Solar Ash

Solar Ash is a 2021 action-adventure platform game developed by Heart Machine, the creators of Hyper Light Drifter, and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game features a surreal and stylized open world setting known as the Ultravoid, a collapsed black hole perpetually consuming worlds.

Players control Rei, a Voidrunner who is attempting to activate the Starseed, a massive machine capable of preventing the Ultravoid's destruction of her home planet. Gameplay revolves around skating across clouds and environmental surfaces, utilizing momentum and skillful traversal to navigate the shattered landscapes and overcome environmental puzzles. Combat encounters involve using a plasma-based skating attack to defeat various Remnants, the tortured remains of past civilizations trapped within the Ultravoid.

The narrative explores themes of sacrifice, hope, and the burden of responsibility in the face of overwhelming odds. The story unfolds through interactions with other characters encountered throughout the Ultravoid, as well as through fragmented memories and environmental storytelling. Rei's journey involves confronting the past and making difficult choices to save her world, even if it means facing impossible challenges. Solar Ash emphasizes a melancholic atmosphere and sense of isolation, contrasting the vibrant visuals with the despair of a world on the brink of collapse.