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Red Solstice 2: Survivors

Red Solstice 2: Survivors

Ironward · released Jun 17, 2021

RPGStrategy

Sequel to the best-seller ​The Red Solstice​. Plan your strategy and infiltrate a real-time tactical battlefield - alone or with up to 7 squad members. Can you demonstrate the combat prowess to survive and secure a future for humanity?

66
VGC Score
·No trend datahigh confidence

anchored at patch: “Happy New Year and Patch 3.15!” (1y ago)

66%
At launch
70%
Steam all-time
65%
Press
63%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)6516
All-time Steam reviews70%671000
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)63%62174
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jan 7, 2025) · 174 reviews sampled · 130 total reviews in window · weighted 80 up / 47.4 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (21)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 60
    trust 75Jun 22, 2021

    Gameplay-wise, Red Solstice 2: Survivors is amazing, but the amount of bugs and connectivity issues regarding both single-player campaign and the online multiplayer makes it the worst entry in the franchise. It’s better to wait for updates, or maybe until we colonize Mars.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 66Jun 22, 2021

    A niche but mostly well-presented experience, Red Solstice 2 attempts to create something entirely new by blending established genres. While its mishmash of strategy mechanics into an action game doesn’t quite hit the mark, it does provide a swathe of tense, tactical moment-to-moment gameplay and absolutely nails its occasional moments of creeping alien horror. It’s far from a strategy game at heart, and struggles to strike a balance between its complex real-time strategy mechanics and action-oriented gameplay, but for sci-fi fans who are prepared to overcome the game’s learning curve and just want to squad up and rip apart some eldritch abominations, there’ll eventually be plenty of gooey green blood to sink your grenades into.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 65Jun 29, 2021

    An ambitious RTS/Twin Stick hybrid with a lot of potential and some great moments, let down by technical issues, inconsistent flow, and a lack of tutorials. One to keep an eye on if the premise appeals, but not worth diving into straight away.

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    trust 62Jul 5, 2021

    Red Solstice 2 is an interesting merger of strategy and action, but you’ll need to endure a bit of repetition.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 61Mar 8, 2025

    The mix of a twin stick shooter with real-time strategy elements is fun and engaging. Missions are varied and the game play loop is satisfying but somewhat repetitive as you progress trying to complete each campaign. There is also co-op with up to three friends but as of writing this I didn’t get a chance to give that mode a try.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 61Jul 17, 2021

    The Red Solstice 2: Survivors has that B-tier charm for better and for worse.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 61Jun 18, 2021

    Red Solstice 2: Survivors hits all the marks of a good sequel with vastly improved graphics and gameplay elements, gritty atmosphere and intense battles requiring thoughtful tactics.

    read full review ↗
  • 64
    trust 61Jun 21, 2021

    An interesting mix of strategy and real-time action dragged down by unbalanced features and a distinct lack of development time.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 60Jun 20, 2021

    Red Solstice 2: Survivors can be a bit too simplistic for a tactical game at times. You might feel like the game is basically playing itself and you’re just there watching things unfold, but this is actually a pretty accessible action-strategy hybrid that offers you a ton of tools to play the game according to your level of expertise with the genre.

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    trust 59Jun 30, 2021

    Red Solstice 2: Survivors is, at best, a slightly above-average game. For every fun aspect, such as the genuinely fun action-packed nature of the run-and-gun gameplay, there are downsides such as incredibly repetitive missions outside of the core campaign. However, you then find an excellent range of creatures and a good amount of character customisation, really boosting the game, for it to then be let down by the base and region-building feeling tacked on, and then the game is impacted by a fair few bugs. If you liked the first Red Solstice, and other similar shooters, you'll enjoy this, though arguably in shorter sessions or with other people online.

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    trust 56Feb 4, 2025

    Red Solstice 2: Survivors Ultimate Edition is a content-rich package that unfortunately carries with it the problems of the past. The great underlying repetitiveness and the lack of clarity of the mechanics, combined with a really skimpy tactical compartment and a not-so-memorable storyline, lead the Ironward title to be recommended only and exclusively to those who can play together with a group of friends, an experience that gives a better and new light to the overall interaction.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 56Jun 17, 2021

    While the multiplayer is where Red Solstice 2: Survivors shines, fundamental design clashes, lack of single-player focus, and poor information presentation make the game a highly inconsistent experience.

    read full review ↗

…and 9 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. Happy New Year and Patch 3.15!
    Jan 7, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  2. Red Solstice 2: Survivors - “THE REIGNITION” 3.0 Patch Notes
    Sep 2, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  3. New massive update incoming - The REIGNITION
    Aug 27, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  4. Red Solstice 2: Survivors Patch 2.8 - Part 2
    Oct 26, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  5. Red Solstice 2: Survivors Patch 2.8 - Part 1
    Oct 26, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  6. The Road Ahead - Red Solstice 2: Survivors Roadmap
    Oct 6, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  7. SALE NOW ON! | 505 GAMES PUBLISHER SALE!
    Sep 15, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  8. M.E.R.C.S. DLC - OUT NOW!
    Aug 11, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  9. Red Solstice 2: Survivors One Year Anniversary!
    Jun 17, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  10. INSURGENTS DLC - OUT NOW!
    May 19, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  11. Missions & Loot Overhaul Patch Notes
    Mar 24, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  12. Condatis Group DLC - OUT NOW!
    Feb 17, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  13. Control and Medals Patch Notes
    Jan 27, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  14. Red Solstice 2: Survivors Rebalance Patch Notes
    Dec 16, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  15. 2.05 Hotfix
    Nov 18, 2021
  16. Howell-Barrex Inc. DLC and Season Pass - OUT NOW!
    Nov 4, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  17. Red Solstice 2: Survivors Hell and Fire Update!
    Oct 12, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  18. Red Solstice 2: Survivors 1.6.5 Patch is out now!
    Sep 15, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  19. MARINES! UPDATE 1.6 NOW AVAILABLE
    Sep 2, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  20. Red Solstice 2: Survivors Balancing Patch
    Aug 25, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  21. TERMINATOR CLASS IS HERE! INCOMING ROADMAP
    Aug 5, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  22. PATCH 1.4 NOW AVAILABLE & GENERAL UPDATE
    Jul 15, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  23. GENERAL UPDATE
    Jun 28, 2021
  24. Hotfix Update
    Jun 24, 2021
  25. UPDATE V 1.2 OUT NOW
    Jun 22, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  26. UPDATE V 1.1 OUT NOW
    Jun 18, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  27. Winter Solstice update and News!
    Dec 21, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  28. Happy New Year and NEWS update!
    Jan 4, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  29. Big update!
    Jan 3, 2019significant · resets scoring window