There are some gripes I have with the traversal, however, which I will discuss in the optimization section.Īs I mentioned in the preview, Alx Preston, the Creative Director for Heart Machine, promised “fluid, simple, and satisfying” combat. It was a ton of fun zooming around the map, climbing up cliffs, swinging across giant distances, and grinding on rails to reach new areas. The traversal and combat were outstanding. Sure, I started to get a little bored toward the end, but the super intense boss battles in each area made it worth playing. That being said, I did have fun with the game overall. Sure, it was nice that each area was different, but you have to continuously repeat the same actions, which eventually becomes boring.

These motions were fun for the first couple of areas, but after a while, it turned into a slog to get through. Do this six times, and you complete the game. It was the same thing over and over again: go to a new area, complete a puzzle, stab the eyes, and defeat the Remnant, which is the boss of the area. While I really enjoyed the story and the message it conveyed, it got really repetitive.

I completed the game in around five hours, and while I did not achieve a 100% save file, I was pretty thorough in my exploration. Without spoiling anything, the ending was wild and, at least in my case, completely unexpected. It gets heavier and heavier as the story progresses, and I really think the developers did a good job with it. On a deeper level, the story is about reconciling with the past and moving forward, and this theme is sprinkled throughout the game. You know, just your typical, everyday occurrence. In essence, Solar Ash follows the story of Rei, a Voidrunner that is trying to activate the Starseed to save her planet from the Ultravoid, a huge black hole. I do have a couple of issues with Solar Ash that prevent it from truly being great, however, including its repetitive nature, performance, and replayability. In my preview of the game, I discussed how excited I was for it because of its unique and intriguing design, fast-paced traversal, and intense combat. Overall, I really enjoyed this game and it lived up to my expectations.

You can find all of these, and much more, in Heart Machine’s newest game, Solar Ash. And, naturally, giant sentient beings called Remnants. Skating, grappling, and grinding on rails. Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (reviewed on)

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