Solo: Islands of the Heart pitches itself as an exploration of love in all of it’s forms. It’s in this respect that I found it most compelling. You’re asked to answer questions based on your current, past, or aspiring love interests and the game adapts it’s vignettes to match your choices. I found that the game’s narrative hit home for me in a numbers of ways and this is where the game really shined. After all, it’s always good to have your feelings validated, knowing that you’re not the only one dealing with your emotions. This of course depends completely on how you answer the questions, and whether you answer them honestly. If you don’t, your experience will be muted and much less impactful.
This could have unfolded like a visual novel, however, Solo actually has you navigating a world and solving puzzles to unlock the next bit of the narrative. While I never struggled with the puzzles they really just got in the way of what I wanted out of the game. Most of the puzzles have you moving blocks with a magic wand and placing them to access new areas. The goal is to reach a lighthouse that unlocks the next question and a bit of story. It all plays pretty well once you get used to the mechanics, but the puzzles it never felt necessary. I would have rather walked around the world freely, admiring the beautiful graphics and music, feeding the animals, than solving the puzzles. This would have allowed me to move at my own pace instead of feeling roadblocked by every puzzle.
It is profound, however, that an interactive experience was able to tailor itself to speak to me so well. The choices I made seemed simple, but the snippets I came across and the way the handful of characters talked to me really made me feel like they were talking to me instead of someone like me. I hope it is just as impactful for those with different experiences regarding love. The game also allows you to choose your own gender and sexual orientation at the outset. It’s just a shame every time I connected with the Solo: Islands of the Heart it was met with another lighthouse far off in the distance, and I knew it’ll be sometime before I felt that connection again.
