Solar Ash

 PC
Solar Ash Image
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 43 Ratings

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  • Summary: Solar Ash is the second game from Heart Machine, the creators of the award winning 2016 game Hyper Light Drifter. Journey through a surreal, vivid and highly stylized world filled with mystery, wild high-speed traversal, endearing characters, and massive enemy encounters.

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Solar Ash Trailer | Sony PS5 Reveal Event

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Hardcore Gamer
    Dec 1, 2021
    90
    Solar Ash is another triumph from Heart Machine, a fast-paced burst of vibrant, surreal science fiction where players get to glide and jump around fascinating worlds with terrific bits of platforming and action spread out across a series of unique worlds with jaw-dropping visuals. Be it gliding across clouds, grinding on rails to jump between buildings, or sneaking up on and successfully slashing at the one wall-based creature that fires lasers at you, virtually everything here is an absolute joy to experience. This is easily one of the year’s most captivating games, and one to not miss out on.
  2. Everyeye.it
    Dec 1, 2021
    88
    A few bugs being resolved and a few wasted opportunities (especially in the final) prevent him from reaching the full 90, but if you find the background noise of mega-productions unbearable, Solar Ash represents the perfect oasis of peace and harmony in which to take refuge.
  3. The Games Machine
    Dec 8, 2021
    81
    When you want to get rid quickly of level bosses just so you can get back to running down ramps and trampolines, there is something amiss with the balance of the game. And this is exactly the issue with Solar Ash: common enemies aren’t a big threat and boss battles break the flow, and not a in a great way. Exploring the game's bizarre worlds, on the other hand, is extremely fun, and requires above average amounts of skill and timing. If you are looking for a fast-paced 3D action platformer that also offers a good story, Solar Ash is a solid choice.
  4. GameSpot
    Dec 1, 2021
    80
    There's a reason this space is so dreamily built--Solar Ash takes place inside a massive black hole, after all--but the game is at its best when it isn't treating those reasons as if they matter all that much. The late game leans a little too heavily into the story, including swapping out the strong boss battles in favor of a binary choice in the game's climactic moments. But, most of the time, that story is where it belongs: in the background. And, thankfully, Solar Ash has some gorgeous backgrounds.
  5. Jeuxvideo.com
    Dec 2, 2021
    80
    Rich in a singular aura and delicious journeys, Solar Ash is home to a universe that must be patiently tamed to be fully appreciated; between the so comfortable walks there are some great difficulties to overcome. From top to bottom, the cosmic and complex regions built by Heart Machine make one want to be fully excavated. Too bad that each new panorama discovered shelters objectives which often fail to disorient us.
  6. Dexerto
    Dec 1, 2021
    75
    If you’re desperately seeking a new escape, one that’s an inventive story will have you guessing until the credits roll, Solar Ash is a great pickup. Its level design and the freedom within combined with gorgeous artwork and a magnificent soundtrack make it a genuine treat to play.
  7. Slant Magazine
    Dec 4, 2021
    60
    For all of its sense of genuine, thrilling speed in its mechanics, Solar Ash fails to muster any sense of accompanying narrative momentum.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 16
  3. Negative: 6 out of 16
  1. stealthwhale80
    Jan 6, 2022
    10
    Truly beautiful and visually stunning masterpiece. I was in love with the movement and combat and the whole world through my entireTruly beautiful and visually stunning masterpiece. I was in love with the movement and combat and the whole world through my entire playthrough. the story was well done too :)… Expand
  2. SlayerGGXX
    Dec 12, 2021
    9
    Simple, yet adjusted game, with amazing feeling of movement. That`s what sonic-games should be, but never will be. Good 3d-arcade withSimple, yet adjusted game, with amazing feeling of movement. That`s what sonic-games should be, but never will be. Good 3d-arcade with melancholic yet life-asserting mood.… Expand
  4. black_samorez
    Dec 4, 2021
    8
    The game is truly beautiful. Visually, each game area is unique and captivating. Sadly I can't say the same about soundtrack which, sadly, isThe game is truly beautiful. Visually, each game area is unique and captivating. Sadly I can't say the same about soundtrack which, sadly, is monotonous and pretty much the same throughout the game.
    Gameplay wise the game is amazing. It's unbelievable how Hearth Machine Games got their first 3D project so right in terms of level design and motion, considering how geometrically complex environment might be. Sadly, there is no upgrade system of any kind and combat wise the game does not progress at all. But there's more to the game and with base mechanics done right this is but a small downside.
    Story wise the game has moved past silent visual storytelling to written dialogues even when they aren't needed that much, The developers have shown in their previous game that they can convey lore through scene composition and visual hints but now they rely maybe too much on dialogue.
    Notably, the game is quite short, but still a unique experience and it might have set a new standard on how motion should feel in action games.    … Expand
  5. andrey809736428
    Jan 13, 2022
    6
    Игра в целом мне понравилась. Графика конечно никуда не годится, но работа с арт дизайном боле менее вытягивает положение. Вся сють игрыИгра в целом мне понравилась. Графика конечно никуда не годится, но работа с арт дизайном боле менее вытягивает положение. Вся сють игры построена на механиках перемешения, и к этому аспекту невозможно придраться. Персонаж ощущается хорошо, прыгать, скользить и дэшится приятно. Боёвка... ну, она не раздражает. Музыка у игр в целом неплохая, но ничего особенного. Что реально разочаровало - сюжет и отсутсвие прогресии. Смысла собирать разбросанные вокруг красные сгустки почти нет, тратить их можно только на восстановление ячеек щита. Собирать секреты можно разве что для визуала костюмов, записки других исследователей скучны и не несут в себе почти никакой информации, а бонусы костюмов почти бесполезные. Персонажи в игре в целом невероятно скучны, надеюсь разработчкики уволят тех бездарей что писали сценарий, так как я проходил игру не ради, а вопреки сюжету. Единственная часть которая не раздражает в сюжете - финал, не скажу что он очень интересен, но на фоне остальной скуки, хоть какое то разнообразие. В целом игра оставила приятное впечатление, но в ней как буднто не хватает целостности. Цемента, который бы скреплял все аспекты. Это конечно всего вторая игра студии, так что я возможно излишне строг, но почему то к первой игре у меня было значительно меньше притензий.… Expand
  6. TheLinkgirl
    Feb 22, 2023
    2
    Nothing quite felt like it hit the mark for me here. Solar Ash feels a bit too basic, a bit too empty, and a bit too spectacle aboveNothing quite felt like it hit the mark for me here. Solar Ash feels a bit too basic, a bit too empty, and a bit too spectacle above substance. All things considered, the visuals of this game are gorgeous to look at, but that really doesn't feel like a compliment in the long run, since it made me feel like I would much prefer watching the game over playing it. Meanwhile, the gameplay felt like nothing to me, and the main character's movement felt so completely weightless and slippery that it made moving around the world feel boring at best and downright frustrating at worst. I wish I could say anything made me think this should have been a game, but the conclusion I've come to is that this entire game would have been better as a movie, since at least then I could enjoy the visuals without feeling disappointed about everything else.… Expand
  7. tofak92
    Apr 22, 2022
    1
    Solar Ash will be a valuable point of reference when everyone inevitably asks "Why is Hyper Light Drifter 2 so very, very bad? When did HeartSolar Ash will be a valuable point of reference when everyone inevitably asks "Why is Hyper Light Drifter 2 so very, very bad? When did Heart Machine completely forget how to make a remotely enjoyable game?"… Expand
  8. jaywhitaker1987
    Dec 22, 2021
    0
    It's nothing short of impressive. Solar Ash fails so completely and spectacularly that Heart Machine has, in one fell swoop, burned throughIt's nothing short of impressive. Solar Ash fails so completely and spectacularly that Heart Machine has, in one fell swoop, burned through every last bit of goodwill and trust they established with Hyper Light Drifter. The full release of Solar Ash feels worse than a day-one Early Access title from a first-time developer. The writing is bad enough that every single piece of text and dialogue could and should have been cut from the game. The game could have been deliciously abstract, but instead it's stupidly blunt, and then STILL doesn't ever manage to create anything remotely verging on a compelling setting or interesting character. The movement is one-note and the world to explore, while pretty in screenshots, is shockingly empty and dull. Perhaps worst of all is the gameplay. The gameplay feels like it was conceived and implemented the day before the game was released. It's like an afterthought, like a sticker on an oil painting. It's just really, really, really bad and unsatisfying. Heart Machine didn't just overstep their bounds with Solar Ash; they jumped off a cliff.… Expand

See all 16 User Reviews

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