Solasta 2 Story & Setting Guide – Explore Neokos, Shadwyn & the Mana Nexuses

Solasta II moves the action to Neokos, a distant continent far from the ruined land of Solasta. The world is larger and more open than the first game. Instead of travelling through a chain of scripted locations like the original, players roam an overworld with towns, ruins, floating islands and cavern systems. The sequel runs on Unreal Engine 5, which allows far more detailed environments and realistic character models. The new engine also makes the freely‑explorable overworld possible and is one reason the Early Access release was pushed into early 2026. A special community stream in late October 2025 showcased the world map and confirmed the new Early Access window.

Story premise: Several decades after Solasta: Crown of the Magister, the world’s mana networks have shifted. On Neokos, powerful groups compete to control Mana Nexuses while a mysterious villain named Shadwyn commands legions of stone soldiers. Players create a party of four adventurers and become entangled in the politics of Neokos’ factions - noble families, religious orders and secret societies - while trying to stop Shadwyn’s plans and secure their own family’s legacy. Choices matter.: helping one faction may anger another and decisions can lead to characters living or dying later in the adventure. The game introduces a temporary companion called Jabori, a Siklas who can join or remain captive depending on player choices.

The biggest change from Crown of the Magister is the move to a free‑roaming overworld map. Players can travel across Neokos at their own pace, following roads or striking out into wilderness hexes. Hex tiles make the world modular and will support random encounter maps and future Dungeon Maker content. Exploration occurs in real time - outside of combat there is no grid and you can move characters freely using WASD, mouse clicks or gamepad controls. When combat begins the familiar turn‑based grid appears. Environmental hazards like geysers and magical runes add danger to maps. They activate on their own initiative and punish inattentive adventurers. Some paths open only at low tide or after solving puzzles.

Random encounters and ambushes occur as you travel. Day–night cycles and weather can affect visibility, so travelling at night increases the risk of attacks. Events on the world map go beyond combat - players may meet merchants, negotiate with NPCs, discover lore events or skill checks and experience unique story vignettes. Unlike most CRPGs, skill checks draw on the entire party. The game uses unified party skills: when conversation or skill checks occur, the best‑suited character automatically takes the lead, so your low‑charisma barbarian no longer accidentally handles delicate diplomacy. Dialogue screens show the success chance (%) for each persuasion or intimidation line, and you can select which party member speaks.

Tactical Adventures upgraded Solasta II to the 2024 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons rules, meaning classes, spells and game mechanics follow the new Player’s Handbook (PHB 2024). They cannot maintain both 2014 and 2024 rules due to development complexity, so the sequel uses only the updated rules. The studio tweaked some tabletop features for smoother video‑game play. For example the Fighter’s Tactical Mind now grants a +1d10 bonus to an ability check for one minute instead of popping up after each failed roll. Classes use Weapon Masteries, an official 2024 addition that gives each weapon a unique effect such as Cleave, Push or Vex. The adaptation also includes homebrew spells - for example the cantrip Annoying Bees deals 1d4 piercing damage and imposes disadvantage on concentration checks, and Holy Conduit combines melee and area damage. The game introduces toggles like Helpful Dice to prevent long streaks of bad luck for newcomers. You can disable it for a pure tabletop experience.

Online co‑op for up to four players will be available during Early Access, allowing friends to build a party and venture together. However the demo and Early Access at launch are single‑player only while the team finishes network features. Character death isn’t necessarily a game over: a new system offers the option to resurrect fallen characters using in‑game resources rather than forcing a reload.

The table below summarises key innovations in Solasta II compared to the original game: