- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Release Date: Dec 2, 2021
- Also On: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Dec 1, 2021Solar 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.
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Dec 1, 2021I’ve fallen in love with Solar Ash. It proves to be one of the best recent action-adventure games with a stunning sci-fi world, rich with bits of lore and worldbuilding to unravel. It may have come just under the wire in terms of 2021 releases, but it’s still a game that’s a must-play. Step on in and you have an experience with none of the fat and all of the glory. Gameplay that feels fluid and satisfying, moments and cinematography that feel like paintings of art, a story that resolves in an impacting way… this game has it all. Heart Machine you’ve bloody done it again.
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Dec 1, 2021A 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.
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Dec 8, 2021Solar Ash is a delightful experience boasting a continually engaging gameplay loop coupled with enticing sound design and narrative beats. Even with its oddly paced story, problematic camera, and occasionally dull boss battle implementation, it’s a joyous, memorable game that any intrigued party should dive into. Moreover, its digestible gameplay length and ambitious voice quality go a long way into making this a standout title of the year.
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Dec 8, 2021When 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.
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Dec 31, 2021Solar Ash has matchless richness and fun offering full design variety, verticality moreover proposing ideas, concepts and diverse moments which will never get you tired of.
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Dec 9, 2021Solar Ash is another hugely stylish venture from Heart Machine, though it’s not terribly long. Exploring any area to its fullest ran me about two to four hours and the whole thing ran about 11 hours for me when it was all said and done. Nonetheless, the graceful feel of movement, platforming, and combat in this game can’t be denied, and it’s accompanied by a lush and interesting mix of neon, natural, and industrial landscapes caught up in Solar Ash’s Voidspace. There’s a little jank in the controls here at here, but generally, for such a quick game, Solar Ash glides like a cosmic dream.
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Dec 6, 2021For the most part Solar Ash's impeccable style more than makes up for its weaknesses. The Ultravoid is a stunning prog-rock album cover come to life, and skating through it to uncovering its many secrets is rarely anything other than a complete joy. If it were a little longer, I fear its flaws would have become too much to ignore. But at a brisk seven-hours, Solar Ash is a perfectly paced adventure that's well worth your time.
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Dec 2, 2021Full of inventive locations to explore and various creative methods in which to do it, Solar Ash is a mesmerising intergalactic 3D platformer that ends up being greater than the sum of its parts. The mission structure may be a tad repetitive, but it’s easily forgivable the moment you find yourself grinding down a rail into the next neon-soaked cityscape under the shadow of a black hole.
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Dec 2, 2021Rich 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.
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Dec 1, 2021An endearing experience with a well-integrated narrative, Solar Ash trades the action of its predecessor for speed-based platforming. It's a compelling play, but it feels a little light.
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Dec 1, 2021There'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.
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Dec 1, 2021Solar Ash, the second work of Heart Machine, is an artistically stunning game with a pleasant and fun movement system that will captivate you from the very first moments to the end. Too bad that the combat has not enjoyed the same care and presents a level of challenge that may seem far too low.
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Dec 1, 2021If 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.
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Dec 7, 2021Solar Ash almost puts you in a trance-like state as you fluently move through gorgeous and varied worlds full of space magic. When it comes to side missions, dialogues and upgrades, though, the game slams the brakes a little too hard.
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Dec 6, 2021Despite its strengths, Solar Ash fails to skate free from the gravity of its influences.
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Dec 1, 2021Solar Ash may not get everything right, but its kinetic platforming and incredibly stylish presentation make its world a lot of fun to explore.
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Dec 4, 2021For all of its sense of genuine, thrilling speed in its mechanics, Solar Ash fails to muster any sense of accompanying narrative momentum.
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| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Dec 1, 2021This glorious game about movement and adventure also feels like a rumination on something deeper and more personal. [Eurogamer Recommended]
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Dec 1, 2021Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh here, but that’s because Solar Ash’s movement is brilliant and I hunger for more ways to roam its wastes. Don't expect one fluid joy ride, but when it does come together it really does impress. If you’re after a few hours of slicin’ and skatin’, I’d say it’s worth strapping those blades up.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 23 out of 43
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Mixed: 7 out of 43
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Negative: 13 out of 43
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Dec 5, 2021
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Dec 12, 2021