Story:
This game’s story on a surface level is pretty simple and just fine, save the world, protect Niko, meet people along the way. Though, what makes this game stand out to me from it’s basic premise and other games I’ve played in general is the special connection between the player and protagonist this game develops. I was particularly a big fan of the often minor but extremely wholesome interactions that the player and Niko share where, with enough suspension in belief, feel real enough to be incredibly warm. And I think it’s this special trait that hold this game together as something worth pursuing to completion. Sure, it’s great to root for characters in fiction you cherish just because you like them, but it’s an entirely different echelon of engagement and heart wrought upon to root for a character who befriends and looks up to you like in OneShot. The characters that Niko meet are a fine cast, but what makes every interaction so special is seeing Niko develop relationships and, as the player, build a deeper understanding of who Niko is and build attachment. Was horribly anxious and shaky during the finale, adored it with all my heart.
Every dream sequence in this game hit like bricks...
Something more niche and likely personal was how the “lingering feeling that you're not getting the full story unless you know where to look” affected me. It made me interact with everything, which I regret by no means, and I feel gripped me extra hard when it came to the idea of only having one shot. That sense of urgency gracefully and effectively built baggage that drove forward the determination to spend as much time as I could in the world, which I think is just extremely powerful with how it feeds into the relationship discussed in the paragraph above.

Gameplay:
The gameplay outside of the game’s wonderful characterization, at least in my first time experience, was a bit of aimless wandering/puzzle solving. I was probably in the Barrens for an hour trying to get the item in the code locked crate before I even could ’cuz the game doesn’t really define objectives all the time and throws a mix of information that’s useful for progression between simply world-building pieces across papers and NPCs. Sometimes the game will give a hint on what to do next, other times, Niko will say “Bummer.” and the next thing you’re supposed to do to progress is brute-force a puzzle (lab entry light puzzle). Other-other times, the solution will almost be entirely spelled out for the player, which I thought was strange for what were supposed to be the game’s most mysterious and involved puzzles I imagine. My point being, that my slight frustration could’ve been swapped for intrigue by making the gimmick based puzzles the somewhat challenging ones.

Solstice:
Solstice gameplay rubbed more or less the same on me, but the story...
For the most part, I think it's just great, that is until the final act with The World Machine where OneShot makes it's greatest impression upon the player. What the original OneShot endings do is incredible, a par for the course tragedy that leaves your heart with a need to be mended. Solstice takes the idea and flips it on it's head, where, the only tragedy is resolution and that to me was far more powerful. This whole game builds up a relationship with Niko and the player, the original two endings never really get closure, there's still something to latch on to. Solstice breaks that barrier and lets the emotions rush, and soon all you're left with is that DAMN good OST to remind you of just how painful it is to lose those you love.

The game definitely makes up for any grievances with gameplay through sheer heart and delivers it's experience with grace.
Perfect.

Number Rating : 4.5/5