03 Dec
Blog

Solar Ash Review: Keeping the Momentum Up Amid Apocalypse

Rei stands in a fiery plain in Solar Ash.

"Graceful movements and breathtaking battles against colossal monsters make Solar Ash a worthy successor to Hyper Light Drifter."

advantages

  • Pleasant movement

  • Awesome boss fights

  • Inventive world design

  • Fantastic score

disadvantage

  • Some poor story beats

  • Camera can cut the swing in half

Solar Ash is a perfect example of what makes video games such a unique artistic medium: it takes inspiration and design elements from several high-profile classics, but blends them into something that is different from everyone else – or any game I've ever played have.

Developed by Heart Machine, the studio behind the indie hit Hyper Light Drifter, some elements of Solar Ash will look familiar at first glance. His gigantic boss fights are reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus, while the reality-distorting space exploration is reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy. Sometimes the fun of creating video games comes from the digital alchemy that arises when developers start mixing cups. In this regard, Solar Ash is a successful experiment that comes to life with bright colors and unmatched style.

Filled with memorable sequences, Solar Ash is a focused successor to Hyper Light Drifter that repeatedly awakens moments of awe. The fluid cloud skating movement is just plain enjoyable, while towering bosses deliver memorable set pieces that put speed and reaction time to the test. It's an indie game with full swing that is always on the move, even if it misses a few subtleties.

I'm a void baby

Solar Ash's world may look colorful, but its story is darkly apocalyptic. A massive black hole appears near a planet and gradually begins to tear it apart. While world government proves useless in stopping it, a group of people called the Voidrunners are deployed to activate the starseed, a device that can stop a black hole. The game follows a runner named Rei who travels around the decaying planet and kills huge monsters, allowing her to use the starseed.

A white figure speaks to Rei in Solar Ash.

It's a surprisingly rich science fiction story, full of history and world education. It is most effective when it offers commentary on real-world problems, such as the inability of our own politicians to come together and resolve life-threatening crises in a timely manner. Audio logs describe a well-known dystopia where the appearance of the black hole somehow turned into a divisive political problem that stalemated the government's response. Its story is a little less effective when it turns into a comparatively vague meditation on individuals picking up the pieces, but it's a good use of science fiction as a real-world allegory.

As the name suggests, Voidrunners can run – or more precisely "skate". The game is all about exploring the world at a fast pace using some fluid mobility tools. If you hold down the left trigger, Rei can whiz across any surface like a skater or drag on anything rail-like, from plant roots to disassembled subway rails floating in mid-air. Movement is easy to understand, but immediately satisfying. Exploration is a fast-paced ballet that rarely requires players to stop moving. Stringing jumps and grinds together to solve platform puzzles feels like performing a graceful dance routine.

Rei slides into a room with mushrooms in Solar Ash.

Most of the puzzles in the game are timed micro-gloves that require Rei to quickly slit open a few stakes and stick her sword into a huge eye before it is evaporated from the black goo around her. These use the movement mechanics to a large extent and present the players with small challenges in each level, which put their control and speed to the test. There are also some collectibles – including alternate suits and insightful audio logs – scattered around the world that add some optional platform challenges to the mix for players who want some rewards for exploring.

Stringing jumps and grinds together to solve platform puzzles feels like performing a graceful dance routine.

There aren't many additional tools out there, but that's because the game doesn't need them. A time slowing maneuver makes Rei charge targets from a great distance, and there's a boost to drive around faster. Nothing is arbitrary; everything aids the movement and helps smooth it out even further. Just as Shadow of the Colossus is known to have reduced everything that does not serve its core gameplay, Heart Machine takes care not to over-complicate what already feels good.

Climb a colossus

There's battle in Solar Ash, but it's secretly another mobility tool. Rei can perform one simple blow that can take out slimy black enemies crawling around the world. Attack is more about maintaining momentum than slowing it down to clear out waves of bad guys. This is especially evident when using Reis' Time Slow Down ability, which allows her to encounter an enemy from a distance. The slash has a surprisingly long range, allowing Rei to jump into an enemy and slash them in mid-air without stopping to fight.

The best combination of combat and movement comes from the game's boss fights. In each level, Rei faces a huge black monster covered with plates of bone called Remnants. They're some of the greatest video game bosses I've ever seen, and even tower above some of the greatest beasts on Shadow of the Colossus. A snake-like whale, for example, hovers in the air and circles dilapidated apartment buildings. It's a fascinating sight, and one that only gets more impressive when you realize you are about to skate the entire length of its bony back.

It's a spectacle that never gets thin and only gets more fascinating as the monsters get bigger.

In boss fights, Rei must find a way to face a beast and then complete a version of the game's time trials that are spread over his body. In a fight, I draw towards a huge flying creature. I pull up my wings and slit stakes before reaching the top. It turns around and sends me down its bottom in a perceptually distorting moment. It's a spectacle that never gets thin and only gets more fascinating as the monsters get bigger.

Rei climbs a giant monster in Solar Ash.

Sometimes the game just can't keep up with its ambitions. The camera can get a little unwieldy as the beasts squirm and reset Reis' position. There were a couple of fights that I had to repeat simply because I got lost in a nauseating camera transition. Repeating fights can also be a chore, as Rei has to go back to a monster, hold it again, and repeat the exact same fight sequence until she makes it. I've also had a few instances where I got stuck in the area and forced myself to reset.

The small technical defects do not detract from the spectacle. The Solar Ash bosses gave me the same “wow” moments that I got when I first played Shadow of the Colossus. It feels impossible to go seamlessly from skating through a swamp to sliding a 300-foot-tall giant bone sword on its way to the soft spot on top of your head. It's still a mind-boggling magic trick, even 16 years after a PS2 game first did it.

Neon dystopia

The colorful art direction makes Solar Ash stand out immediately in an indie game series. While the graphics are simple, even with limited textures and detail, bright colors add a true sense of afterlife to the science fiction world. The planet is bathed in bright pink as Rei dances across seas of pale blue clouds. It's a surrealistic mood piece – a strange world wrapped in a neon sign.

While its influences are clear, it doesn't look or sound like the games it is related to.

However, it's less the vivid graphics and more the actual world design that make Solar Ash pop. It takes hints from Super Mario Galaxy to create seemingly impossible leeway for gamers. In a later biome, I drove up and around a winding pillar of cloud and got myself into an area hundreds of miles above what I believed to be the ground. Elsewhere, deconstructed railroad tracks obscure the city's sky, allowing me to skillfully climb to the top of skyscrapers. The game makes the most of its black hole premise by using the science fiction threat to literally tear apart the environment and reassemble it into platform paradise.

Rei jumps near a building in Solar Ash.

The sound is just as impressive. Solar Ash features fantastic music from Disasterpeace that adds to the creepy sci-fi atmosphere. It's a disturbing collection of music that highlights the heavenly catastrophe that is tearing the world apart. A strong voice output gives life to the inhabitants of the world and increases the apocalyptic stakes even further. Rei is especially strong as her collected demeanor begins to tear apart as panic sets in over her worldly reality.

It is these aesthetic accents that give Solar Ash its own identity. While its influences are clear, it doesn't look or sound like the games it is related to. Heart Machine's signature style is completely intact here, even after abandoning the 2D pixel art that Hyper Light Drifter fans are used to. The studio has created a complicated alien world that is so bright and welcoming that I can't help but be angry at the forces of this universe for failing to protect it.

Our opinion

Solar Ash is a stylish sci-fi platformer who skillfully interweaves influences to create something fresh. The emphasis on fast, fluid movements makes exploring a dance-like pleasure. The boss fights, inspired by Shadow of the Colossus, also take advantage of this mechanic and create exciting action set pieces on a mind-boggling scale. Technical problems can hold back the momentum, but it's never enough to completely distract you from an inviting sci-fi playground waiting to be saved.

Is there a better alternative?

If you're looking for other motion-based indie games, Celeste and Ori and the Will of the Wisps are both great options. If all you want is the giant bosses, the PS4 remake of Shadow of the Colossus is a must see.

How long it will take?

It's just under five to six hours in total, with a few collectibles on the way for extra playtime.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. Solar Ash is a fast paced and fun platform game with a meaty science fiction story and a handful of unforgettable boss fights.



23 Mar
Blog

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 Earbuds Review

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

"Sennheiser has managed to make the best-sounding earphones even better."

  • Unsurpassed sound quality

  • Stellar active noise cancellation

  • Easy setup and control

  • Revised battery life

  • Lean aesthetics

  • Expensive

  • Comparatively bulky design

In our humble opinion, the original Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless were the best sounding real wireless earbuds you could buy. But the excellent audio quality was costly, not just the high price that went with it. Sennheiser's first crack in real wireless simply didn't have the features that justified its price, with poor battery life being the biggest mistake.

Fortunately, two years turned out to be enough to fix some shortcomings. Sennheiser's recently announced $ 300 Momentum True Wireless 2, which is slated to hit stores in April 2020, are the five-tool stars we wanted from their predecessor. Thanks to the significantly improved battery life and the additional active noise suppression, Sennheiser has combined its incomparable sound quality in one overall package. Or at least damn close.

Out of the box

Aside from a few changes, nothing much has changed in terms of design from generation to generation. Sennheiser has shrunk the new buds by almost 2 mm to reduce weight and improve comfort. However, they have the same sharp aesthetics as the originals and have the silver Sennheiser logo on each end cap. The same applies to the supplied charging case; It maintains the pill form of the first version and is wrapped in a familiar, sleek fabric.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 case

Aside from the buds themselves and the case, the package included a quick start guide, three additional pairs of silicone earplugs, and a charging cable that is just as short as the previous iteration. I exchanged the earbuds that came with the buds for a slightly smaller option, and then put them in to get a firm but secure fit. With a quick glance at the manual, I went seamlessly through the setup process, in which both buds were touched simultaneously to put them in pairing mode, find them in my phone's Bluetooth settings, and connect.

design

I registered with these buds within the first few hours and noticed the size. Don't get me wrong, they're not the bulkiest earbuds I've dealt with, but they certainly won't go away in your ear like lighter options like the Samsung Galaxy Buds + do.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 Nick Woodard / Digital Trends

Sennheiser has made progress by making Momentum 2 smaller than the originals, and I can confirm that this helped balance the load. Overall, they're comfortable earbuds, and I haven't noticed any major concerns when I wear them for extended listening sessions. However, if larger buds bother you more, I would take this into account when considering Sennheiser.

characteristics

The highlight in the converted bag with functions for the Momentum True Wireless 2 is the battery life. The originals offered disappointing four hours of playback on a single charge and a total of 12 hours on the case, neither of which could compete with much cheaper options like Apple's AirPods or Jabra's Elite Active 75T. It was a glaring flaw in an otherwise outstanding pair of buds and clearly something Sennheiser had to correct.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2Nick Woodard / Digital Trends

The second generation of Momentum offers seven hours per charge and a total of 28 hours in combination with the charging case. Using active noise canceling and listening at louder volume usually affects these numbers, but for the most part, these juiced buds have kept the end of the battery bargain.

As is common today with wireless earbuds, the Momentum True Wireless 2 has customizable touch controls and detection features that pause playback when you remove an earbud. This "smart pause" function, as Sennheiser calls it, was slightly different from others that I auditioned because it stopped playing more gradually than a more abrupt pause in the sound. It's a small detail, but it became more and more important to me over time.

The Momentum 2 was easy to use with the touch controls. It takes a little trial and error to put all the commands into memory – things like volume controls are separated by buds, and more than once I've cranked up the volume instead of dampening it – but when I did, it was easy that control experience without reaching for my cell phone.

Like its older relatives, the Momentum 2 have IPX4 weather resistance. Essentially splashproof, but not completely waterproof. They were good for the light workouts I could do while practicing social distance, but I can't speak for how they would do in repeated sweaty sessions.

App optional, but not required

The Momentum True Wireless 2 have their own app called Sennheiser Smart Control. Since the earphones won't be available to the general public until next month, I've interacted with a beta version of the app so your mileage may vary. But for my money, the app itself was a decent compliment, but it wasn't necessary to enjoy these buds.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2Nick Woodard / Digital Trends

They offered the opportunity to customize your touch controls, although after learning the standard controls, I didn't want to go back to the drawing board. There is also a tab where you can toggle the buds 'transparent hearing' function on and off so that you can record the sounds of the environment around you if you wish. But I could do that with a few blows to my right bud.

From my point of view, the most useful functions in the app were the settings that you could use to deactivate things like smart pause or the option to answer calls automatically. The equalizer provided with the app was useful for getting a little deeper or more heights out of the buds, but I always wanted to reset the buds to their original mood.

The audio quality is increased with ANC

At the expense of repetition, the first generation Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless were the best wireless earbuds we've ever heard. The company, widely known as a leader in audio quality, shouldn't have had to add much to the next edition to maintain the status quo.

Instead, they added active noise cancellation to the Momentum 2. In my opinion, this is a pretty big deal.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2Nick Woodard / Digital Trends

Everything that has been applauded about the original is still there. The clarity, the impressive low-end, the breathtaking stereo images. I was impressed with how listening to selections like George Ezras Shotgun, the earbuds could easily keep up with the song's tight bass notes while refusing to overwhelm the singer's tremendous vocals. I've heard some pretty powerful earphones, but this is just another experience. The sound draws you into the music and devours you when you record notes and instruments that simply are not available from competitors.

Now take all of that and add active noise cancellation. With properly fitting earplugs, the earphones can solidly exclude ambient noise without this function. My morning dog walk along a busy road has never been so calm.

By tapping my right bud three times to activate active noise cancellation, I only heard Bill Burr's giggles during the Monday Morning Podcast. While I was working on the couch a few meters from my partner, I couldn't understand a word when she tried to communicate. Not ideal from a relationship point of view, but ideal for suppressing office noise, and probably very effective for travel.

Our opinion

Sennheiser has managed to make the best sounding earbuds even better by adding active noise canceling and significantly improving battery life. Earphones were previously available at a premium price and don't make a mistake, they still do. But with everything they have to offer, the Momentum True Wireless 2 offers remarkable value for money.

Are there any better alternatives?

The Sony WH-1000XM3 does most of what the Sennheiser do for around $ 70 less. They don't quite match in terms of audio quality, but are a viable option for those who aren't interested in the Momentum True Wireless 2.

Another cheaper model, the Samsung Galaxy Buds + for $ 149, offers solid sound and an industry-leading 11-hour playback time. They just lack the active noise cancellation function and they cannot keep up with the premium audio quality.

How long will they last?

Sennheiser has a history of exceptional workmanship with its products and there is no reason to believe that the Momentum 2 will be an outlier. It remains to be seen how fast the true wireless audio world moves, how long it takes for the technology behind the buds to become obsolete.

Should you buy them

Yes. They're still a bit tall and one of the more expensive pairs out there, but you won't find anywhere else earphones that sound so good with this wealth of quality features.

Editor's recommendations