The Importance of Aesthetic in Solatorobo

With a new installment in the Little Tail Bronx universe headed to the Nintendo Switch, there's no better time to take a look back at Solatorobo: Red the Hunter, the second title in the series. Released in the twilight days of the Nintendo DS, Solatorobo features arguably some of the best aesthetic design on the system, blending 3D character models with 2D backgrounds akin to early fifth generation role-playing games. While it shares a setting with its previous entry Tail Concerto, neither game requires playing the other as a prerequisite, and I would argue that Solatorobo is a fine entry point for anyone mildly curious in the series.

The aesthetics of the game are a particular highlight because there is really little else to discuss. In terms of gameplay, Solatorobo is relatively light, if not somewhat varied. Most of its gameplay revolves around using Red's mech Dahak to pick things up and throw them. Sometimes Red must leave his mech and travel solo, becoming somewhat more vulnerable, and at other times, you'll have to utilize the Dahak's flight mode to complete some objectives in larger spaces. Within the basic picking up and throwing, however, there is some variety- combat requires chains of grabs in order to maximize damage, you get a little projectile attack, the customization system for Dahak is neat and extensive, and many side quests and missions require stacking or carrying objects from one place to the next. But Solatorobo is simply a handful of solid mechanics layered underneath its impressive production values.

In short, Solatorobo isn't hard. The most complex the game ever becomes is still fairly base, and the most taxing moments are when you have to mash the A button. There's a lot of mashing the A button.

The game is well-worth a look, however, for a particular kind of player- those who, ahem, enjoy anthropomorphic animals will likely get their kicks, certainly- but those who appreciate aesthetics will likely get the most mileage out of this twenty-something hour title. A great amount of its side-content is dedicated to obtaining lore, music, art, and cutscenes from the main narrative, and all of this material is extremely thorough and really fantastic. Truly, Solatorobo's greatest strength is its adherence to charming art style- from color palette to sharp perspective choices- dialogue, and music. This importance of aesthetic permeates every angle of the game, to the point where it feels that the developers placed this aspect above all others in their design process.

This is not meant to be a criticism of Solatorobo, however. Many games thrive on their aesthetic quality, and particular genres prioritize their story over the complexity and difficulty of their gameplay. But developers must have a clear, concise vision for their product if they wish to create memorable experiences for the consumer, and genre factors into this a great deal. A text-based adventure game would not benefit from the inclusion of a nuanced combat system, just as a platformer would not benefit from lengthy cinematic cutscenes (okay yes I know that's a call out on Super Mario Sunshine too but I still love that game). Role-playing games often have standard motifs, so they utilize additional relationship, farming, and crafting systems to bolster player involvement- however, it is always important that these aspects are balanced properly with the traditional motifs, or else the game will drift more towards another kind of genre altogether.

With all of this being said, what is Solatorobo supposed to be? Well, because of its active combat, currency, and character progression systems, I would argue that it is an action RPG. Because of the lack of depth present in its combat system, however, the game needs to rely on some other aspect in order to differentiate itself from other titles. While its free flight and solo Red segments offer a bit more substance, they simply aren't substantial or frequent enough to be considered anything more than minor distractions. Therefore, Solatorobo has to rely on its aesthetic, and does so rather knowingly through its usage of all its aesthetic elements as rewards. While many games utilize aesthetic as an additional layer, very few go out of their way to make those materials as accessible as Solatrobo does, which is perhaps its most distinguishing trait.

All in all, Solatorobo is a simplistic, kid-friendly title that any younger gamer with an interest in story, world building, and anthropomorphic animals would enjoy. For any gamer more seasoned than that, I would argue that a love for aesthetic and charm would have to be a huge determining factor in going out of your way to pick this game up, or a vague interest in the Little Tail Bronx series, as a whole. While the next installment in this series looks to be completely unlike Solatorobo, it's worth noting and appreciating just where this title tends to place its priorities, and might make you think twice about similar games of its type in the future.