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Solar Ash

Solar Ash is a neon dream that will not fail to delight fans of Hyper Light Drifter and beyond.
Solar Ash Game Cover
84%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, grinding
90% User Score Based on 1,548 reviews
Critic Score 83%Based on 49 reviews

Platforms

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Solar Ash Game Cover

About

Solar Ash is a single player platformer game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Heart Machine and was released on December 8, 2022. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Solar Ash" is a fast-paced 3D action-adventure game set in a surreal, visually stunning world. As the agile Voidrunner, players will dash, jump, and grind through a vast, interconnected world to save their home from a destructive black hole. Along the way, they'll battle mysterious creatures, solve environmental puzzles, and uncover the devastating truth behind the collapse of the universe.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Solar Ash screenshot
Solar Ash screenshot
Solar Ash screenshot
Solar Ash screenshot
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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,548 reviews
story339 positive mentions
optimization22 negative mentions
  • The visuals are stunning and create a beautiful, immersive world.
  • The movement mechanics are fluid and satisfying, making traversal enjoyable.
  • The story, while simple, is engaging and has emotional depth.
  • The combat is simplistic and lacks depth, making it feel like an afterthought.
  • The game can feel repetitive, with a similar gameplay loop across different areas.
  • Performance issues, including frame rate drops and camera control problems, detract from the overall experience.
  • story
    864 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Solar Ash* is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and emotionally resonant, while others criticize it as predictable and lacking depth. Many appreciate the themes of loss and acceptance, enhanced by solid voice acting and a visually stunning world, but some feel the narrative is overshadowed by gameplay and could benefit from more subtle storytelling. Overall, while the story has its merits, it often feels fragmented and underdeveloped, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.

    • “The story telling connects by veiling themes of anxiety, grief, and the general emotional self-destructive inability to let go with Hyper Light Drifter style sci-fi urgency and abstraction.”
    • “The story is very deep in a way I wasn't expecting how close to real life it would be (the 'moral of the story' of course).”
    • “The story is dark and beautiful, the voice acting is so good that I would still tear up a little on my third playthrough, and it just feels good to play.”
    • “The story is bland and predictable, but could've worked better if it was a much shorter experience with less filler.”
    • “The story is trying to be this weird, kind of cryptic story about what's happening with this world, but it's pretty uninspired.”
    • “The story is the biggest letdown.”
  • gameplay
    561 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Solar Ash" is characterized by its fast-paced, fluid movement mechanics and visually stunning environments, reminiscent of titles like "Shadow of the Colossus" and "Jet Set Radio." While many players appreciate the smooth traversal and engaging boss fights, some criticize the repetitive gameplay loop and lack of depth in combat mechanics, leading to a sense of monotony as the game progresses. Overall, the game offers a unique experience with a strong emphasis on exploration and style, though it may not satisfy those seeking complex gameplay challenges.

    • “Gameplay-wise, the movement is buttery smooth and satisfying, the animations are fluid, and the level design is fun.”
    • “Super fun and smooth gameplay with stunning visuals and music to top it off.”
    • “The gameplay is so incredibly unique I've never played anything quite like it before; I had tons of fun exploring these environments and unveiling their secrets.”
    • “I do think that its gameplay is somewhat underbaked, with really good core elements left kind of underutilized.”
    • “The gameplay loop does get a little stale after a while as you're basically just going from point A to B doing timed platformer runs, a platformer boss fight, and onto the next zone.”
    • “The game itself is beautiful, but it just feels mediocre on most aspects; once you do the first area, you have already seen most of what this game has to offer, it just becomes repetitive and the mechanics and gimmicks that following areas have are not enough to make it distinct.”
  • graphics
    381 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in "Solar Ash" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and unique art style, which blend vibrant colors and dreamy landscapes reminiscent of its predecessor, "Hyper Light Drifter." Players appreciate the game's aesthetic appeal, with many describing it as a visual masterpiece that enhances the overall experience, despite some minor performance issues. The combination of fluid movement, captivating environments, and an atmospheric soundtrack contributes to a visually immersive journey that leaves a lasting impression.

    • “The visuals are gorgeous and it's one of the most stylistic games I've seen in general.”
    • “The graphics are incredible, and truly beautiful.”
    • “The visuals are breathtaking, the sound and music are powerful and strong, the gameplay is smooth and fluid, and the writing is heart-achingly cathartic.”
    • “If you're going in expecting Solar Ash to be HLD 2 then you are going to be disappointed; while the visuals, music, and narrative all feel the same (and are set within the same universe), they are completely different in their focus.”
    • “Game lags way too much, turned the graphics down from ultra to low and there was barely any improvement; if there's any fixes people have for this I'd love to hear them, but otherwise it's annoying enough to make me not want to play.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game performs quite poorly on deck, has minor graphical glitches, and does stutter seemingly due to a compatibility layer bottleneck of some kind.”
  • music
    270 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience with a blend of haunting and immersive soundscapes. While many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to complement the visuals and gameplay, some noted that certain tracks felt forgettable or less impactful compared to the previous title, "Hyper Light Drifter." Overall, the music is described as beautiful and fitting, contributing significantly to the game's emotional tone and exploration.

    • “Sound design and music was a great blend between the wonder of discovery and the sadness of isolation.”
    • “The art style is gorgeous, the music is out of this world and even the sound effects really set this cosmic eerie tone of the game, especially at the end.”
    • “The music is a similarly high level of gorgeous and it perfectly compliments the world and certain gameplay moments.”
    • “The music is subdued, intentionally I'm sure, but doesn't leave much impression as a result.”
    • “Most of the tracks are forgettable, and the game is lacking enough grand musical flourishes that accented the vistas and set pieces of Hyper Light Drifter.”
    • “The OST was made by like 4 different people, and thus feels just as disjointed, as well as being a lot less memorable than Hyper Light Drifter.”
  • atmosphere
    82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, engaging music, and a unique blend of cozy yet eerie feelings, reminiscent of classic platformers. Players appreciate the fluid movement and exploration, which are enhanced by a rich soundscape that complements the game's emotional highs and lows. Overall, the atmosphere is described as intentional and immersive, creating a captivating experience that balances relaxation with moments of tension.

    • “The atmosphere and style are gorgeous and unique, the soundtrack from Disasterpeace matches them perfectly, and in general, the game emanates good vibes.”
    • “Despite being such a big and colorful world, it feels cozy yet lonely too--incredible atmosphere all throughout.”
    • “The game is greatly carried by the atmosphere, which is formed by excellent visuals and music and which greatly reminds me of the first game.”
    • “The atmosphere has a pinch of anxiety while it isn't clear, giving optimal tension and suspense.”
    • “Not to mention the inclusion of voice acting leaves the story feeling all too grounded in an attempt to be more relatable to a casual audience - which, as bizarre as it may seem, lessens the cosmic nature of the atmosphere and setting the narrative is in.”
    • “The atmosphere of Solar Ash resembles an old PS2 collectathon platformer, from the minimalist shapes and textures to the distinct art styles of the zones and wacky characters.”
  • optimization
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including frame drops and stuttering, even on high-end hardware. While some users experienced smooth gameplay, others found the optimization to be inexcusably poor, detracting from an otherwise enjoyable experience. Overall, the game appears to struggle with performance inconsistencies, leaving many hopeful for future updates to address these issues.

    • “I like the colors, I like the flat but not lacking in detail textures, I like that my computer doesn't have an aneurysm trying to run the game like so many other unoptimized 3D single-player games.”
    • “Performance-wise the game ran well for me, I didn't get any of the shader compilation stutters I heard about in other reviews.”
    • “Optimization issues are a thing, and my frames dropped a lot, but I still played through it because the game was really good. I played using mouse and keyboard, but there is full controller support.”
    • “The game has fantastic visuals, the story is interesting, but I'll never know how it concludes since the optimization is inexcusably poor.”
    • “Seriously, I cannot understate how poor the optimization for this game is.”
    • “Atrocious performance as people with 4080 in the reviews reported severe FPS drops, in a game that looks like Genshin Impact no less.”
  • emotional
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game evokes a strong emotional response through its storytelling, exploring themes of anxiety, grief, and sacrifice, often leaving players feeling deeply affected and even moved to tears. While many praised its ability to create impactful moments and well-crafted characters, some felt that certain plot elements undermined the emotional weight, leading to mixed reactions regarding the overall effectiveness of its narrative. Despite occasional gameplay frustrations, the emotional journey remains a highlight for many players, making it a memorable experience.

    • “It doesn't insult your intelligence; it has legitimate beauty in every frame, and made me feel absolutely destroyed when I was complete with it.”
    • “Not many games manage to give me full-body goosebumps on multiple occasions, or to even make me shed a tear, but this definitely accomplishes that.”
    • “This game creates emotional scenes and well-crafted characters through hints via the surrounding world and audio logs through caches, and it is executed very well, letting you know the path all of these characters took to their final moment.”
  • grinding
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding mechanics in "Solar Ash" are generally well-received, with players enjoying the fluidity and momentum of rail grinding and skating, reminiscent of classic titles like Jet Set Radio. However, many reviewers noted that the gameplay can feel tedious and clumsy at times, with a desire for tighter controls and more challenging platforming elements. While the visuals and exploration are praised, the overall experience is marred by some frustrating navigation and optimization issues.

    • “When playing Solar Ash, there's one thing I constantly wished for, and that was a higher difficulty for the game's platforming – whether that be tighter jumps, less sticky grinding, or less automatic hitboxes for targets to grab onto.”
    • “Moving around feels more tedious than fun, which was pretty much the one expectation I had about the game.”
    • “It's simple and tedious, and the gameplay is not always super tight. You end up falling through large areas or getting killed by a monster just because the controls aren't doing what you're telling them to do.”
  • replayability
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers limited replayability, primarily due to its short playtime of around 5-7 hours and repetitive gameplay elements. While there are options for higher difficulty modes and speedrunning, many players feel that the experience does not warrant multiple playthroughs. Some enjoy the different endings and boss sequences, but the general consensus is that the game lacks substantial content to encourage repeated play.

    • “A fun schmovement game with different endings for replay value if you're into that.”
    • “There's some replay value, with higher difficulties and its great potential as a speedgame, but for a more casual playthrough, it might not bring a ton.”
    • “It's not a very long game, but it's absolutely perfect where it is and is highly replayable.”
    • “It's short (5-6 hours), low replayability value, a bit janky and the initial charm starts to wear off by the last 2 hours, especially with the gameplay; it felt repetitive by the second half of the game (there's not enough there to fully grasp the player).”
    • “While it is fun to figure out each boss's sequence and they flow beautifully when you get it right, they don't really have a ton of replay value as you fight pretty much every boss in the exact same way.”
    • “It's pretty easy to 100% the game in only one playthrough, giving it very little replay value.”
  • stability
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report encountering only a few minor glitches and appreciate the beautiful animations, others highlight issues such as camera movement, finicky grind rails, and occasional stuttering, particularly on the Steam Deck. Despite these flaws, the gameplay experience remains enjoyable for most, with some players noting improvements in bug fixes over time.

    • “This game is super fun if you like mindless fast-paced exploration, and the art style, oh my god, the art style is fantastic. Currently playing this on deck runs great if you turn graphics down a little, and it still looks great. There is some stuttering when things load in, but not enough to impact gameplay. Super highly recommend it.”
    • “Bug-free game”
    • “I found my playthrough rife with little things that caused significant points of frustration; like finicky grind rails and buggy platforms on bosses, which shouldn't be issues that exist in a speed-based precision 3D platformer.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game performs quite poorly on deck, has minor graphical glitches, and does stutter seemingly due to a compatibility layer bottleneck of some kind.”
    • “It's a bit buggy sometimes, if you're like me and jump off random parts of the map just to see what happens.”
  • character development
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is noted as a weak point, with reviewers highlighting a disconnect between the impressive character designs and the awkward dialogue that undermines the emotional weight of the narrative. While the aesthetic and visual presentation are praised, the overall storytelling and character progression are seen as lacking depth and coherence.

    • “Almost every frame in Solar Ash is a work of art, be that due to its gorgeous visuals, brilliant levels, unique character designs, or its smooth animations.”
    • “The aesthetic was also super badass in terms of character designs and color palettes with many throwbacks to HLD.”
    • “The character designs are all great, but the dialogue often feels uncanny and weird for the dire situation Rei is in.”
    • “Lots of missed marks in terms of story/presentation, character development, and combat depth and progression.”
  • humor
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is appreciated for its playful and absurd elements, allowing players to explore the consequences of intentionally messing things up for comedic effect. While some players may experience frustration, the overall tone encourages a lighthearted approach to gameplay, emphasizing the enjoyment of whimsical scenarios.

    • “I think in any game it is a nice funny option to be able to know what would happen if you deliberately messed everything up at the very end for no reason, and I don't have a problem with that specifically.”
    • “Wouldn't it be funny if I decided that all you get to see are some clouds?!”
    • “I definitely got pissed at points but polished it out of my own volition, not for the funny internet points, or for bragging rights, but because I wanted to (nah I need that imaginary number on my profile to go up, man).”
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83%Critics’ scoreBased on 49 critic reviews
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7h Median play time
8h Average play time
6-9h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Solar Ash is a platformer game with science fiction theme.

Solar Ash is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 8 hours playing Solar Ash.

Solar Ash was released on December 8, 2022.

Solar Ash was developed by Heart Machine.

Solar Ash has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Solar Ash is a single player game.

Similar games include Valley, Hyper Light Drifter, The Pathless, Narita Boy, South of Midnight and others.