Studio Doodal‘s Solateria is another Souls-like Metroidvania. In the first few moments of playing the game, I was admittedly underwhelmed. It feels like these types of games are a dime a dozen, and that’s why the unique qualities of these titles help the cream rise to the top. For Solateria, its strength lies in its beautiful hand-drawn art style and unique narrative twists.
Earlier this year, I played “MIO: Memories In Orbit,” and for better or worse, there are several similarities between that game and Solateria. In this game, you play as Tott, a Litt Pyron Warrior tasked with finding the missing King as your people face the terror of a Shadow Plague. Much like MIO, the character wakes up with no memories and a calling. Unlike MIO, there is voice acting. However, the voice acting isn’t in English, but it still adds charm to the characters you meet.
I won’t bury the lede. Solateria is another strong Metroidvania in 2026 and one worth your time. Still, with so many top-tier games in this style (Nine Sols, Hollow Knight, and the aforementioned MIO) available on a service like Game Pass, what makes this title different, and who should pick it up on Steam right now?
Parry-Style Combat Is The Soul of Solateria
If you’re a fan of parry-based gameplay and have beaten all the games mentioned above, this one is for you. There are four difficulty levels, from intensely challenging battles to an easy mode that allows any block to be counted as a successful parry, helping you move through quickly. Even on the balanced difficulty, combat was intense. Ultimately, I started a second save file on the easiest setting just to get through the story. Still, when you do land a successful parry, the action flows wonderfully, and it is all very satisfying.
Gorgeous Visuals Are a Blazing Strong Point
I love the art style of this game. The characters, many of which take on fire-based visuals, are all the perfect blend of cute and genuinely beautiful, too. The different areas of the very large map are all visually wonderfully diverse, even if the layout isn’t rewriting the genre.
The music also helps add to the atmosphere. However, as someone who regularly listens to video game music in the background of my everyday life, there was nothing here that I felt I’d be seeking out later. That said, it will absolutely suck you in while you’re playing the game.
Skill Upgrades and Unique Layouts Fuel the Fire at the Heart of This Gem
Progression is the Beating Heart of Metroidvania titles. Solateria provides a wealth of upgrades for everything from skills to gear, and you can even cook food to boost your stats. You upgrade your Core Stone with Inflare, this game’s version of skill points. You can change your layout every time you save the game at an altar. You’re even allowed to remove Inflare points from certain skills and add them to others as you please. This means you can level up your version of Tott as you please and also offers so much in the way of replayability.
Try to speed run different boss battles on harder difficulties, or start a save file on the easiest difficulty and just enjoy the side quests and world-building that Solateria offers. Different purchasables are powered by OHN, this game’s in-game currency, and enemies are very gracious with how much they drop, so there’s never any need to worry about having to grind for upgrade resources.
Solateria Verdict
Overall, this is an amazing Metroidvania. It’s so good that it turned me around from the mindset of “We have MIO at home,” to “Everyone should give this a shot.” Still, as mentioned above, there are many similar, already critically acclaimed titles that regularly go on sale and are on services such as Game Pass for those who pay for those subscriptions. Even with all of that in mind, this game is still a must-play for fans of the genre.
At a time in life when our own real-life resources may be limited, the $20 price tag for Solateria is an absolute steal. In fact, you can purchase Hollow Knight: Silksong, MIO, and this game for about the price of an average AAA title. Go out of your way to play this one; it’s another absolute gem.
Solateria is available on PC via Steam. To talk about this game and others, join the Insider Gaming Discord. Plus, don’t forget to sign up for the Insider Gaming weekly newsletter.
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