Cute game! Pretty short, and very weird compared to other Mario games which I think is the main appeal here.

The platforming is tighter then you would expect since you drop like a rock. Other mechanics are also slightly different than what you would expect, like turtles exploding after you stomp on them, or becoming small immediately after taking damage when you have a fire flower.

I also wasn't expecting parts of it to turn into a little SHMUP, it's not a spoiler since its right on the box!!!

Once you've mastered the controls it's fun to attempt a no game-over play through. This isn't as hard as it first seems once you realize the length of the game as well as how generous the game is with awarding additional lives should you always reach for the top exit to play the bonus game!

This game really shines with its visuals, story telling, and music. The plot itself might not be winning any major awards but there are definitely some nice twists and turns- also the style is very unique a bit in the way the Psychoanauts unorthodox art style was.

The game play draw here is the character mobility and while the game doesn't require you to master it to beat the game- you can jump right in and find it as enjoyable, flashy, fluid, and cozy as it looks.

The game also has combat, but it is not particularly engaging past the first few encounters as it generally consists of mashing X. You also have a grappling hook style mechanic used for traversing and picking up collectibles, but it's not integrated into combat! It's a shame because it feels like a missed opportunity to have made the game more fun with it's inclusion there!

While this game took me around 7 hours to complete, there is no skill progression or major game play deviations to break any of it up so by the end I was feeling a little fatigued.

I would be really interested in seeing a sequel with more challenging platforming segments, engaging combat, and new and more varied environments.

Solar ash is a momentum based action platformer that rewards precision, exploration, and efficiency! This is a game that can really push you with it's seemingly simple mechanics! Even though this game gives you all the tools you need at the start, its demanding nature kept me consistently engaged and made me feel like I was always progressing as a player!

While there is a story here it doesn't initially grab you, it doesn't help that most of this plot is delivered in a way that is consistently vague and somewhat repetitive. I would say the plot is very character focused, and some of these decisions in the story delivery feel intentional! I can't speak further without spoilers, but I will say that the game does a decent job sticking the landing during the end. There are even multiple outcomes, encouraging ADDITIONAL reasons to replay!

The story is not the main reason you play this though, it is the game itself! As previously mentioned, ash is incredibly agile and a joy to control and mastering those controls is the name of the game. Most challenges in solar ash come from platforming challenges- including the monolith boss encounters at the end of each open area! Combat does exist, but I found enemies to be more of a diversion or impedance to the platforming. That said, while the combat itself is lacking- its sound design is really great and super punchy? I always felt rewarded for completing an encounter because the fighting LOOKS and SOUNDS fun!

There is more to be said about solar ash, but if a challenging stylish 3d momentum based platformer sounds like your jam- YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK IT OUT

I played on hard mode, and it essentially ups the challenges of the platforming segments - in addition there are some fun challenge runs encouraged by the available trophies. I might be picking this one up again for the 3 hour speed run and the unlock able extra difficulty setting!