Close To The Sun: Explore the Mysterious Vessel Helios in a Tesla-Shaped World

Close to the Sun is a first-person adventure horror game set in an alternate-history 19th century, where Nikola Tesla’s inventions have reshaped the world. Players take on the role of journalist Rose Archer, who ventures aboard the mysterious research vessel Helios to find her missing sister. The game blends atmospheric exploration, environmental storytelling, and light puzzle-solving, creating a tense, immersive experience.

Plot and Setting

In a world where Tesla’s scientific breakthroughs have changed the course of history, the Helios serves as a massive research ship and sanctuary for the greatest minds of the era. However, upon arriving, Rose discovers the ship is eerily deserted, with cryptic messages, signs of chaos, and hints of a catastrophic experiment gone wrong. As she searches for her sister, Ada, Rose uncovers dark secrets about Tesla’s experiments, the nature of the Helios, and the dangers that lurk aboard the ship.

Gameplay Mechanics

Exploration: Players navigate the Helios, a beautifully crafted yet haunting environment filled with art deco-inspired architecture and detailed interiors that reveal the grandeur and tragedy of Tesla’s vision.
Puzzle Solving: The game features environmental puzzles that require players to interact with Tesla’s advanced machinery and uncover hidden pathways.
Storytelling: Through notes, audio logs, and environmental details, players piece together the events leading to Helios’s downfall.
Atmosphere and Tension: The game relies on psychological horror rather than combat, creating suspense through its eerie setting, unsettling sound design, and moments of quiet dread.
Chases and Escapes: At key points, players must evade hostile entities in high-stakes chase sequences that heighten the tension and urgency.

Visuals and Audio

Close to the Sun is visually stunning, with its art deco style and richly detailed environments that evoke the grandeur of early 20th-century innovation. The Helios is both a marvel of design and a decaying husk, contrasting beauty with decay. The sound design amplifies the sense of dread, with ominous music, creaking metal, and distant whispers immersing players in the ship’s unsettling atmosphere.

Reception and Impact

Close to the Sun received praise for its atmospheric world-building, compelling story, and striking visuals. While some critics noted its reliance on familiar tropes and a lack of replayability, the game was widely appreciated for its immersive environment and narrative-driven gameplay. Fans of narrative-focused horror and alternate history settings found Close to the Sun a memorable experience.

Have you played Close To The Sun? What’s your favourite part of it? We’d love to hear from you.

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