Introduction

Aboard the grand Helios, one might expect a buffet of futuristic inventions, breathtaking beauty, and wholesome Tesla vibes. Instead, we’re greeted with blood, screams, and more confusion than a cat on a rollercoaster. Welcome to Close to the Sun, where the only thing more shocking than the plot twists is the electrical hazards! If you thought your family gatherings were tense, wait till you see estranged sisters and time travel collide amid electric horror.

Gameplay

The gameplay owes a hefty nod to legendary titles like BioShock, relying heavily on atmospheric storytelling, immersive environments, and puzzles that make your brain cry quietly in the corner. You’ll be running away from various ‘Time Anomalies’—which might as well be called ‘the monsters that really need a hug’—while also discovering rich snippets of narrative through scattered documents. Puzzles range from ‘Oh, that’s clever’ to ‘Did I accidentally step into a math test?’, leaving a diverse impression on players. Chase sequences are abound, where you’ll do more sprinting than an Olympic marathoner, balancing running from your personal trauma and the aforementioned creatures that have questionable motives at best.

Graphics

Let’s not sugarcoat it: the graphics in Close to the Sun are gorgeous! The atmosphere is thick, like gravy on Thanksgiving dinner. The Helios is sprawling, dripping with steampunk aesthetics and the sort of gloomy elegance that would make any goth teenager's heart flutter with joy. Each room is meticulously crafted, serving both as eye candy and a backdrop for unraveling mysteries, while the lighting dances with shadows that would creep out even the bravest among us. However, sometimes—just sometimes—you might encounter a visual hiccup or a texture glitch that feels like the universe laughed in your face when you least expected it.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, Close to the Sun grabs you by the scruff of your neck and throws you into a twisted narrative that could easily be mistaken for a really bad family reunion. With strong visuals, an engaging plot, and characters whose arcs are as tangled as a pair of earbuds after a night in your pocket, it succeeds at captivating your attention despite its gameplay quirks. While it might not leave you with a full sense of closure at the end (much like most family dramas), it offers a memorable ride full of terror, electric shocks, and enough plot twists to make M. Night Shyamalan proud. Perfect for a rainy night or when your friends are too busy to hang out!

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