Developer Heart Machine formed in 2013 to work onHyper Light Drifter, a stylish action-RPG that is a clear homage toThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.Hyper Light Drifterearned mostly positive reviews at the time of its release, developing a dedicated fanbase and taking home some awards in the process. With such a positive reception forHyper Light Drifter, hopes were high for Heart Machine’s next project,Solar Ash, and while it may not reach the same heights as its predecessor, it’s still a solid effort and fun way to spend an afternoon.
WhereasHyper Light Drifterwas a 2D game with retro-style graphics,Solar Ashis a fully-fledged 3D platformer with similar aesthetics. Both games make heavy use of bold colors like hot pink, and the character designs inSolar Ashare not unlike what players may remember fromHyper Light Drifter.
Combat was a big focus inHyper Light Drifter, and while it’s present inSolar Ash, it’s not as much of a focal point. Player character Rei is able to hack away at enemies with a basic melee attack, but there aren’t many enemy encounters and boss fights are hardly presented as traditional battles. Insteadbosses inSolar Ashare self-contained platforming challengeswhere players have to hit targets within a time limit. So even thoughSolar Ashplayers aren’t directly fighting these bosses, the encounters can still be intense and it’s always satisfying when they’re conquered, especially since one mistake has players repeating an entire segment.
TheSolar Ashbosses are a highlight of the experience, taking the form of massive black goo creatures meant to resemble different animals. There’s one clearly inspired by a snake, and another that looks like a massive bat, for example. While their design may sound generic on paper, the way the bosses are presented in the game makes them awe-inspiring and intimidating, large enough for players to spot them from acrossSolar Ash’s game world.
Going toe to toe withSolar Ash’s bosses is a treat and really the only reward players get for conquering each level. The levels inSolar Ashsee players first establish their base of operations, and then hunt down a number of anomalies.Solar Ashanomaliesare defeated by completing timed platforming challenges, similar to the boss fights, and always end with players stabbing a bulbous eye. Getting rid of all the anomalies results in a boss fight, and this is repeated for each area in the game.
Solar Ashplayers have a variety of unique abilities when it comes to exploring the game world and hunting down anomalies.Solar Ashprotagonist Rei is a Voidrunner, and is therefore equipped with gear that allows her to skate across clouds. Players can use a boost function to build up speed and launch Rei off ramps, clearing huge gaps and making it to hard-to-reach areas. Rei has the ability to slow down time and she also has grapple hook-like device that can be used in specific situations. By mixing all these abilities together,Solar Ashplayers are able to get creative when exploring the game world.
All of theSolar Ashplatforming abilitiesare available to Rei right at the start of the game, with not much in the way of a tutorial spelling out how to use them best, which encourages experimentation and lends the game a sense of freedom. Players are given all the tools they need to tackle every challenge right out of the gate, but this approach is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it ensures thatSolar Ashplayers are able to use Rei to her full potential immediately, and having these different skills available makes platforming and exploration more fun. On the other hand, there isn’t a rewarding sense of progression. The reward for beating a boss is simply going on to the next area, with Rei starting off as strong as she can be and never really getting better.
The only waySolar Ashplayers can improve Rei is by giving her more shields, purchased using the plasma that is dotted all over the game world. Plasma inSolar Ashis the in-game currency, but it only serves the purpose of refilling Rei’s shields. What’s more,Solar Ashplayers can easily amass enough plasma to max out Rei’s shields early in the game, butSolar Asharbitrarily takes away a chunk of shield after each boss fight, forcing players to hunt down more plasma to pay for something they already had.
Solar Ashplayers are also able to hunt down unique outfits for Rei to wear that each come with their own ability. For example, one of theRei’s suits inSolar Ashmay buff her attack power, while another might lower the cooldown on her abilities. The problem is that none of these buffs are necessary for players to breeze through the game, asSolar Ashcan be completed fairly easily, not to mention quickly. Players will have zero problem beatingSolar Ashusing the default suit if they so desire.
It takes about five and a half hours to completeSolar Ashfor an initial playthrough on the standard difficulty, and even on higher difficulties, it shouldn’t take all that much longer. Unlocking all ofthe trophies inSolar Ashwill require multiple playthroughs, though, so those wanting to get the Platinum trophy should keep that in mind. There’s also not much in the way of compelling side content, as all the side quests amount to doing the same thing over and over again.
TheSolar Ashside activities, like finding the alternate outfits and completing quests for the few NPCs players encounter in the game, all essentially boil down to finding secret areas and collecting something. There’s nothing especially unique about any of them, and while the stories attached to the side quests can be interesting, it’s all mostly told through files and dialogue interactions, making it difficult to get truly invested in the game world or what’s going on.
Solar Ashis repetitive and short, but that doesn’t take away from how fun the core gameplay is. The developers have nailedSolar Ash’s traversal system, making it genuinely fun to explore and complete the various platforming challenges. The art style is striking, the bosses are impressive, and while it may not have the same lasting impactHyper Light Drifterdid,Solar Ashis still worth checking out for fans of Heart Machine’s work and the 3D platformer genre in general.
Solar Ashis out now for PC, PS4, and PS5. Game Rant was provided with a PS5 code for this review.
Solar Ash
WHERE TO PLAY
From the creators of the award-winning Hyper Light Drifter comes the high-speed and gravity-bending world of Solar Ash.Set amidst a surreal dreamscape filled with long-abandoned ruins of great civilizations past, you play as Rei, a Voidrunner determined to stop at nothing to save her planet from falling prey to the Ultravoid’s path of eternal hunger.Fight through mobs of grotesque creatures, grind rails with sheer delight, grapple to wild heights, take down enormous bosses, and surf the ashen clouds of shattered, bygone worlds swallowed by the void.In this highly stylized action adventure unlike no other, will Rei persevere and make her way through the deadly encounters of this ravenous void to save her home? Will she learn the truth about these massive beasts that roam this strange land and uncover the mysteries of the Starseed and Echo?The answer to these questions, and more, awaits you in the Ultravoid.
