Solar Ash is a perfect example of what makes video games a unique artistic medium: It takes inspiration and design cues from several classics but combines them into something unlike any game ever played.

The studio behind the indie hit Hyper Light Drifter was published by Annapuma Interactive and developed by Heart Machine. Several aspects of Solar Ash will feel familiar at first glance. Its epic boss fights are reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus, while its reality-altering space exploration is reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy. The game is available on PS 4 and 5, MS Windows, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. Solar Ash was first released in December 2021.

Exploring the World with a Child Roadrunner

Ash’s sunny world may seem brightly coloured, but his story is darkly apocalyptic. A huge black hole appears near the planet and begins to tear it apart. When the world government proves useless in stopping it, a group called the Voidrunners is sent to activate the Starseed, a device that can shut down a black hole. The game follows an athlete named Rei as she travels across a crumbling planet, killing monsters, which will allow her to use the Starseed.

It’s a vibrant sci-fi story full of history and world-building. Most effective when it sheds light on real problems, such as the inability of our politicians to come together and resolve life-threatening crises promptly. Solar Ash is a thoughtful sequel to Hyper Light Drifter that consistently delivers thrilling moments of surprise. Skydiving is fun, with big bosses providing impressive stunts that test your speed and reaction time. It’s a fast-paced indie game that’s always moving, though it leaves behind finer details in the process.

Simple, But Engaging Puzzles

Most of the game’s puzzles are tiny balls that use a timer, where Rei needs to quickly cut down several pegs and get her sword to the giant eye before the black slime around her melts away. They use movement mechanics well, giving players small challenges at each level that test their agility and speed. Several collectables – including alternate suits and story-enhancing voices – are scattered worldwide, adding optional platform challenges to the mix for players who want exploration rewards. Combining jumps and grinding to complete platform puzzles feels like a dance routine.

There aren’t a ton of extra tools, but that’s because the game doesn’t need them. Slow motion allows Rei to target targets from long distances, and there’s a boost that speeds up the rotation. Nothing is arbitrary; all help movement and help smoothness even more. Just as Shadow of the Colossus stripped out everything that didn’t serve its core gameplay, Heart Machine is careful not to overload what already looks promising.

Boss Fights to Remember

There is a battle in Solar Ash, but it’s secretly just another mobility tool. Rei can perform a basic carving to destroy the slimy, black enemies that crawl worldwide. Attacking is more about speeding up than slowing down to clear out waves of bugs, especially evident when using Rei’s time-slowing ability, which allows her to approach enemies from a distance. In addition, the slash has a surprisingly long range, so Rei can jump at an enemy and slash them mid-air without stopping in combat.

The best blend of combat and movement comes from the game’s boss fights. In each level, Rei faces a substantial black monster covered in bony plates called the Remains. Solar Ash’s bosses are some of the most incredible video game bosses ever seen, even towering over some of the Shadow of the Colossus monsters. A serpentine whale, for example, floats in the air, circling poor apartment buildings. It’s an incredible sight and even more impressive when you realize you’re about to slide down the entire length of its bony spine. It’s a spectacle that never goes away, only getting more interesting as the monsters grow.

Boss Fights Are as Intriguing as They are Frustrating

Rei must find a way to fight the beast in the boss fight and complete a version of the timed cutting tests on his body. In one battle, I weave through a giant creature that flies through the air. I squeeze his wings, cutting the stakes before I reach the top. He spins around, sending me sliding down in a dizzying motion. It’s a spectacle that never goes away, only getting more interesting as the monsters grow.

Sometimes the game can’t match his desires. For example, the camera may wobble slightly as the animals move around, repositioning Rei. In addition, there were a few fights that I had to redo because I lost all focus in the camera zoom. Repeating conflicts can also be painful, as Rei will have to slide back to the monster, face it again, and repeat the same fight sequence until she takes it down. I also had a few cases where I would get stuck in an environment, causing me to reset.

Minor technical complaints do not detract from a clean concert. Solar Ash bosses gave me the same “wow” moments I felt when I first played Shadow of the Colossus. It seems impossible to me that I could go from sliding around a pool to sliding on a 1,000-foot giant’s bone sword on my way to the soft spot on his head. It’s still a fantastic trick, even 16 years after the first PS2 game pulled it off.

A Neon Dystopia

The gorgeous art direction makes Solar Ash stand out from the crowd of indie games right away. While the visuals are simple, with minimal textures and details, the bright colours give the sci-fi world an alien feel. The planet is bright pink, with Rei dancing in a sea of light blue clouds. It’s a surrealist piece – a strange world embodied in a neon sign.

However, Solar Ash is gaining more popularity for its natural world design than the visuals. It takes cues from Super Mario Galaxy to create seemingly impossible spaces for players to navigate. In the next biome, I glided up and around a twisting cloud layer, taking me hundreds of miles above what I thought was land. Elsewhere, unbuilt train tracks cover the city skyline, allowing me to climb the tops of skyscrapers deftly. The game makes the most of its black hole premise, using a sci-fi threat to tear the environment apart and reassemble it into a platform paradise.

The Sound is Equally Impressive. 

Solar Ash features beautiful music by Troupe Gammage IV (with contributions from composers Joel Corelitz and Sky Lu) that add to the sci-fi horror atmosphere. It’s a collection of disturbing music underscoring the cosmic catastrophe tearing the world apart. Strong voice acting brings the world’s inhabitants to life, heightening the sense of danger. Rei is so powerful that her collected attitude begins to crumble when fears begin about her ultimate reality of the universe.

Conclusion

Solar Ash is a beautiful sci-fi platformer that cleverly connects to create something new. The emphasis on fast and fluid movements turns the quest into a fun, dance-like action. The Shadow of the Colossus-inspired boss fight also uses those mechanics well, creating time-spanning action sequences with an incredible sense of scale. Technical issues may slow the pace, but they’re never enough to completely distract from a compelling sci-fi adventure looking to save itself. It is these aesthetic details that give Solar Ash its identity.