A Casino Caper Worth Betting On?
For as long as I can remember, the movie industry has done its best to promote heists as exciting, yet often complex, crimes to pull off. They’re seldom a one-man job either, with a rather excessive eleven people needed if George Clooney’s at the helm, featuring an array of interesting characters. Such films are usually pretty entertaining too, and are full of twists to keep you on your toes throughout.
With that in mind, let’s see if the visual novel from Megalixir Games, Sol Dorado Heist, can capture similar vibes on a smaller scale, and manage to deliver an enthralling crime caper.
Amnesia and a Master Thief
Sol Dorado Heist is a visual novel focused on Alex Thorn, a woman who awakens in a fancy hotel room with a form of amnesia. Although confused, she vaguely remembers being present during a number of recent casino robberies alongside an unidentified person. This mystery person is apparently a master thief known as ‘The Silent Ace’, so she needs to track them down as soon as possible to recover her lost memories and figure out her actual role in these crimes.
The police already have The Silent Ace in their sights, and it might only be a matter of time before they start turning their attention to Alex. With the popular Sol Dorado casino seemingly being the next target, that’s the best place for her to seek the answers required to solve this mystery.
It uses a fairly common storytelling trope from the outset, in giving the main character amnesia, which puts you as the reader on a shared path of discovery. This aspect works well as various unfamiliar characters are introduced, allowing you to build a mental profile simultaneously with the protagonist. Despite being a crime mystery, it tries to keep the tone fairly lighthearted and there are numerous attempts to inject jovial humour into proceedings.
Heist Essentials: Planning, Execution, and Predictable Twists
Unfortunately, the key components of any good heist escapade aren’t done very well here. I’m alluding to the preparation stage, where the complex steps of the plan are explored, and then the finale where it’s executed against all odds to the amazement of the audience. Without spoiling too much, there are plot twists and an attempt at a big reveal, but they fall a little flat. It’s a tad predictable, which takes the edge off any potential surprises, and not an awful lot happens in between the most significant junctures.
In regards to the supporting cast, they’re a fairly memorable bunch as far as design is concerned, but less so in relation to personalities. Even though the spectacular magician Jack Viper has a natural presence, it’s rookie detective Drake Carrigan who stands out the most. Carrigan is a bit of a fool, which lends itself well to a handful of funny situations whenever Alex encounters him. That said, it’s difficult to get attached to any particular person without any voiceovers or a whole lot of depth to their character profiles.
Short and Sweet
You see, Sol Dorado Heist is a relatively short experience that could be wrapped up in around an hour and that doesn’t provide much time for building a meaty narrative. There are four different endings to find however, which is where a selection of choices come into play. Depending on your decisions pertaining to what to do and who to put your faith in, the outcome will differ. While it won’t take long to seek out all of the endings after your initial playthrough, I don’t believe you’ll have a burning desire to do so.
A Decent Crime Mystery, But Not a Heist Classic
Sometimes visual novels are lengthy and suffer from too much filler, but in the case of Sol Dorado Heist, the swift nature of its storytelling prevents it from becoming anything more than just a decent crime mystery. There’s a good chance that you’ll enjoy the dialogue between characters and appreciate the silly humour. You might even like the cast and be caught slightly off-guard by plot twists, but I highly doubt it’ll grip you. It’s unlikely you’ll even think about the plot afterwards, let alone consider replaying it.
As long as you approach Sol Dorado Heist without any expectations set by heists in the media, then maybe it’s worth a look in a sale or something.
Your Links
Put an End to the Theft of a Lifetime in Sol Dorado Heist – https://www.thexboxhub.com/put-an-end-to-the-theft-of-a-lifetime-in-sol-dorado-heist/
Buy Sol Dorado Heist, Optimised for Xbox Series X|S – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/sol-dorado-heist-xbox-series-x-s/9n1fhl8gr6cw
Grab the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/sol-dorado-heist/9n6p5889bg90
