Close to the Sun wants to be a BioShock knockoff, and mostly succeeds at being a slow, atmospheric horror game with a thin mystery wrapped around a bigger question about time and electricity. Developed by Storm in a Teacup and published by Wired Productions, the game launched on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch in 2019, with the Switch version arriving later through Warp Digital. It is a first-person puzzle-adventure set in an alternate 1897 where Nikola Tesla runs a massive ocean liner called the Helios, and the whole thing is a quarantine zone.
Trailer, via Wired Productions.
The Setting: Tesla’s Floating Lab
The Helios is the centerpiece. It is a huge ship filled with labs, living quarters, gardens, rail lines and a Tesla Tower. The game calls it a haven for the world’s greatest scientific minds, independent from state and isolated from society. That isolation is the point. Tesla’s company, Wardenclyffe, owns and manages the vessel, and the game leans on documents like letters and newspapers scattered through the ship to build out its world.
The setting is grandiose, with golden effigies and magnificent finery stretching across the halls. But the contrast is stark. Flies, rats, carrion birds and a destroyed environment sit alongside the opulence. The game uses this contrast to sell its horror tone, and it works well visually even when the gameplay behind it struggles.
Ada’s Letter and the Quarantine
Rose Archer, the protagonist, is a young journalist searching for her sister Ada, who works on the Helios as a lead researcher. Rose boards the ship after receiving a mysterious letter from Ada, which comes with a strange communication device. The letter sets the plot in motion, and Ada’s denial that she sent it creates the core mystery of the game.
The game opens with Rose entering the deserted front lobby, only to find the doors locking behind her. The word “QUARANTINE!” is painted across the entrance. From there, Rose moves through the ship, solving puzzles, finding documents and avoiding a monster that chases her in brief chase sequences.
Ada’s Story and the Time Accident
Ada reveals early on that there was an accident involving time aboard the ship. The game is set in a one-electron universe, and the ship’s endless supply of electricity is being pulled from time itself. Ada also suggests that the letter Rose received might have been sent by a future version of herself, using her research.
The game uses glowing gold figures that appear to be visions of the past, showing daily life on the ship before the accident. This is the closest the game gets to a visual storytelling trick that feels inspired by the BioShock series. It is a clever idea, but it is used sparingly.
Aubrey and the Engine Room
Rose meets a man named Aubrey, who is trapped in the Engine room. He requests her help, but Rose agrees only if she can help her sister at the same time. Aubrey talks to the corpses he is trapped with, including one named “Benny.” This subplot adds some texture to the game’s cast, but it is small compared to the central mystery of Ada.
The Chase Sequences and the Weak Spots
The gameplay is where Close to the Sun shows its cracks. It is a puzzle-adventure game, and the puzzles are mostly about acquiring inventory objects and solving environmental challenges. The chase sequences, where Rose runs from a killer or monster, are the weakest part of the design. They are clunky, and the monster is rarely threatening enough to feel dangerous.
The game is built using Unreal Engine, and the graphics hold up well for the era. The lighting, the textures and the scale of the ship are all presented with care. But the frame rate dips in busier areas, and the load times are noticeable on slower hardware.
Where Close to the Sun Falls Short
Close to the Sun borrows heavily from the BioShock series, and that comparison is not flattering. The game has a similar setup of a floating city filled with secrets, but it lacks the narrative depth and the sense of place that made BioShock memorable. The story is thin, and the mystery of Ada’s letter is resolved without much payoff.
The game is also short. It can be finished in under ten hours, which is a tight runtime for a game this size. The pacing suffers as a result. Some sections drag, and the middle stretch of the game feels like filler between set pieces.
Here is a quick rundown of the game’s strengths and weaknesses:
- Strong visual atmosphere, especially in the ship’s grand halls
- Interesting premise about time and electricity
- Solid document-based world-building through letters and newspapers
- Clunky chase sequences that break immersion
- Thin mystery that resolves without much weight
- Short runtime that limits depth
| Element | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Grandiose ship design, effective contrast between beauty and decay | Slow pacing in some areas |
| Story | Premise about time and electricity is intriguing | Thin mystery with little payoff |
| Gameplay | Puzzle-solving is solid | Chase sequences are clunky |
| Atmosphere | Strong lighting and textures | Frame rate dips in busy areas |
The Verdict
Close to the Sun is a game that understands how to look like a BioShock knockoff, but it never quite reaches the heights of the original. The atmosphere is strong, the premise is interesting, and the visual design is detailed. But the gameplay is weak, the mystery is thin, and the runtime is short. It is a game worth playing for a few hours, but it is not a game that rewards a full commitment.
The game is best enjoyed as a curiosity, a period-piece horror adventure that tries to do something different with the floating-city formula. It does not succeed fully, but it does not fail entirely either. Close to the Sun is a flawed but occasionally impressive attempt at something bigger than itself.
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