Solar Ash – Spotlight
Solar Ash’s protagonist wakes up in a strange environment, like many other video games. A voidrunner named Rei, who uses cutting-edge technology to explore black holes, is thrust into your shoes right away. When the Ultravoid (a massive black hole) is nearing Rei’s home planet, she has to activate a device known as the Starseed in order to save it. Her entire team has vanished and the enormous inky beasts stand in her way as she wakes up.. An epic battle to save the world is about to begin, but it’s a familiar one.
It’s clear that Heart Machine is a studio that proudly displays its influences. Solar Ash looks like a cross between Team Ico’s seminal game Shadow of the Colossus and another Annapurna-published puzzle platformer, The Pathless, which also had Colossus vibes (clearly there’s some kind of unofficial Team Ico revival happening at Annapurna Interactive and I’m here for it).
Platforming and puzzles are broken up by the occasional boss fight that serves as a highlight of the core gameplay in Solar Ash. All six biomes have unique gimmicks and themes, and the game is broken up into six distinct sections. With Rei’s jet boots, you can skate and grind your way through huge, open worlds. You enter a new area and clear it of the black sludge by solving a series of puzzles. The boss is ready to go toe-to-toe with you when you’ve done enough of these. In order to defeat the bosses, players must scale their enormous frames and stab them in the weak spots.
So it’s a combination of The Pathless’ fast-paced exploration and Shadow of the Colossus’ puzzle-like boss fights. Nonetheless, putting it that way is a gross understatement of what Heart Machine does best – combine their wide range of influences in a unique way that coalesces into something singularly unique.
As a starting point, Solar Ash’s pacing is very different from Shadow’s. Team Ico’s game had you as a bumbling everyman barely hanging on for dear life, whereas Rei is an extremely capable and cool warrior in the series’ sequel. She moves gracefully and swiftly, slashing down any monsters that get in her way.
A more traditional progression system is also available in Solar Ash, where you can use plasma you collect during your journey to increase your maximum health level. A variety of alternate suits can be unlocked by finding Voidrunner caches scattered around the maps. These alternate suits can increase damage, shorten cooldowns, or even scan for additional Voidrunner caches. Along the way, you’ll meet a few characters for side quests that give you a better understanding of the world you’re exploring.
As opposed to the previous Heart Machine game, Solar Ash’s storey is delivered in a clear and concise manner. Solar Ash is a game that relies heavily on atmosphere and mood, but each chapter is capped by a brief conversation that moves the storey forward. Throughout her journey, Rei is assisted by an AI named Cyd, and is often transported to a new location where an entity known as Echo attempts to divert her from her intended path. Although the storey itself isn’t all that surprising, the voice acting and writing make it a compelling read. To save a doomed planet, finding hope against insurmountable odds is relatable to me.
Solar Ash has a stunning visual impact. In Hyper Light Drifter, you’ll immediately recognise this colour scheme. A more clean-cut, comic book-inspired aesthetic has replaced Heart Machine’s previous retro pixel art look and feel. The ethereal atmosphere provided by the cloud sea and the dream-like settings is just what the game needs to evoke a contemplative state of mind. The soundtrack is the only thing that bothers me. It’s not terrible, but it’s a little too subdued for a game of this nature.
On console, the framerates can be a little erratic. On both a PS4 Pro and a PS5, the 60 frames per second target is barely maintained. However, the PS4 version running on PS5 maintains a steady 60fps at all times at the expense of visual sharpness in the game. That was my preferred method of play in every possible scenario, because the game clearly benefits from smooth performance rather than high visual fidelity.
When it comes to Solar Ash, I’d say it hits way more than it misses, despite its wild swings. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of challenge, but once you find your groove, it’s sublime. The art direction is some of the best I’ve seen so far this year in terms of visuals. An unexpectedly poignant and timely journey through the dying planet’s final breath. In addition, if you’re feeling discouraged and hopeless about the state of the world, you might find some relief from your woes with the use of Solar Ash.
