Needs work to be a great game
It isn't a bad game by any stretch of the imagination - but it does leave a lot to be desired in terms of polish and control.
Pros: Credit where credit is due, "first person space shooter" isn't something you see every day. The graphics are well done and the sprites show obvious dedication.
Cons: Unfortunately, I feel the gameplay suffers from essentially looking "over the shoulder" of the main ship - I found myself repeatedly loosing track of my ship even with few enemies on screen. Perhaps a true first-person setup would have increased playability for me. The depth of field also played awkwardly and it was very hard to get a feel for where my shots were supposed to line up. It reminded me of the old Virtual Boy games, if attempted in a 2D medium. I wasn't impressed by the ship's secondary weapons, and there did not seem to be any rhyme or reason for when enemy homing missiles would detonate, making avoidance essentially a matter of luck and pointlessness.
Overall, the Solar Strike is an interesting take on the classic space shooter, but ultimately needs a can or two of polish before I would call it enjoyable.