Review by the Coloured Static Press team. This review reflects the portion of Ayasa: Shadows of Silence played firsthand. A progression-blocking issue prevented completion; the ending was subsequently watched online and is not treated as hands-on experience.
Some games immediately grab your attention with their action, while others draw you in with their atmosphere and sense of mystery. Ayasa: Shadows of Silence definitely falls into the latter category. From the moment I started playing, I was intrigued by its unusual world, beautiful environments and the feeling that there was much more to discover than initially met the eye.
One of the game’s greatest strengths is its presentation. The environments are wonderfully imaginative, with each new area offering something different to explore. There’s an eerie, almost dreamlike quality to the world, and the lack of dialogue leaves much of the storytelling to the surroundings and events unfolding around you. I really enjoyed this approach.
A world told through images
Rather than having everything explained, I was encouraged to pay attention to what was happening and piece things together for myself. Some moments were unsettling, others surprisingly emotional, and there was a constant sense of curiosity pushing me onwards. The puzzles were another aspect I enjoyed. There’s a good variety of challenges, requiring observation, experimentation and occasionally a bit of trial and error.
Some solutions were fairly straightforward, while others required more thought, but I generally appreciated the way the puzzles were incorporated into the environments. However, while I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the world, the gameplay itself wasn’t always quite as smooth as I would have liked. The controls could feel awkward and overly sensitive, particularly when precise movements were required.
Puzzles, movement and camera frustrations
This became especially noticeable during sections involving jumping or navigating narrow spaces. The fixed camera angles sometimes made it difficult to judge distances accurately, leading to falls that felt more frustrating than fair. I don’t mind dying repeatedly in games, and I’m certainly no stranger to accidentally launching myself into danger, but I do prefer to feel that my mistakes are my own.
Unfortunately, there were occasions when I felt I was battling the controls and camera rather than the actual challenges. Navigation could also be confusing. Although the environments were enjoyable to explore, it wasn’t always obvious where I was supposed to go next. Some sections involved considerable wandering around while trying to work out whether I’d missed a path or needed to approach something differently.
Thankfully, the checkpoint system was fairly generous. This made a real difference, particularly during the more challenging areas, as it meant I wasn’t constantly losing large amounts of progress whenever something went wrong. Unfortunately, I eventually encountered a particularly troublesome section involving a drainpipe. Despite repeated attempts to position myself correctly and progress, I simply couldn’t get past it.
What appeared to be a positioning or gameplay issue brought my own playthrough to a halt. I did watch the remaining sections and ending online because I was genuinely curious about how the story concluded, but I wasn’t able to experience that final stretch firsthand. It’s disappointing when a game manages to hold your attention so effectively, only for a technical or control-related frustration to prevent you from reaching the finish yourself.
Final verdict
Despite these issues, I still found plenty to appreciate about Ayasa: Shadows of Silence. Its environments are memorable, its puzzles offer a satisfying variety of challenges, and the atmosphere manages to shift between beautiful, mysterious and genuinely frightening. There’s a lot of creativity here, and it’s clear that the game has some interesting ideas.
I just wish the controls and navigation had been a little more polished, allowing me to enjoy those ideas without quite so many frustrating interruptions. Ultimately, Ayasa: Shadows of Silence is an intriguing adventure that I enjoyed exploring, even if my journey ended earlier than I had hoped. Its imaginative presentation and mysterious storytelling are its strongest qualities, while awkward movement, occasionally unclear navigation and a progression-blocking issue prevent it from achieving its full potential.
A visually imaginative and atmospheric puzzle adventure with plenty of memorable moments. Its creative world and varied challenges make it worth experiencing, but frustrating controls, tricky camera angles and technical difficulties hold it back.
Coloured Static Press verdict: 77/100. the Coloured Static Press team’s original score has been preserved. Her progress was halted by a control or positioning issue, so this review does not claim she completed the final section.
Ayasa: Shadows of Silence on Xbox Series X|S · Developed and published by Aya Games.
Disclosure: Complimentary Xbox Series X|S review access for Ayasa: Shadows of Silence was provided through Keymailer. Our impressions and 77/100 score are editorially independent.