PREVIEW
CLOSE TO THE SUN
Theygota biggerboatTheshiploomsuponusfromthemist,
a 2.5kmirongiantrisingintoview
asweapproach.Insidetheenormous
Heliosisjustasdaunting.A scientific
safespacecreatedbyNikolaTesla,unhinderedby
governmentormoralinterventionsomethinghas
gonehorriblywrong.We’reheretofindoursister.It’sa simpletaskthat
unfurlsintosomethingnastier.Afterwe’vestopped
gawpingatthescaleoftheship’sinternaldocks,
wenoticewe’realone.Automaticdoorsshudder
awkwardly,a Tannoysquawksandbuzzes,andblood
trailsleadusdeeperintotheship.A shadowflitsout
ofsightaswefumblewitha doorcodeconundrum.
The Helios is an art deco masterpiece, but one in
disrepair and stained in blood. Close To The Sun has
been compared to BioShock, and we can see why.
But there’s no combat. Any confrontation needs to
be survived, not fought. The dev team has focused
on world building, narrative, and puzzle solving. This
could be the best indie since Hellblade.
The Helios is remarkable, but the game plays out
in less original ways, with messages scrawled on
walls, clues hidden in old newspaper articles, and
we stumble into a room of mannequins – always a
winner, but not new. What does surprise us is the
lavish design and tease of something bigger deep
down below. We need to keep exploring.“DOORS SHUDDER,
A TANNOY SQUAWKS,
BLOOD TRAILS LEAD
US INTO THE SHIP.”
Nightat theopera
Caught in a landslide? Then run for your life1
The theatre is one
of the game’s many
standout locations, but
there’s no time to admire the
ornate design, as you need
to find your sister’s notes...2
She hid them in her
private box, way above
the stage, on the
night of the opera. Time to
navigate the ruined theatre
and search her research.3
Maybe you shouldn’t
have, as Ludwig, a
recurring character
who’s out for your blood,
lurches from the shadows.
It’s time to run.FORMAT PS4 / ETA SEP
PUB WIRED PRODUCTIONS / DEV STORM IN A TEACUP
Above The art deco design of the Helios is beautiful, and full of narrative clues.
The crew and guests of
the Helios turned on one
another, but what could
have driven them insane?