Solar Ash delivers a colorful, kinetic journey augmented by the power of scale

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Think of Solar Ash as a sort of spiritual successor to Hyper Light Drifter. Both are colorful, explorative action games by developer Heart Machine, which—while they may share some form of distantly related universe—are connected in different ways. 
 
It’s not story, worlds, or characters that bond the two together, but style, tone, and atmosphere. Where Hyper Light Drifter saturates its contemplative RPG gameplay in a pixelated palette of vivid colors, Solar Ash delivers vibrant swirls of kinetic exploration on the skates of Voidrunner Rei. Both are powered by Heart Machine’s artful touch and creative director Alx Preston’s own desire to navigate trauma. This latest creation is described by the Epic Games Store as “Jet Set Radio meets Shadow of the Colossus, with a bit of Super Mario Galaxy mixed in.”
 
We chatted with Preston about the game’s personal and canonical inspirations, how Unreal Engine helped give life to Rei’s fluid gameplay, and why he’s so happy with how the game’s clouds turned out.

To read the rest of this story, which first ran on Feb. 2, 2022, visit UnrealEngine.com.