PC Critic Reviews

Despite some limits, Close to the Sun is a nice ride through a big, scary ship.

Boasting gorgeous aesthetics and displaying a bold level of ambition, Close To The Sun is a highly atmospheric alternative history mystery, set aboard a remarkable location.

When Tesla fights with Edison, sparkles fly. An above-average story, perfect atmosphere and a decent pace. You will spend one great afternoon with the game despite its minor shortcomings. [Issue#304]

Close to the Sun deserves praise for the world it builds and just how gorgeously rendered that world is. There are moments of pure wonder throughout the campaign, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. Between an underdeveloped protagonist and a lack of meaningful collectibles, I was left wanting more. In the end, the problem is not that it flies too close to the sun, but rather it doesn’t fly close enough.

Storm in a Teacup did an excellent job in creating an intriguing and at the same time anxious setting, even if it’s held back by shallow puzzles and pointless action sections.

In the end, your enjoyment of Close to the Sun will depend on whether you want to be surprised. If you've played some of the previously mentioned games, you know exactly what to expect in terms of pacing and story, even if the subject matter is different. The lack of combat is an interesting choice, but the simple puzzles and slightly frustrating chase sequences dull the experience, while the inability to view collectibles after you leave a level significantly diminishes their value.

Although the slow tempo of the gameplay might not be appealing to everyone, and although the story could have ended much, much better, Close to the Sun is still a great title that easily worth 5 to 6 hours of your time.

Close to the Sun is one of the best examples of the “walking simulator” style of adventure game I’ve seen in quite some time. It does a wonderful job of blending the visual style of BioShock with the tense atmosphere of Outlast and slow-paced world-building of Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture. While the sometimes-obtuse puzzles and slow pacing can cause frustration and repetition, this is a harrowing and thoughtfully designed adventure from start to finish.

Close to the Sun is great at atmosphere-building, but the ending is nothing short of disappointing: too many big questions are left unanswered, as if developers couldn’t bring themselves to choose one version of the events over all others.[Issue#238, p.64]

With the BioShock atmosphere, the Firewatch narrative design, and a glimpse of Outlast, Close to the Sun is a medley that works from an esthetic and lore side but sometimes lacks of polish on a more technical and gameplay side. Plus, the game is really short (4/5 hours).