Ayasa: Shadows of Silence – Tim Burton Meets Miyazaki in a War of Souls

Step into the inverted world of Ayasa: Shadows of Silence, where every shadow whispers temptation, and every flicker of light holds fragile hope. This surreal journey blends haunting landscapes with conscience-driven choices, pulling players through lands corrupted by greed, betrayal, and indifference. With pantomime storytelling, symbolic puzzles, and a soundtrack that resonates like a heartbeat in the dark, Ayasa invites you to explore a realm where silence speaks louder than words and every decision could tip the balance between salvation and ruin.

A detailed in game scene from Ayasa: Shadows of Silence highlighting its impressive lighting and visual quality.

Ayasa: Shadows of Silence Review Pros

  • Beautiful graphics. 
  • 14.77GB Download size. 
  • Steam achievements. 
  • Full controller support. 
  • Volume sliders for – sound, music, and game volume. 
  • Brightness slider. 
  • Gamepad-wise, it supports both Xbox and Dualsense, and you can select which buttons show in-game. 
  • Mouse and keyboard support. 
  • Action-adventure gameplay. 
  • Tutorial pop-ups as you play. 
  • A stunning 3D game world, with a cinematic camera to add weight to the scenery. 
  • The soundtrack is piano-heavy and really does a good job of portraying emotion within the game, whether it’s happy or full of dread. 
  • You can pause the game, although for me, the pause button was sensitive. 
  • The lighting is another powerful addition to the game that adds to the atmosphere and game world. 
  • It may not always seem obvious, but you do have a lot of room to explore and look around the world, and I really like that. 
  • Push and pull blocks and crates around to help you navigate the world. 
  • A fair bit of screen tearing and juddering that could easily be fixed with a v-sync option which the game doesn’t have. 
  • It can be hard to judge jumps and platforms because of the camera or angle. 
  • There are checkpoints for Respawning but you never really know when you hit them. 

A strange smiling creature from Ayasa: Shadows of Silence with an unsettling and dangerous look.

Ayasa: Shadows of Silence Review Cons

  • The mouse cursor stays on screen. 
  • Had issues getting the game to select settings when using the controller, and had to do it via the big picture mode cursor option. 
  • You cannot remap any of the controls, so that’s both controllers, the mouse, and the keyboard. 
  • Early on, there is a jump across a chasm section, and it is frustrating as you cannot line up your jump or know if you are running to help aid you. 
  • No graphics or game settings at all. 
  • So, for me, the game tells me to press a button and hold it to push items, but it’s actually hold two buttons in order to push items. 
  • The jump seems completely over the top; it’s almost comical and doesn’t fit the world. It is also a fair bit floaty, could just be me, but it’s a serious game, and then I’m jumping around like an idiot. 
  • Respawning is slow and requires multiple load screens, even on an SSD. 
  • Never sure when you have hit a checkpoint, and at times, you have to replay chunks of the game. 
  • I put lag really feels like it’s at play, so many times I run but don’t jump, or the jump doesn’t go well. 

Related Post: Fear Effect: Cel-Shaded, Cold-Blooded, Unforgettable

The main character in Ayasa: Shadows of Silence standing in a room with a giant brain looming behind them.

Ayasa: Shadows of Silence

Official Website:

Developer: Aya Games

Publisher: Aya Games

Store Link:

Steam

Ayasa: Shadows of Silence Review

Jim Smale

Graphics
70%
Sound
70%
Accessibility
60%
Length
60%
Fun Factor
60%

Summary

Ayasa: Shadows of Silence The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay
Ayasa: Shadows of Silence delivers action-adventure gameplay built around exploring a stunning 3D world with a cinematic camera that adds real weight to the scenery. You get tutorial pop-ups as you play, full controller support, including Xbox and Dualsense, and mouse and keyboard support. The lighting is a powerful addition that lifts the atmosphere, and the piano-heavy soundtrack does a great job of portraying emotion, whether it is happy or full of dread. There is more room to explore than you might think, letting you look around the world at your own pace. You can push and pull blocks and crates to navigate, and the overall presentation gives Ayasa: Shadows of Silence a strong sense of mood and place.

Ayasa: Shadows of Silence Where It Falls Short Key Negatives: Ayasa: Shadows of Silence has a handful of frustrating issues that hold it back. The mouse cursor stays on screen, you cannot remap any controls, and selecting settings with a controller can be awkward unless you rely on big picture mode. Early platforming sections feel unnecessarily difficult because you cannot line up jumps or tell if you are running, and the jump itself feels over the top and floaty. There are no graphics or game settings at all, respawning is slow with multiple load screens, and checkpoints are unclear, often forcing you to replay chunks of the game. Screen tearing, juddering, and the lack of a V-Sync option also affect the experience.

Ayasa: Shadows of Silence Immersive Story and Narrative Elements
The world of Ayasa: Shadows of Silence leans into surreal landscapes, pantomime storytelling, and symbolic moments that pull you through lands shaped by greed, betrayal, and indifference. Silence and light play a huge part in how the story unfolds, with every shadow whispering temptation and every flicker of brightness offering fragile hope. It is a realm where conscience-driven choices matter, and every decision could tip the balance between salvation and ruin.

Ayasa: Shadows of Silence Visual and Performance Aspects Ayasa: Shadows of Silence stands out visually with beautiful graphics, strong lighting, and a cinematic camera that adds weight to every scene. The soundtrack reinforces the emotional tone throughout. Performance-wise, the experience is mixed. Screen tearing, juddering, slow respawns, and unclear checkpoints interrupt the flow, and the lack of settings means you cannot tweak anything to improve it. Even so, the atmosphere and presentation remain some of the game’s strongest points.

Ayasa: Shadows of Silence Overall Verdict: Is It Worth Playing? Ayasa: Shadows of Silence offers a striking and atmospheric adventure with memorable lighting, a piano-heavy soundtrack, and a world that feels crafted to explore. It has exploration, puzzles, and a sense of mystery that work well, but technical issues, control limitations, and performance hiccups stop it from reaching its full potential. There is something special here, but it comes wrapped in frustrations that players will need to push through to appreciate the experience.

Back of the Box Quotes:
A haunting world where every shadow in Ayasa: Shadows of Silence whispers temptation.

64%

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!

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