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It’s most effective when it offers commentary on real issues, like our own politicians’ inability to come together and solve life-threatening crises in a timely manner. It’s a surprisingly rich science-fiction tale loaded with history and world-building.
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The game follows a runner named Rei as she travels around the decaying planet slaying giant monsters, which will allow her to use the Starseed. While the world’s government proves useless in stopping it, a group of people called Voidrunners are deployed to activate the Starseed, a device capable of stopping a black hole. A massive black hole appears near a planet and starts gradually ripping it apart. Solar Ash’s world may look brightly colored, but its story is darkly apocalyptic.
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It’s a momentum-filled indie game that’s always moving, even though it skates past some finer details in the process.
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The fluid cloud-skating movement is just plain pleasurable, while towering bosses provide unforgettable set pieces that put speed and reaction time to the test. In that regard, Solar Ash is a successful experiment that bubbles to life with vibrant colors and unmatched style.įilled with memorable sequences, Solar Ash is a focused follow-up to Hyper Light Drifter that constantly inspires moments of awe. Sometimes, the fun of video game development comes from the digital alchemy that occurs when developers start to mix beakers. Its gargantuan boss fights bring Shadow of the Colossus to mind, while the reality-bending space exploration calls back to Super Mario Galaxy. Fitbit Versa 3ĭeveloped by Heart Machine, the studio behind indie hit Hyper Light Drifter, several elements of Solar Ash will seem familiar at first glance. Getting those two elements to not only coexist but thrive together is a needle that Hyper Light Drifter confidently threads. In our review of the developer’s Hyper Light Drifter, we praised the top-down action game for its combination of story and gameplay: “It replaces traditional narrative structures with moods, but punctuates those contemplative, quiet moments with constant scenes of breakneck, pitch-perfect action. “The giant spaces, the feel of movement, the flow of combat, and the high stakes battles atop enormous beasts all come together to bring players something we think is incredibly unique, and more importantly, fun.” “ Solar Ash is Heart Machine’s vision of the adventure platformer,” game designer Alx Preston said of Solar Ash earlier this year. The developer promises fluid controls, with rail-grinding, grappling, and cloud surfing. Players take on the role of Rei, a Voidrunner who will journey through a colorful, stylized world as she fights to save her planet from the Ultravoid. Heart Machine first revealed Solar Ash in 2019 (as Solar Ash Kingdom).
#Solar ash psn Pc#
Solar Ash is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC via the Epic Games Store. 26, publisher Annapurna Interactive announced Thursday. Hyper Light Drifter developer Heart Machine will release its next game, the 3D action-platformer Solar Ash, on Oct.
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