 2'' received a positive response from ] upon release. At ], which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the game received an average score of 72 based on 8 reviews.<ref name="MC"/> Most critics praised the physics-based gameplay and soundtrack, but criticized the exceedingly difficult missions and somewhat repetitive gameplay.<ref name="IGN1" /> However, the game won the ]20,000 first prize at the 2011 Microsoft Dream Build Play competition,<ref name="DreamBuildPlay"/> and became a finalist at the 2011 IndieCade festival.<ref name="IndieCade"/> ''Solar 2'' was also among the ten indie video games showcased at the 10th ], held in August 2011.<ref name="PAX"/> | ''Solar 2'' received a positive response from ] upon release. At ], which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the game received an average score of 72 based on 8 reviews.<ref name="MC"/> Most critics praised the physics-based gameplay and soundtrack, but criticized the exceedingly difficult missions and somewhat repetitive gameplay.<ref name="IGN1" /> However, the game won the ]20,000 first prize at the 2011 Microsoft Dream Build Play competition,<ref name="DreamBuildPlay"/> and became a finalist at the 2011 IndieCade festival.<ref name="IndieCade"/> ''Solar 2'' was also among the ten indie video games showcased at the 10th ], held in August 2011.<ref name="PAX"/> | ||
| ]'s Gord Goble criticized the difficulty of the missions but praised the game's soundtrack, which he called a combination of "new age-meets-]-meets-]-meets-'' |
]'s Gord Goble criticized the difficulty of the missions but praised the game's soundtrack, which he called a combination of "new age-meets-]-meets-]-meets-''2001: A Space Odyssey'' audioscape."<ref name="IGN1" /> He also highlighted several features he would have liked to see in the game, such as a more complex universe to explore and the ability to control the life forms in the planets controlled by the player.<ref name="IGN1" /> Graham Smith from '']'' was also critical of the missions' difficulty, although concluded that it was "a good price for a universe."<ref name="PC Gamer"/> '']''{{'s}} Nate Ralph mentioned the life forms as the only negative aspect of the game.<ref name="GamePro"/> | ||
| The iPad and Android versions of ''Solar 2'' were also well received. App Spy's Andrew Nesvadba, on his review of the iPad version of the game, highlighted the overall sense that "nothing about the game feels like a waste of time or effort," but criticized the lack of control over the life forms.<ref name="AppSpy"/> Meanwhile, Andrew Martonik from Android Central acknowledged that ''Solar 2'' had all the elements necessary for a great game.<ref name="Android Central"/> | The iPad and Android versions of ''Solar 2'' were also well received. App Spy's Andrew Nesvadba, on his review of the iPad version of the game, highlighted the overall sense that "nothing about the game feels like a waste of time or effort," but criticized the lack of control over the life forms.<ref name="AppSpy"/> Meanwhile, Andrew Martonik from Android Central acknowledged that ''Solar 2'' had all the elements necessary for a great game.<ref name="Android Central"/> | ||
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| == References == | == References == | ||
| {{Reflist|2|refs= | {{Reflist|2|refs= | ||
| <ref name=muru3>{{cite web|last=Watts|first=Jay|title=Solar 2 now available on iPad!|url=http://murudai.com/2013/02/solar-2-now-available-on-ipad/|publisher=Murudai| |
<ref name=muru3>{{cite web|last=Watts|first=Jay|title=Solar 2 now available on iPad!|url=http://murudai.com/2013/02/solar-2-now-available-on-ipad/|publisher=Murudai|access-date=9 April 2014|date=11 February 2013}}</ref> | ||
| <ref name=muru2>{{cite web|last=Watts|first=Jay|title=Solar 2 Available Now on Mac!|url=http://murudai.com/2012/10/solar-2-available-now-on-mac/|publisher=Murudai| |
<ref name=muru2>{{cite web|last=Watts|first=Jay|title=Solar 2 Available Now on Mac!|url=http://murudai.com/2012/10/solar-2-available-now-on-mac/|publisher=Murudai|access-date=9 April 2014|date=23 October 2012}}</ref> | ||
| <ref name=muru1>{{cite web|last=Watts|first=Jay|title=Update July 2012 – |
<ref name=muru1>{{cite web|last=Watts|first=Jay|title=Update July 2012 – What's Next|url=http://murudai.com/2012/07/update-july-2012-whats-next/|publisher=Murudai|access-date=9 April 2014|date=16 July 2012}}</ref> | ||
| <ref name=FEZ>{{cite web|title=FEZ Interviews: Jay Watts, Developer of Solar 2!|url=http://www.flesheatingzipper.com/gaming/2011/06/fez-interviews-jay-watts-developer-of-solar-2-2/|publisher=FleshEatingZipper| |
<ref name=FEZ>{{cite web|title=FEZ Interviews: Jay Watts, Developer of Solar 2!|url=http://www.flesheatingzipper.com/gaming/2011/06/fez-interviews-jay-watts-developer-of-solar-2-2/|publisher=FleshEatingZipper|access-date=9 April 2014|date=22 June 2011}}</ref> | ||
| <ref name=indiepub>{{cite web|last=PJ|title=Featured Indie Dev: Jay Watts gets intergalactic with Solar 2|url=http://www.indiepubgames.com/news/jay_watts_murudai_solar_2_featured_indie_dev|publisher=Indie Pub| |
<ref name=indiepub>{{cite web|last=PJ|title=Featured Indie Dev: Jay Watts gets intergalactic with Solar 2|url=http://www.indiepubgames.com/news/jay_watts_murudai_solar_2_featured_indie_dev|publisher=Indie Pub|access-date=9 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615072533/http://www.indiepubgames.com/news/jay_watts_murudai_solar_2_featured_indie_dev|archive-date=15 June 2013|date=1 June 2011}}</ref> | ||
| <ref name="IGN1">{{cite web | <ref name="IGN1">{{cite web | ||
| |url= http://uk.ign.com/articles/2011/07/14/solar-2-review | |url= http://uk.ign.com/articles/2011/07/14/solar-2-review | ||
| |title= Solar 2 Review | |title= Solar 2 Review | ||
| |date= 14 July 2011 | |date= 14 July 2011 |access-date= 29 June 2013 | ||
| ⚫ | | |
||
| |work= ] | |work= ] | ||
| |publisher= ] | |publisher= ] | ||
| }}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
| <ref name="dealspwn"> | <ref name="dealspwn">{{cite web | ||
| {{cite web | |||
| |url= http://www.dealspwn.com/solar-2-developer-interview-jay-watts-67064 | |url= http://www.dealspwn.com/solar-2-developer-interview-jay-watts-67064 | ||
| |title= Solar 2 Developer Interview - Jay Watts | |title= Solar 2 Developer Interview - Jay Watts | ||
| |date= 29 June 2011 |
|date= 29 June 2011 | ||
| | |
|access-date= 29 June 2013 | ||
| |last=Clark | |last= Clark | ||
| |first=Josh | |first= Josh | ||
| |publisher= Dealspwn | |publisher= Dealspwn | ||
| ⚫ | |archive-date= 29 November 2018 | ||
| }} | |||
| |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181129022752/http://www.dealspwn.com/solar-2-developer-interview-jay-watts-67064 | |||
| ⚫ | </ref> | ||
| |url-status= dead | |||
| ⚫ | }}</ref> | ||
| <ref name="Android Central">{{Cite web | <ref name="Android Central">{{Cite web | ||
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| |title= Reviewing Humble Bundle 5: Solar 2 | |title= Reviewing Humble Bundle 5: Solar 2 | ||
| |date= 8 March 2013 | |date= 8 March 2013 | ||
| | |
|access-date= 1 July 2013 | ||
| |publisher= Android Central | |publisher= Android Central | ||
| |first= Andrew | |first= Andrew | ||
| Line 104: | Line 104: | ||
| |url= http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/congratulations-to-the-2011-dream-build-play-winners/ | |url= http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/congratulations-to-the-2011-dream-build-play-winners/ | ||
| |title= Congratulations to the 2011 Dream Build Play winners! | |title= Congratulations to the 2011 Dream Build Play winners! | ||
| |date= 28 August 2011 | |date= 28 August 2011 |access-date= 29 June 2013 |work= ] | ||
| |accessdate= 29 June 2013 | |||
| |work= ] | |||
| |first= Jessica | |first= Jessica | ||
| |last= Conditt | |last= Conditt | ||
| Line 114: | Line 112: | ||
| |url= http://www.edge-online.com/news/indiecade-finalists-announced/ | |url= http://www.edge-online.com/news/indiecade-finalists-announced/ | ||
| |title= IndieCade finalists announced | |title= IndieCade finalists announced | ||
| |date= 16 September 2011 | |date= 16 September 2011 |first= Nathan | ||
| |first= Nathan | |||
| |last= Brown | |last= Brown | ||
| |website= Edge | |||
| |accessdate= 29 June 2013 | |||
| ⚫ | |access-date= 29 June 2013 | ||
| }}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
| <ref name="PAX">{{cite web |
<ref name="PAX">{{cite web | ||
| |url= http://indiegames.com/2011/07/indie_selections_for_2011_pax_.html |
|url= http://indiegames.com/2011/07/indie_selections_for_2011_pax_.html | ||
| |title= Indie Selections For 2011 'PAX 10' Showcase Announced |
|title= Indie Selections For 2011 'PAX 10' Showcase Announced | ||
| |date= 9 July 2011 |
|date= 9 July 2011 | ||
| | |
|access-date= 2 July 2013 | ||
| |work= IndieGames.com | |work= IndieGames.com | ||
| |first= Tim | |first= Tim | ||
| |last= W. | |last= W. | ||
| |archive-date= 9 July 2011 | |||
| |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110709164015/http://indiegames.com/2011/07/indie_selections_for_2011_pax_.html | |||
| |url-status= dead | |||
| }}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
| <ref name="MC">{{cite web |url= |
<ref name="MC">{{cite web |url= https://www.metacritic.com/game/solar-2/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title= Solar 2 for PC Reviews|access-date= 29 June 2013|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> | ||
| <ref name="PC Gamer">{{cite web | <ref name="PC Gamer">{{cite web | ||
| Line 137: | Line 138: | ||
| |work= ] | |work= ] | ||
| |date= 14 August 2011 | |date= 14 August 2011 | ||
| | |
|access-date= 29 June 2013 | ||
| |first= Graham | |first= Graham | ||
| |last= Smith | |last= Smith | ||
| }}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
| <ref name="GamePro">{{cite |
<ref name="GamePro">{{cite magazine | ||
| |url= http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/221143/review-solar-2-pc/ | |url= http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/221143/review-solar-2-pc/ | ||
| | |
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111129051812/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/221143/review-solar-2-pc/ | ||
| |title= Review: Solar 2 (PC) | |title= Review: Solar 2 (PC) | ||
| |date= 14 July 2011 | |date= 14 July 2011 |archive-date= 29 November 2011 |magazine= ] | ||
| ⚫ | | |
||
| |work= ] | |||
| |first= Nate | |first= Nate | ||
| |last= Ralph | |last= Ralph | ||
| Line 157: | Line 156: | ||
| |url= http://www.appspy.com/review/6714/solar-2 | |url= http://www.appspy.com/review/6714/solar-2 | ||
| |title= Solar 2 iPad Review | |title= Solar 2 iPad Review | ||
| |date= 13 February 2013 | |date= 13 February 2013 |access-date= 2 July 2013 |work= App Spy | ||
| |accessdate= 2 July 2013 | |||
| |work= App Spy | |||
| |first= Andrew | |first= Andrew | ||
| |last= Nesvadba | |last= Nesvadba | ||
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| }} | }} | ||
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Latest revision as of 21:55, 1 November 2023
2011 open world sandbox video game
2011 video game
| Solar 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Jay Watts |
| Publisher(s) | Murudai |
| Series | Solar series |
| Engine | Microsoft XNA |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Open world, sandbox video game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Solar 2 is an open world sandbox video game developed by Australian developer Jay Watts' video game studio, Murudai. It was released on 17 June 2011 on Steam for Microsoft Windows and on 19 June 2011 on Xbox Live Indie Games for the Xbox 360. The game was developed with Microsoft's XNA tools, and its development was inspired by indie games such as flOw. The game follows the player in their mission to accumulate enough mass to become several astronomical objects, eventually becoming a Big Crunch, which then produces a Big Bang.
The game is a sequel to Solar (2009), and features most of the same key gameplay elements of its predecessor, expanded and polished considerably. It was developed over ten months and includes a score composed by sound designer and musician JP Neufeld. Solar 2 received mainly positive reviews from video game journalists, scoring 72 out of 100 on aggregate website Metacritic. It was awarded the first prize at the 2011 Microsoft Dream Build Play competition, and was among the video games showcased at the 10th Penny Arcade Expo.
Gameplay
Solar 2 is an open world sandbox video game played from a two-dimensional perspective. The player is given an asteroid, and their main mission is to accumulate enough mass to become several astronomical objects. The game ends when and if the player manages to accumulate enough mass to become a Big Crunch, which then produces a Big Bang. However, the player is free to not finish the game, and is able to stay at the form of the object of their preference. Eight different objects are available in the game: asteroid, small planet, life planet, small star, medium star, large star, neutron star and black hole.
The game takes place in a borderless and randomly generated universe, filled with asteroids, planets, stars and planetary systems. Life forms are also present in the game. They appear on planets sufficiently big to store life, and are represented by a variety of ships of different size and attack power. Spaceships are coloured green if they belong to the player's planet, or to a planet that belongs to the player's planetary system; red if they belong to an enemy planet or planetary system; and white if they don't belong to any planet or system. All the spaceships in the map are controlled by the game's artificial intelligence (AI), and they will constantly engage in combat against enemy ships, asteroids or planets to destroy them.
At the beginning of the game, the player accumulates mass by colliding their asteroid against other asteroids until enough mass has been gathered to become a small planet. From there, the player has to absorb other asteroids to make their planet grow enough to become a life planet; crashing against other objects will decrease the player's mass. At this point, life forms will evolve in the planet, creating spaceships, planetary shields and cannons. If the player wishes, they can accumulate more mass until their planet becomes a star. Life forms will disappear, but the player is able to attract planets to form a planetary system, further grow the star by absorbing other planets, or a combination of both. The player can also create multi-star systems by selecting planets from their system and make them absorb asteroids until they become another star.
Growing the star will increase its gravitational force, which increases the number of planets the planetary system can have. They are also able to attract planetary systems composed of stars with lower mass than that of the player, or being attracted to stars with bigger mass. If both stars collide, they will be reduced to a lesser size within the same type of object. For example, if the player controls a small star and collides against a medium star, the player will be disintegrated while the AI-controlled star will be reduced to a small star. Being reduced from a small star to a life planet is not possible, as well as being reduced from a small planet to an asteroid. In these cases, the player is respawned, with random mass, close to the place where they collided.
Solar 2 also includes a variety of achievements and object-oriented missions that can be played at any time. Missions can be found following the directional arrows in the interface, and the AI keeps track of which missions the player has finished. The game also keeps record of several accomplishments the player has reached, such as the distance travelled, the number of objects and enemies destroyed by the player or the spaceships belonging to the player. Solar 2 allows the player to save progress at any point. A "save system" feature is also present; it allows the player to save specific configurations of stars and planets that the player has created. The player can respawn from them at any time.
Development
Solar 2 was developed by Jay Watts under his video game studio Murudai. Watts, who received a degree in biotechnology from an Australian college, had no previous knowledge of video game development prior to coding Solar 2's predecessor, Solar, for the Xbox 360. Development of Solar started in July 2008 as a Flash game. Many of the key gameplay elements featured in the sequel, such as the infinite sandbox, were envisioned during this timespan. In an interview with FleshEatingZipper, Watts revealed that Thatgamecompany's indie game flOw was an inspiration for him: "I loved the simplicity of the game and the ambiance." Solar, released in 2009, became a commercial success; it sold 30,000 copies and allowed Watts to work full-time on its sequel.
Development of Solar 2 lasted for at least ten months. The game was developed using Microsoft XNA, a set of tools focused on video game development created by Microsoft. According to Watts, Solar 2 was "mainly expanding on original idea and polishing it to perfection." However, he commented that the concept of both games took several design iterations to reach its final version: "I played with many, many ideas before finally settling on what I have now." Sound designer and musician JP Neufeld composed the game's score. According to Watts, this was done because there was "no way I could do music as good as he can." Both the Windows and Xbox 360 versions of the game were developed simultaneously. About the Xbox 360 version, Watts commented that "the lack of keyboards and the aging Xbox 360 hardware were a bit tricky, and updating the Xbox version is a huge pain to do."
Release
Solar 2 was released on 17 June 2011 on Steam for Microsoft Windows and on 19 June 2011 on Xbox Live Indie Games for the Xbox 360. In July 2012, Watts announced that he was working on Mac OS X and Linux versions of the game. However, given that the original game was developed using the Windows-only XNA platform, he expected the ports to be ready sometime before the end of the year. In October 2012, the Mac port was announced and released on Steam. The iPad version of the game was released in March 2013. An Android version was also made available in March 2013.
Reception
Reception| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 72% |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GamePro | 80% |
| IGN | 8.0/10 |
| PC Gamer (UK) | 82% |
| AppSpy | 4/5 |
Solar 2 received a positive response from video game journalists upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the game received an average score of 72 based on 8 reviews. Most critics praised the physics-based gameplay and soundtrack, but criticized the exceedingly difficult missions and somewhat repetitive gameplay. However, the game won the US$20,000 first prize at the 2011 Microsoft Dream Build Play competition, and became a finalist at the 2011 IndieCade festival. Solar 2 was also among the ten indie video games showcased at the 10th Penny Arcade Expo, held in August 2011.
IGN's Gord Goble criticized the difficulty of the missions but praised the game's soundtrack, which he called a combination of "new age-meets-Alan Parsons Project-meets-Pink Floyd-meets-2001: A Space Odyssey audioscape." He also highlighted several features he would have liked to see in the game, such as a more complex universe to explore and the ability to control the life forms in the planets controlled by the player. Graham Smith from PC Gamer was also critical of the missions' difficulty, although concluded that it was "a good price for a universe." GamePro's Nate Ralph mentioned the life forms as the only negative aspect of the game.
The iPad and Android versions of Solar 2 were also well received. App Spy's Andrew Nesvadba, on his review of the iPad version of the game, highlighted the overall sense that "nothing about the game feels like a waste of time or effort," but criticized the lack of control over the life forms. Meanwhile, Andrew Martonik from Android Central acknowledged that Solar 2 had all the elements necessary for a great game.
References
- ^ "Solar 2 Review". IGN. Ziff Davis Media. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Watts, Jay. Solar 2 (tutorial). Murudai. 2011.
- ^ Ralph, Nate (14 July 2011). "Review: Solar 2 (PC)". GamePro. IDG. Archived from the original on 29 November 2011.
- ^ Smith, Graham (14 August 2011). "Solar 2 review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ PJ (1 June 2011). "Featured Indie Dev: Jay Watts gets intergalactic with Solar 2". Indie Pub. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ "FEZ Interviews: Jay Watts, Developer of Solar 2!". FleshEatingZipper. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ Clark, Josh (29 June 2011). "Solar 2 Developer Interview - Jay Watts". Dealspwn. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- "Solar 2". Steam. Valve. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- "Solar 2". Xbox Live Marketplace. Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- Watts, Jay (16 July 2012). "Update July 2012 – What's Next". Murudai. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- Watts, Jay (23 October 2012). "Solar 2 Available Now on Mac!". Murudai. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- Watts, Jay (11 February 2013). "Solar 2 now available on iPad!". Murudai. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- "Solar 2". App Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ Martonik, Andrew (8 March 2013). "Reviewing Humble Bundle 5: Solar 2". Android Central. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- ^ "Solar 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Nesvadba, Andrew (13 February 2013). "Solar 2 iPad Review". App Spy. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- Conditt, Jessica (28 August 2011). "Congratulations to the 2011 Dream Build Play winners!". Joystiq. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- Brown, Nathan (16 September 2011). "IndieCade finalists announced". Edge. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- W., Tim (9 July 2011). "Indie Selections For 2011 'PAX 10' Showcase Announced". IndieGames.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2013.