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Solar Ash - Review Thread

reksveks

Member
PS5 MC - 76 off 12 reviews (https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-5/solar-ash)
PC MC - 80 off 7 reviews (https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/solar-ash)

9/10 - GamesRadar+ (https://www.gamesradar.com/solar-ash-review-ceaseless-distilled-fun-the-best-type-of-game/)
Solar Ash is a platforming playground that never loses steam, and it hides a memorable story of unfathomable tragedy.

9/10 - Attack of the Fanboy (https://attackofthefanboy.com/reviews/solar-ash-review/)
Solar Ash is a contemplative experience, visual feast, and faced-paced thrill ride expertly wrapped up into one exhilarating adventure. Without a doubt, this game is one of the best indie games of 2021, if not the best.

8/10 - VGC (https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/solar-ash-game/)
Solar Ash is a highly original open-plan platform game. A slim move set that rewards momentum is the perfect means of exploring its swirling, broken landscapes and executing its more exacting challenges. While some of its elements feel overly simple, that doesn’t detract hugely from a clinically focused and fresh experience.

7/10 - Pushsquare (http://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/solar-ash)
Solar Ash pushes for a sense of momentum and fluidity with its take on 3D platforming, and it does work very well indeed. Rei's controls and abilities give the game a sense of ease, making it feel very gratifying simply moving through the game's world. While the main quest doesn't really evolve the challenge, and the picturesque environments can feel somewhat empty, the traversal at the heart of everything does about enough to carry you through to a satisfying conclusion. It's an ambitious second effort from Heart Machine that mostly sticks the landing.

8/10 - Gamespot (https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/solar-ash-review-ash-wins-day/1900-6417797/)
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.

7/10 - IGN (https://www.ign.com/articles/solar-ash-heart-machine-review)
Solar Ash may not get everything right, but its kinetic platforming and incredibly stylish presentation make its world a lot of fun to explore.

Do let me know if you find any more reviews/youtube videos that you think would be helpful.
 

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman


From the creators of the award-winning Hyper Light Drifter comes the high-speed and gravity-bending world of Solar Ash. Available December 2nd on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Epic Games Store. http://solarash.com

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.
 
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Sounds like the combat lacks depth ..otherwise sounds like a great game. Visually and even storywise. Good level design and its unique. Problem is I think the $40 price tag. Thirty bucks and this mightve been a good value.
 
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Hunnybun

Member
The gameplay they showed early this year looked really good, so I've had an eye on this ever since. Great that it's reviewed well.
 

GHG

Gold Member
Looks good but the price is a bit much so I'll wait for a sale.

Edit: went to wishlist and saw it's EGS exclusive...

not funny transformers GIF
 
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GymWolf

Member
Meh, from the creators of hld i was expecting something more combat-based than platform based.

But it looks cool.
 
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Ogbert

Member
Loved HLD, but kinda bummed they’re focussing on platforming rather than combat.

Touch too expensive at the moment, will pick it up on sale.
 

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman


The latest from Hyper Light Drifter developers Heart Machine, Solar Ash is a 3D action/adventure with a focus on momentum and speed. Check out the first 13 minutes, played on a PlayStation 5, and covering the first boss of the game.
 

balt1kr1s

Member
Finished it on Sunday, took me around 11 hours on „challenge„ difficulty.
Its beatiful! Looks and sounds very dreamy. Traversal is better than in Pathless, its easier to keep momentum.
Locations are very well designed with bosses giving you that „shadow of the colossus„ vibes. Was surprised the most with Voice acting which is really Nice, thanks to that I loved interactions with side characters and doing their little quests for them.
Price was quite steep for Indie but worth every penny. Enjoyed it very much!
 
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DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
I started it, I'm about 4-5 hours in. I'm enjoying it so far. It has a very simple formula, and while it doesn't blow you away, it works. You basically have to remove corruption by finding certain points within the zones and destroying the corruption points and then it unlocks a boss, that you have to scale 3 times to slay it using the same traversal methods. If I have one gripe, sometimes traversing can get annoying and frustrating. Typically during the bosses. But it still works well for the most part. It's a colorful relaxing game that has some minor side stuff to uncover and health upgrades you can unlock by collecting bits of plasma in the environment which act as your currency. For some reason every time you beat a boss, something in the story happens that causes you to permanently lose one health bar, so you need to buy it back again. Side quests are very basic. Basically discover hidden areas in each of the zones and find cache logs that unlock suit parts. Get 5/5 parts and you unlock a new suit that gives you a unique bonus.

So far enjoying it. Like it, but don't think it's can't miss unless you love these types of games.
 
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DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Finished it today. 100%'d it. Apparently you get a special suit for getting 100%, but it won't matter because there isn't really any replay value here, and I rarely replay games anyway, my backlog is too long.

I don't typically rate games on a numeric scale, but I'd say this is a 7.5-8/10 for me. Could use a few quality of life improvements, and I encountered one bug that forced me to exit out to my dashboard and reload the game. But it was a lot of fun, colorful, relaxing experience except for some minor frustrating parts fighting the bosses.
 

Pimpollo818

Member
-it's pretty easy to get stuck in geometry but there are checkpoints everywhere so it's not a huge deal
-skating feels nice, as does the boost, but there's little incentive to explore
-the game loop evokes Shadow of the Colossus, but I find the actual gameplay of taking them down too QTE-ish for my liking. Still, it's a the highlight of the game for me
-grinding can lead to some very cool camera panning, my favorite was where you grind to some distant planet (reminded me of mario galaxy actually)
-combat is boring but thankfully it's not forced on you, the game never locks you into combat rooms or anything of the sort (it's so limp it makes me concerned for their next title which looks to be more combat heavy)

I still have 2 or 3 bosses to go. Thus far it's a solid 2/4. Not something I'd recommend, but not bad enough that I drop it.
 
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