The game is available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
What was the inspiration for Solace State?
Both story-wise and presentation-wise.
I think it was really drawn from my eclectic education background in political science and cinema studies.
How do we find those things that unite us?"
I had to focus on my studies.
What do they teach us about hegemony?"
A lot of non-fiction writing influenced Solace State as well.
I want to be part of empowering others to participate and understand why that’s important.
I think there’s so much that the Asian community or immigrant communities owe to Black movements.
And it really got me thinking, “Okay, how do we share knowledge back?
How do we support each other?”
Does it feel dissonant?
A fantasy of purpose?
Chloe, to me at least, does take on a slightly more naive approach.
There’s definitely a desire to just disappear into some other body.
I don’t know what that means.
Let’s not talk about it.
I do feel like there is, in many ways, an idealism to her.
She has that group of friends around her.
And I can’t help but read the news.
I can’t help but feel for the news, feel that tragedy and feel hopeless.
Where can I go with that?
What is my outlet?
So I think Chloe became that little bit of an outlet.
And some of the other characters, as well.
It’s really how I worked all of them.
I think it really goes to the idea of power dynamics shifting a lot in cyberpunk.
The system is so big.
We need information to get to make rational decisions in political structures.
But what if you’re not just making rational decisions?
What if they’re emotional too?
They’re tied to how you feel about home and family.
They’re tied to how you feel about friends and neighbors.
Tied to society and culture.
All of these things make up the landscape of how you react to something.
How do you get that information across?
Are you sympathetic to Phin?
And there’s also consent as well.
What are your limitations of control?
Alden clearly has a lot more social power and a lot more everything.
We really did go for a deconstructed cyberpunk for sure.
Because the dystopia, I think, for marginalized individuals is already here.
We’re living it from our nine to sevens working.
Sometimes I’ve been calling it pre-dystopic or something like that.
And I think queerness is so much part of that aspect as well.
Queerness is at the core in exploring and making sure that there are spaces for people to thrive.
They’re not emphasized, but they are very clearly there and therefore should be represented.
Does the game have, in your mind, a fail state?
And she’ll ask, “Well, do you want to still hang out?”
We have a lot of branches at that moment.
This is what I’m comfortable with.
Hanging out with you is fine.
And I don’t want just one night."
So she’s really setting those boundaries.
And it took me a long time to write this.
I was like, “Oh, what if people don’t like this?”
But then I think at the end of the day, it speaks to her strength of character.
Thank you for respecting me with telling me that to my face."
And I think I just gave away who I really like the most!
They’re all great.
All three romance options are great choices.
As we wrap up, is there anything you would like to add?
This interview was edited for both brevity and readability.
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