14 DAY TRIAL // Solar Ash, the spiritual successor of Hyper Light Drifter from developer Heart Machine, will no longer release in October. Although the game should have been out on PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on October 26, Annapurna Interactive and Heart Machine announced this week they have decided to delay the game.
The official statement cites time constraints due to the global pandemic, something that many other developers were forced to overcome in the last few years. That being said, Solar Ash now has a new release date: December 2, 2021.
“Heart Machine & Annapurna Interactive have decided to delay the release of Solar Ash until December 2, 2021. We want Solar Ash to shine, and we need a bit more time to get the last pieces of polish and bug fixes into the game, while still navigating this global pandemic as a highly dedicated team. This short delay will help us get there.”
Unlike their previous Hyper Light Drifter game that was built using 2D pixel art, the upcoming Solar Ash brings up a more traditional 3D action-adventure formula. At its core, Solar Ash is an adventure platforming game that focuses less on combat and more on movement.
Players take control of a voidrunner within a black hole who is trying to save her planet. The game is set in a 3D landscape, as players must avoid obstacles and attack enemies with a sword while they navigate the bright-neon colored environment.
Although the game was revealed for the first time back in 2019, the studio confirmed that Solar Ash has been in development for some time prior to the announcement. The team at Heart Machine inked exclusivity deals not just with Sony, but also with Epic Games. As such, Solar Ash will be initially launched on PC exclusively via Epic Game Store, as well as PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.