My partner practically begged me to play Solasta: Crown of the Magister, made by Tactical Adventures, once we had finished our first campaign of Baldur’s Gate 3 together. I tried it. Really tried. But being spoiled by the graphics, motion capture, and award-winning voice acting of Baldur’s Gate 3 made the transition hard. So we gave it up.

That was about a year ago. After watching the trailer and some early gameplay showcases of Solasta II, set to release early 2026, I decided I wanted to give it another try. And I am so glad I did. 

Here’s my list of things I think Solasta actually does better than Baldur’s Gate 3, and the one thing that kept me from playing it for so long.

The 3-Dimensional Landscape

While Baldur’s Gate 3 has a seamless, natural-looking landscape with elevation advantages and disadvantages, Solasta really heightens the experience. Complex vertical battle maps with towers, cover that mitigates incoming damage, and enemies that climb along walls all create far more interactive fights. I found myself thinking more critically and problem-solving with my partner on how to reach some enemies and how to stay out of their line of sight. Instead of a Misty Step up to the cliff in order to get an 80% hit chance with advantage, I was rubbing my precious last two brain cells together a lot more. Controlling the elevation of where your camera is, too, means that my Tiefling’s Fireball spell can explode right in mid-air to hit three Soraks that are rushing at me along the walls like a vengeful Spider-Man. 

The Original World

I am a total lore nerd. As a writer myself, avid fantasy reader, and video game lover (obviously) experiencing and reading about another person’s worldbuilding is one of my favorite things to do. While the Forgotten Realms is an incredibly rich and original world full of life, death, and drama, getting to know the universe of Solasta and its history lit me up. 

The wonder all starts in the character creator. Reading the short histories of the races and subraces paints the picture of an original world that is unique. I had so many instant ideas about characters, with backstories quickly forming in my head. I couldn’t choose a character to stick with for a full day. From the Snow Dwarf ice mage to the isolated Half-Orc druid, these ideas felt both familiar and entirely unique, using the rules of Dungeons & Dragons and applying it to an original world that isn’t Faerûn. I felt the presence of a game master within the game. It’s a big part of what makes me excited for Solasta II. We get to see more of the Solasta realm, learn more about its magic and history, its main players and characters.

The Crafting

The crafting system is my favorite part of Solasta. Finding ingredients for sometimes complex recipes is absolutely necessary. The state of your gear, weapons, and consumables throughout the game almost entirely depends on it. This is something that Baldur’s Gate 3 severely lacked. My partner and I are constantly checking our recipes, seeing what we need to make this and that, managing our finances to afford the last piece or ingredient, or biding our time in case we stumble upon them. They’ve designed it to be worth it, too, making the search for these things rewarding.

The Character Models

I hate to end my list on any type of negative factor, but it’s probably not new to anyone. The character models are just not up to par. The devs have acknowledged that, and they said they worked hard to bring their characters up to snuff for Solasta II. Are they offensively terrible? Absolutely not. Do they look real like Shadowheart? No. Of course I’ve been spoiled by games like Baldur’s Gate 3. We all have been. But that’s the reality now, the new standard. And Solasta 2 looks so much better.

It’s worth mentioning that the ability to make a ton of characters and save them like tabletop character sheets in the main menu is one of the best features of Solasta. I made five different paladins before settling on the one I chose, a Half-Orc acolyte named Jadek. So take your time and just make a bunch of them. You can always decide later when you finally assemble your party and dive in.

I can’t recommend Solasta enough. Grab a friend or three, and have fun for a few hours (or days, like me) in the character creator. Explore Solasta. Find the Crown. Defeat the Soraks!

This game is definitely going into my list of all-time favorites.

Feel free to send me a comment or email! I'd love to hear your own opinions of Solasta, and what you're excited for most about Solasta II.