Solar Ash Reviews
There’s a lot more to Solar Ash than simply gliding and grinding around its luscious world, but by god is it good fun.
Solar Ash does fast-paced platforming brilliantly and it features a super-exciting formula to boot. At the same time, that's really all it has going for it so with some much-needed additional variety, it could have been an even greater experience.
Solar Ash is one of those incredibly rare masterpieces that doesn’t get enough recognition for what it gives you; with an intensely rich story that unfolds as you progress and the unique world design, it just keeps giving you more reason to keep going. The fact that it’s a puzzle platformer actually adds to this game’s unique flare and helps keep things a bit more lively where other games go stale after a while.
Solar Ash is a worthy adventure platformer. Its movement mechanic is the main responsible for the agile and fun gameplay that permeates exploration and combat in yet another Heart Machine hit, as the company managed to make the transition to 3D. It's natural that some issues arise, as no game is perfect, but the Switch version is yet another port that suffers with inferior graphic quality and framerate drops. Fortunately, they do not completely invalidate the experience but a part of the chaotic beauty of the Ultravoid is lost in its sacrifices.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
There’s a sense of freedom and fun as you’ll explore the world, and it has terrific moments, but it doesn’t all work well on Switch
Any game that makes movement feel this cool and effortless is a must-play, as far as I’m concerned.
Solar Ash is short, sweet, and a little too repetitive. The gameplay is a ton of fun the first hour or two. By the end things were carried by the gorgeous visuals, excellent music, and heartbreaking story. This one should be a no brainer to at least check out through Game Pass
Solar Ash is a 3D adventure that bets on its quick and stylish action to offer a fast-paced journey. Skating fast and solving navigation puzzles through its exotic sceneries is fascinating, especially due to the enticing creativity of its areas. Besides that, the battles against huge monsters are notable for being visually impressive. The concepts are solid and the universe is beautiful, but the execution leave [much] to be desired. The constant presence of trial and error, the erratic camera, repetitive progression and other issues hamper the experience as a whole. Overall, Solar Ash is a reasonable adventure but far from being unforgettable.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Solar Ash is a game that doesn't try to go any further than it can, focusing on simple, effective gameplay with an interesting story and a mysterious world that encourages you to explore. It may stumble in some situations, but when it gets it right, all evils are immediately forgotten.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
I feel comfortable saying that Solar Ash is going to be someone's favorite game. It has a singular artistic vision and a strong enough message that, for the right person at the right time in their life, it's going to ring true in a way that will resonate with them, perhaps like no other work of art. It's also hard to deny the game's visual splendor. For me, it is a game that I wish I loved, but only liked, and I fear that will be the most common experience. There are a few too many flaws to overlook, and it's hard not to compare it to the masterpieces it hoped to emulate. That said, the video game world could do with more ambitious, imperfect works like Solar Ash and fewer safer bets. It may not be quite the masterwork that Hyper Light Drifter was, but it's still likely to stick with you after the credits roll.
Boss fights continue to be the highlight of Solar Ash, and while the gaming experience isn't perfect, it's still enjoyable.
Solar Ash is an emotional game with a lot of heart. It’s a feast for the eyes, with an incredible movement system, and a world built around your core moveset. The story isn’t as consistent but still wraps up nicely.
Solar Ash is a little more ambitious than Hyper Light Drifter with its jump to 3D, but it has traded ambition for quality. The gameplay puts up the impression that it wants to be a kinetic platformer, yet it’s a shallow imitation of one that repeats a depressing number of times before it hits credits. Like a solar flare, Solar Ash hits players with a sharp burst of energy as it opens with some promising, speedy mechanics. But that energy quickly dissipates as it loses momentum right after its initial explosion as it trudges from level to level and never picks back up.
Solar Ash is a fun, fresh adventure that’s perfect for players who love getting lost in strange new worlds and being rewarded for exploring their every nook and cranny. Its tale is engaging enough to keep you moving forward (and backward, and up and down and every which way), and the final reveal is both well earned and well executed. It might not be the best game you play this year, but diving into the Ultravoid to explore it’s vast impossibilities and unearth it’s deepest secrets is an experience that shouldn’t be missed.
The developers at Heart Machine have created a game with an impeccable amount of heart, it’s just a shame they didn’t give it enough soul.
[T]his 3D action platformer is as good as it gets. Definitely a speedrunner's delight, if you're into that sort of thing. And if you love unfolding stories with that personal touch injected with high concept sci-fi, Solar Ash's tale will delight alongside its mesmerizing visuals and score.
As maddening as it is beautiful, Solar Ash's gorgeous aesthetic is thoroughly undermined by traversal mechanics that are neither fun nor intuitive.
If you’re looking for an exciting platformer with a stellar style and fast-paced action, Solar Ash will scratch that itch and more. Its puzzle-solving and exploration are hefty enough without overstaying its welcome. It’s not without flaws, but despite all of them, the mobility in Solar Ash is unrivaled, making it one of my favorite platformers in recent memory.
Solar Ash was a bit of a mixed experience, with not all aspects meeting the high quality of its core features. The first-rate visuals and the fluid movement system do lots of heavy lifting and do still outweigh the negatives to provide a world worth exploring in a way that will be hard not to enjoy.