There doesn’t appear to be any ranged combat nor have we seen many advanced melee skills, at least based on the gameplay showcased thus far. Armed with a light construct weapon, not completely unlike the kind that The Drifter wields, Rei is capable of basic hack and slash combat. There are also suits which confer special abilities like Time Slip which allows for briefly stopping time.Ĭombat is also a key part of the experience though much less so than Hyper Light Drifter. As Rei explores, she’ll find pink globes which can be collected and traded to the personal assistant to increase her max health. You may even find spots with strange gravity, further adding to the challenge.

Rei is capable of skating along the ethereal clouds dotting the landscapes of the Ultravoid – which are vast and neon-lit – along with grinding on rails, double-jumping and grappling across large gaps. However, long story short, don’t expect any direct storyline connection between both games.īesides the fully 3D visuals, Solar Ash distinguishes itself from Hyper Light Drifter by being more focused on platforming and exploration. So, in that sense, yes.” He did note that there was a “connective tissue” between the two due to him being in charge of design and creative for both titles. “The universe, as in literally the same – it could be several galaxies away. Preston clarified to Kotaku this year that both titles are indeed set in the same universe but not in the “same next-door, neighbor planet or anything” like the MCU’s Metaverse. This led to some theorizing about the connections between the two (including the former possibly being a sequel to the latter). In 2019, creator Alx Preston tweeted that Solar Ash is set in the same universe as Hyper Light Drifter. Also, unlike Hyper Light Drifter, there’s now voice work as Rei can select dialogue to speak to different characters.Ĭonnection (or Lack Thereof) to Hyper Light Drifter There also seems to be a personal assistant of sorts whom Rei can purchase upgrades and new abilities from. What makes the Ultravoid so special is unknown but we’ve seen some entities residing within, particularly a large NPC that asks Rei if she’s afraid before loudly proclaiming that she should be (along with holding her within the palm of its hand). As for the voidrunners, they’re described as a group of explorers who venture into black holes in search of valuables before escaping. Thus far, we only really know about the protagonist Rei, more specifically her goal to save her planet. How this can be done is unknown but it seems to be connected to the Sentinels that roam the black hole and the fact that the characters within must “find solace in each other” to survive the “spiral of despair they find themselves trapped in.” Your guess is as good as ours on what that means. But it’s also about Rei, a voidrunner who ventures into the Ultravoid to prevent the destruction of her planet. In essence, the story of Solar Ash is about the Ultravoid, an all-consuming black hole that contains the remnants of past civilizations and planets. Let’s take a look at 10 things you should know before buying it ahead of its release. It’s developed by Heart Machine, which developed the incredibly impressive Hyper Light Drifter, but this is more of a traversal-heavy title in comparison. After first being announced in 2019 and dropping the “Kingdom” from its title, Solar Ash is set to release on December 2 nd for PS4, PS5 and PC.

Solar ash rei