Solstice Chronicles: MIA trailer showcases a twin-stick shooter with a 'tactical twist'

Solstice Chronicles: MIA, so its Steam page says, is a "tactical twist on twin-stick shooters." I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure what that means, but there's lots of gunfire and explosions, some grim, grimy environments, spots of silliness here and there, and a drone that promises to properly mix things up. It's also got a pretty decent new trailer, put out today by developer Ironward to mark the game's release. 

A follow-up—but not a direct sequel—to the 2015 squad-based game The Red Solstice, Solstice Chronicles: MIA looks considerably more action-oriented, although players will still have to balance "the risk and reward of decisions that drastically change the threat you face," developer Ironward warned. "Decide between scavenging for supplies and upgrades in the face of the oncoming menace, or pushing forward, potentially unprepared for the enemies still to come." 

The game will feature ugpradeable weaponry of the usual variety, including shotguns, rocket launchers, and tons o' fun heavies like the autocannon and the flamethrower. Characters can be developed through four distinct classes as well, to make them "the ultimate instrument of destruction." The drone's ability to scavenge and assist with crowd management will obviously play a big role, and the threat level management sounds like a potentially very interesting idea too: A bit like Grand Theft Auto, except that being nice and staying out of trouble really doesn't look like an option. 

It even comes with a bit of game-related trivia: Solstice Chronicles: MIA is only the second Fig-funded game to be released, arriving less than a week behind the first, Kingdoms and Castles.

Solstice Chronicles: MIA is available now on Steam for ten percent off its regular $20/£15/€20 price. Find out more at solsticechronicles.com

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.