Solasta II has been on my mind since I first glimpsed it last year. The vertical slice shown during that brief preview was enough to convince me to try the original game, which I have played twice now. Looking back, I am even more impressed by what developer Tactical Adventures accomplished on a narrative level. A mere 30-minute preview contained more story than an entire campaign I have come to love.
When the chance to preview an early build of Solasta II landed in my inbox, it was one of the fastest “yes” replies I have ever sent.
Solasta II Early Access Overview
Solasta II is a tactical role-playing adventure with a heavy emphasis on turn-based combat. Combat and systems are built using the latest 2024 D&D SRD (5.2) ruleset. The Early Access release covers Act One of the story, which amounts to roughly 10 to 15 hours of gameplay.
Your task is to guide four siblings on a quest to uphold the legacy of their late adoptive mother. It’s a holy mission foisted upon you by the goddess Maraike herself after a fifth sibling insults her to her face and attempts necromancy on your dearly departed mom at her funeral. Family is messy—no judgment.
The nature of your quest remains unclear. Maraike doesn’t seem all that interested in providing details, but the burden is accepted anyway. What are you going to do—say no to a god?
After berating our bloodline, Maraike teleports the Colwalls to the land of Neokos, where they are left to figure things out on their own. It does not go well. The Colwalls are lost, underpowered, and unknown to the local factions. Still, they stumble forward through prison stints, monster slaying, ghostly encounters, and stretches of wilderness exploration.
That’s all in the first hour, and I won’t spoil any more of the plot, but it’s compelling. Narratively, Act One runs deep. The story unfolds like a shotgun blast of plot points, but thanks to excellent note-taking and character trackers, it holds together remarkably well and sets the stage for an epic adventure.
New players do not need to worry about catching up on lore. This is a story you can jump into blind. As returning fans will tell you, however, the narrative is mostly set dressing. Like Solasta: Crown of the Magister before it, Solasta II is all about the tactical turn-based combat.
Solasta II Early Access Combat
If you’re here for the fighting, you won’t be disappointed.
Combat in Solasta II is brutal and protracted. After a few introductory melees with kobolds and dryads, you are thrown straight into the fire. Each battle demands careful positioning, spell management, and constant maneuvering. Even early encounters feel like desperate struggles for survival. Once the fighting stops and loot is collected, a larger battle is often waiting around the corner instead of a place to rest.
This staged structure is punishing, but it’s also what blurs the line between a typical RPG and a strategy game.
It may look like Baldur’s Gate 3, but the grid-based crucibles feel closer to the crushing rhythm of an XCOM battle. Survival is even harder here. Wounded party members cannot be swapped out between fights. Encounters are long, broken up by brief pauses instead of rest points. My rat-like soul tried to game the system by retreating to the world map for a long rest before reentering the fray. Unfortunately, roaching was accounted for. Exiting a battlespace resets the fight. I’m sorry, fellow cowards—tactical withdrawals aren’t in the cards.
Overall, combat shares a heart with Solasta: Crown of the Magister, but in the sequel, it beats faster. The Unreal Engine 5 overhaul opens the door to more varied, dynamic environments that look generations ahead of the original. There are more opportunities for cover, elevation changes, and environmental shenanigans, all enhanced by particle effects and lighting that heighten the drama of every encounter.
“Like Solasta: Crown of the Magister before it, Solasta II is all about the tactical turn-based combat.”
That improvement isn’t without issues. Foliage-rich wilds and crumbling ruins are gorgeous but visually busy. Combined with a UI that can get comically dense, a camera that doesn’t snap to selections, and enemies that often share a colour palette with their surroundings, it’s easy to lose track of what’s happening. Even the event log can’t fully prevent occasional confusion.
Staking Its Claim
I have a hot take: I didn’t like Baldur’s Gate 3. When you’re done throwing rocks at your screen, hear me out. It’s a fine game, great even, but tonally it didn’t work for me. Modern D&D rarely does.
The problem is predictability. Style guides and canonized lore have turned a universe of infinite possibilities into a marketable playset. Recurring characters, tropes, and expectations are prioritized over imagination. Hasbro shines a light into every corner to make sure consumers see all the neat things they can buy. Corporate control has blown the mists out of our dungeons.
To a lesser extent, this has even happened to Pathfinder. The last refuge for lovers of imaginative high-fantasy adventure is homebrew, which Solasta II embraces. The game uses the D&D SRD ruleset but places it in a world all its own.
Species, classes, and components feel familiar yet remain unpredictable. Entering the unknown reintroduces wonder to the world. This would be great on its own, but it also supports the plot and bolsters immersion. The player and party are in the same boat—fish out of water, exploring familiar surroundings from an outsider’s perspective. That uncertainty translates into a real sense of danger.
All in the Family
The Colwalls were not born for this quest. They are not the chosen ones. They are grieving, bickering siblings. Small and lost. Competent journeymen, but very, very squishy.
The family dynamic is the most impactful homebrew addition. The sibling connection keeps the party small and inseparable while giving each character a distinct voice in conversations that extend beyond class or background.
It’s still early days, but I’m sold. The Solasta II Early Access build already feels complete and expansive. There’s freedom to explore and experiment, yet the story remains tightly focused. Tight is probably the best word for Solasta II.
The tale of the Colwalls has an unwieldy number of threads, but the game’s design weaves them together so that no matter where players pull, or how they try to break it, the tapestry can’t be undone. Trust me, I tried. At most, you can undermine the drama by creating a party of freak shows during character creation.
Because Solasta II is not a tightly curated D&D product, Tactical Adventures was free to build a radically open character creation menu. We are not just choosing a haircut and a dong variant to slap on a Barbie. This is old school character creation. If you want a refined gentleman fighter, go for it. If you would prefer a high elf with facial tattoos, lip glitter, a Farquad haircut, and a Habsburg chin, that is your prerogative.
Solasta II launches into Early Access on March 12. Fans of the original will not be disappointed, and new players looking for an intricate role-playing experience with deep strategic combat should not miss it.
