In 2021, a newly-established independent company called Tactical Adventures released a CRPG namedSolasta: Crown of the Magisteron Windows PCs and macOS. The game, which was ported to Xbox consoles and PlayStation 5 after its initial debut, was a tactical isometric role-playing game with turn-based combat. Games like these are a dime a dozen on PC storefronts like Steam, butSolasta: Crown of the Magisterwas able to stand out from the crowd due to its high-quality strategic gameplay. While it wasn’t as successful as otherCRPGcontemporaries, likeBaldur’s Gate 3, it was still a relatively well-received game, and it garnered a passionate fanbase in the years to follow.
After it leftearly access on PC, Tactical Adventures continued developing new content forSolasta: Crown of the Magisterin the form of free post-launch updates. The game was supported for more than 2 years in this manner until, eventually, in June 2023, the company announced that it was moving on to its next project. It was unclear what Tactical Adventures was working on at the time, but fans didn’t have to wait too long to find out. About a year and a half later, the indie developer announced during The Game Awards 2024 that it was creating a follow-up toSolasta: Crown of the Magister, simply titledSolasta 2.
Solasta 2 Was Officially Announced at The Game Awards 2024
Solasta 2 is an Impressive-Looking CRPG that Uses the D&D 5e Ruleset
The reveal trailer forSolasta 2didn’t show a lot of gameplay, but it did give players a glimpse of what to expect from the upcoming RPG. For starters, this successor toSolasta: Crown of the Magisterseems to have a considerably larger budget than its predecessor. It has more realistic environments, better-detailed NPCs, and improved particle effects; there even appear to be more close-up shots of the characters in-game compared to the originalSolasta. Despite the graphical overhaul,Solasta 2is, according to the developers, going to maintain thetactical turn-based combatof its predecessor, and will feature larger, open areas, allowing players to “freely roam the lands of Neokos.”
Solasta 2’sreveal trailermay remind some fans of the fellow CRPGBaldur’s Gate 3because both games take inspiration from the same source.Solasta 2andBaldur’s Gate 3are video game adaptations ofD&D5e, the fifth edition ruleset of the hit tabletop RPGDungeons & Dragons. The two games do share some surface-level similarities, but are quite different in concept.Baldur’s Gate 3is more focused on choice-based storytelling, whileSolastaplaces a greater emphasis on translating theD&D5e ruleset to the video game medium as faithfully as possible. Nonetheless,Solasta 2may be able to satisfy lapsedBaldur’s Gate 3players who are searching for another CRPG to play.
The Success of Baldur’s Gate 3 May Benefit Solasta 2 in the Long Run
It’s no secret thatBaldur’s Gate 3was a massive commercial success for Belgian developer Larian Studios. After being in early access for 3 years, the game was fully released in 2023 to unanimous critical acclaim and was widely regarded by most critics as being the best game of last year.Turn-based CRPGs likeBaldur’s Gate 3were normally not that popular, but Larian’s breakout hit made the genre mainstream again, just like it was in the 1990s. Its success even encouraged people to try out more fantasy CRPG video games.
Solasta 2might not have gained much attention if it had been released 5 years ago, but since it’s coming out afterBaldur’s Gate 3, it may attract a larger audience than usual for a CRPG. Due to the fact that ittakes a lot of inspiration fromDungeons & Dragons, Tactical Adventures' upcoming RPG will be immediately familiar toBG3fans and more approachable compared to other games in the genre. Only time will tell how popularSolasta 2will be, but players will be able to try the game out when it is released in early access for Windows PCs sometime in 2025.
