Solium Infernum Review: A Cult Classic Reborn in Hell

On paper, Solium Infernum sounds almost too weird to work. Take the burning pits of hell, fill them with scheming demons hungry for power, and wrap it all up as a strategy game? Yet this devilish creation from League of Geeks, the team behind Armello, proves looks can be deceiving. Far from some throwaway gimmick, Solium Infernum blossoms into a Machiavellian masterpiece.

At its core lies a brilliantly original premise. Hell’s former CEO, the Dark Majesty himself, has gone missing without a trace. Now, the archfiends left in charge smell opportunity. Whoever claims the vacant throne first gets to rule the infernal realm. Competing against up to six others, whether AI or human, you’ll lie, backstab, and battle for glory as one of these anti-heroes. With wicked names like Asmodeus, Erzsebet and Murmur, each archfiend packs unique skills to conquer hell in their chosen way.

This sets the stage for wonderfully deep strategy layered with political drama. Using only a modest set of units and abilities compared to most games, you’re constantly forced to make tough trade-off decisions. Diplomacy drives much of the action, as temporary alliances give way to sudden betrayals once prestige and power are at stake. Of course, when words come up short, there’s always old-fashioned demonic warfare to settle the score. Just don’t expect Civilization-scale clashes here. Instead, Solium Infernum distills battle into small, brutally consequential skirmishes where psychology often wins out over sheer force.

The result blends tabletop gameplay with digital devilry for an experience offering serious long-term fun. Be warned though: this sinful creation flaunts a steep learning curve. But invest enough effort and Solium Infernum cements itself as one of the most original strategy games in years. The Dark Majesty’s throne sits empty no more.

Mastering the Infernal Systems

Don’t let Solium Infernum’s modest hex map fool you – hidden underneath lies fiendish depth. As the newest heir to hell’s throne, you’ll need to juggle intricate systems covering everything from tribute gathering to open warfare. On the surface, each turn seems simple enough. With only two actions to start, you’ll move legions around the map, collect resources, launch attacks, or perhaps broker a quick alliance. But peer deeper into the abyss, and you’ll uncover interlocking parts combining into a truly original mechanical core.

The true beast in Solium Infernum is the economy, a wonderfully inventive structure built on scarcity. Four tributes drive everything: souls for recruitment and upgrades, ichor to purchase rituals or artifacts, hellfire to summon additional actions, and darkness to increase your archfiend’s power. Each arrives as a randomized collection of coins when commanded, over which you wield shockingly little control. What you do get lies in fusing these coins to amass the larger sums needed for key purchases. But since combining tributes chews up one precious action, a tense balancing act emerges. Economic necessity battles against immediate goals, forcing difficult prioritization under pressure.

And pressure in Solium Infernum flows as constantly as the lava surrounding your citadel. With opponents scheming on all sides to snatch power for themselves, every choice cascades into consequence. Recruit the wrong legion or praetor general at the bazaar, and risk leaving your borders exposed. Neglect building rapport with fellow archfiends, and you may face wars on multiple fronts. Yes, there’s combat aplenty should diplomacy fail. But unlike most tactical titles, bouts of violence here serve larger strategic purpose through the vendetta system. These arranged fights let you weaken rivals, seize territory and score prestige – or suffer humiliation if defeated. Either way, warfare moves the wider battle for hell’s throne itself.

That overarching struggle culminating in a climatic election at the end. While direct conquest can claim victory earlier, outmaneuvering foes to emerge with the most prestige by the closing bells almost always proves most reliable. Every gain of prestige lifts archfiends through infernal ranks, conferring game-changing powers to further outplay opponents. From massively boosting tribute potential to bending conclave rules regarding warfare, these rank perks form key cornerstones around which to build greater schemes. Players who synergize archfiend perks, relics, and ranks rise highest as masters of the systems themselves.

Make no mistake – Solium Infernum flaunts steep learning obstacles. The tutorial barely scratches the surface, and early games often end in ragequit frustration. Yet persistent strategizers will uncovered magnificently multilayered mechanics rewarding mastery. Once the fundamental loops click into place, each part locks so tightly together that the whole subsequently elevates into a mesmerizing orchestra of tension and payoff. No two games ever play quite the same either. Just when you think you’ve decoded the optimal path to victory, the economy constricts your options or vendettas upend the board state entirely. If hell truly exists as a place without rest, Solium Infernum conjures its spirit immaculately.

Playing Your Way Through The Inferno

Solium Infernum flexes substantial variety for life as newly crowned prince of darkness. The solo campaign sees wicked AI archfiends unleash all their cunning, but multiplayer steals the show by enabling deliciously deceitful battles against friends. Get ready for bitterness that ruins real world relationships! Beyond standard game modes, robust customization and asynchronous play grant impressive freedom to experience perdition however you prefer.

In terms of raw content, a dozen chilling chronicles for single player form the main scenario offerings. These guided narratives drop players into famous episodes from Milton’s Paradise Lost, adding specific sub-goals like collecting manuscripts or controlling certain points of power. Optional challenges also increase the stakes through quicker turn timers or tougher AI. Victory typically demands mastery of several strategic and diplomatic systems in concert – no small feat considering the climate of ever-shifting alliances.

Still, Solium Infernum clearly shines brightest when played socially. Multiplayer allows six archfiends, with the remainder filled out by AI as desired. But the real boon comes through asynchronous integration with Steam. Players can take turns simultaneously around the infernal map at their own convenience, rather than needing to gather for hours at once. Just set a comfortable turn timer from 12 hours up to a full week, and gameplay progresses automatically behind the scenes. This opens the doors for enjoying Solium Infernum at a slow burn pace to fit busy schedules. And as friendships transition into bitter rivalries when promises get broken, conducting schemes across such intermittent sessions only heightens the feelings of drama and tension.

Further spice enters the hellish cocktail through considerable character and match customization too. Archfiends flaunt unique starting stats and abilities, but selecting from over 50 relics at the outset enables adaptation of preferred strategies. Certain relics improve efficiency of tribute gathering, for example, while others boost specific combat capabilities. Mixing and matching these powerful items with a given archfiend’s intrinsic talents allows tremendous flexibility. Additionally, players can fine tune games via options for map generation, victory conditions, and turn duration – ensuring no two descents into the pit feel identical.

Of course, the stage stays automatically set for treachery once the match begins as well. Ritual incantations open conduits for all manner of sabotage, from cursing enemy legions to temporarily bewitching rivals’ abilities. The Conclave’s ever-shifting edicts ensure lasting alliances rarely survive too. And should diplomacy totally collapse, artifacts bought at the bazaar confer game-changing trump cards when equipped to praetors or legions. Ultimately, through offering this sheer wealth of gameplay personalization both before and during matches, Solium Infernum cements exceptional replay value.

Visual and Audio Design Drag Players to Hell

Solium Infernum gloriously realizes the intricacies of Milton’s literary Hell across visual, audio, and interface fronts. Somber yet gorgeous artwork immediately grounds players amid the gloomy domains of their chosen archfiend. Shadows dance behind jagged rock formations and smoldering lava flows under a palette of muted greys and crimson.

The distinct character design for each sinister agent, from the winged monstrosity Beelzebub to sensual temptress Lilith, also dazzles with intricate infernal details. Zooming the camera down onto Solium’s hex map beautifully showcases tiny animated touches as well – from skittering imps attending the citadel to shambling undead hordes marching at a legion’s flank.

The interface itself admirably complements presentation too. Clean tabs help navigate between essential functions like battle plans or Conclave edicts, while convenient tooltips explain unfamiliar mechanics or spells. Tracking status updates around turns couldn’t feel more intuitive either, especially when offline thanks to Steam integration. And small touches, like how tribute randomly scatters when commanded or battle outcomes playing out via gorgeously illustrated tarot draw events, continually reinforce atmosphere. Accessibility options allow tweaking font sizes for readability as well.

Of course, the audio experience importantly completes Solium Infernum’s worldbuilding ambience too. Gusts of wind echo with faint screams as eerie background tones evoke the unsettling emptiness of Hell itself. Haunting strings give way to ominous organs and nightmarish shrieks as battles erupt or particularly foreboding magical events unfold.

Coupled with solid voice acting across unit responses and the narrator’s smooth introductions, Solium Infernum undoubtedly delivers on immersing players within its gruesome setting through every last sinister sense. The Dark Majesty might have abandoned his throne, but all evidence points to League of Geeks lavishing utter attention towards crafting a strategic masterpiece befitting Hell’s splendor.

Brace for Impact: Surviving Hell’s Steep Learning Cliff

Make absolutely no mistake – Solium Infernum flaunts outright torturous first impressions. The brief tutorial introduces core concepts like tribute gathering or vendettas. However, pivoting these basics into smooth strategy remains utterly ambiguous to newcomers. Without considerable background playing complex board or video games, early matches often end in ragequit frustration. There’s an underlying masterpiece here, but you’ll need saintly patience to uncover it.

The true issue lies in how Solium Infernum throws players immediately into the deep end rather than slowly easing them in. The economy baffles as randomized tribute yields unpredictable resources subject to intricate fusion rules. Navigating the conclave’s web of diplomacy and vendettas while balancing multiple threats proves painfully overwhelming. Even fundamental functions, like resolving battles or leveraging archfiend/relic synergy, lack proper explanation. The learning curve here less resembles a curve and more a sheer granite cliff face.

Persevering players can clamber up these obstacles though – no flying allowed in Hell! Revisiting the limited in-game wiki frequently helps decode initial confusion piece by piece. Seeking online guides or YouTube explanations also works wonders. And above all, deliberately playing slow while valuing small victories and tiny bits of progress each match eventual pays off. Solium Infernum’s gameplay systems do all interconnect beautifully…once you brute force those connections yourself essentially.

In summary, only strategy veterans boasting generous fortitude need apply for these exclusive infernal estates. Solium Infernum harbors zero interest in coddling newcomers or casual visitors just dropping by for a quick game. But players willing to philanthropically teach themselves through multiple agonizing failures can discover some of the deepest gameplay rewards the entire genre provides. The road to hell just happens to be paved awfully.

The Agonies and Ecstasies of Hell’s Strategy

Solium Infernum proudly casts a double-edged sword. Piercing gameplay innovations bleed copious fun for the hardened, yet also inflicts terrible learning wounds upon novice gamers. We break down key high and low points of the experience in closer detail.

In terms of utter originality, Solium Infernum positively slaughters comparable strategy offerings. The fusion of ruthless multiplayer drama with an exquisitely tuned single-player campaign forms a lethal one-two punch. Moreover, slick asynchronous online integration means you need not gather friends simultaneously to play.

Representing warfare through the bureaucratic chaos of vendettas also adds wonderfully refreshing psychology alongside traditional tactical considerations. Such constant diplomatic tightropes walk masterfully between backstabbing joy and tension-drenched alliance management from match start to climatic finale.

Presentation flourishes further enhance immersion too. Gorgeous artwork and animation perfectly captures Milton’s literary Hell. The clean UI promotes intuitive flow between critical functions like battle plans or Conclave voting. Haunting background audio and responsive sound effects bolster atmosphere additionally. And taken collectively, this sensory feast does wonders towards investing players within intrigues of their chosen archfiend.

Alas, breaching Solium Infernum’s strategy heights poses outright Sisyphean frustration for most gamers. The tutorial barely scratches surface complexities before hurling newbies into jargon-filled humiliation. Learning even basic economic or combat flow often requires restarting five failed skirmishes. And bereft of sufficient external guidance, understanding optimal development paths remains sheer guesswork. Such rigid barriers unfortunately restrict Solium’s audience largely to only the most patient hardcore demographic willing to push themselves through confusion into clarity.

In summary, Solium Infernum’s grossly inaccessible nature offsets utterly brilliant strategy innovations for many players. But rare persistent souls eventually overcoming early knowledge hurdles discover perhaps the deepest, most replayable adversary chess board ever coded. Just pray you possess saintly fortitude, and then open yourself wickedly to infernal excellence.

A Must-Try For Truly Twisted Strategizers

When the final gavel of judgment falls in Solium Infernum, players are left haunted for all the right reasons. What initially seems like an overly complex tangle of systems and uncertainty miraculously coalesces into transcendently deep gameplay.

For patient strategists who endure the torturous learning progression, a true hellish masterpiece awaits on the other side. Yet its meticulous mechanics simultaneously lift Solium Infernum far out of casual gaming reach for many. This is an exquisitely-crafted niche experience, make absolutely no mistake. One destined to resonate forever in history’s halls of cult classics.

All criticisms ultimately fade though next to the sheer wealth of replay value on display. Combining volcanic unpredictability in vendettas, events, and multiplayer backstabbing with considerable game customization reduces repetition to ash. No two matches ever play quite identical given the sheer possibilities space emerging from fusing archfiends, relic combinations, randomized maps, and turn limit tuning. Another boon comes via Solium Infernum’s exceptional adaptation for asynchronous play as well – allowing enjoyment casually spread out over days or weeks rather than marathon multiplayer sessions.

So while not every gamer boasts adequate self-teaching stamina or the burning dedication to strategy complexity needed for surviving hell’s gauntlet, Solium Infenum undoubtedly delivers near-endless fun for its core audience. Sink hundreds upon hundreds of hours into the darkness without even noticing.

Whether admiring the gorgeous artwork mid-move or caught utterly spellbound plotting one’s next scheme until 3am, obsessive players blessed with inner Lucifer’s own patience seem destined for the time of their deathless lives. If that happens to describe your gaming fulfillment desires, then Solium Infernum eagerly awaits your damned soul. What greater endorsement exists than pure, eternal play?

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