Back at Summer Games Fest, we got to go hands on with Soft Rains’ debut game Ambrosia Sky. We left then with a positive outlook on the game. Since then, the developers at Soft Rains decided to split up the game into multiple acts with an episodic release schedule. Now, Act One is here, and let’s dive into the mysterious, yet beautiful, experience of cleaning up a space colony from a strange fungal infection and see if it was worth splitting the game up as they have.

Ambrosia Sky is described as a first person immersive sim that mixes exploration and cleaning. Thus, think of a fusion of System Shock and PowerWash Simulator. Act One has you playing through nine different missions where you explore different part of the colony known as The Cluster cleaning away the fungus that has spread and overrun the majority of the areas while also trying to complete an objective. Most missions feature an objective falling into one of three categories: harvesting seeds scattered across a level, finding a “Leviathan Organ” (a key part of the fungus), or recovering the DNA of a character who has died as part of the Ambrosia Project to help research human immortality. Combining the fact there is little variety in mission structure with the quick runtime of Act One being about four hours means the game starts to feel very samey way too quickly.

The gameplay of Ambrosia Sky is a serene experience. You’re exploring and using your sprayer to get rid of the fungus in each area. Exploration is all self guided as part of being an immersive sim so there are no waypoints telling you where to go.  While levels aren’t too big, it is still easy to get turned around and figure out what to do. To combat the fungus the sprayer uses water and can have an electrical and flammable sprays unlocked as well as more powerful versions of each. The different sprays can be used to solve certain puzzles as well like using the electrical spray to power up a door by connecting it to a power source, and I wish there were more of these puzzles in the game. The sprayer also has three separate settings (horizontal, vertical, and narrow) to clear the fungus out easier.

The fungus comes in different shape and sizes and is even dangerous by having both electrical and explosive powers that you must be aware of while clearing it. Each hazardous part of the fungus features a seed that can detached to remove the harmful nature and collected and used to upgrade your abilities. You are also equipped with a grappling hook to move around easier especially during the Zero-G sections. However, there came a point where I discovered that holding jump just let me hover indefinitely to which made the grappling hook unnecessary.

The little story we get in Act One of Ambrosia Sky gives some intrigue and makes you want to find out more of what happened to cause the fungal infection to spread as it has. The story itself follows Dalia, who is originally from The Cluster, returning as a disaster cleaner to cleanse the fungal infection of the colony. However, most missions give very little story and don’t feel like they are contributing to the overall narrative. Then, Dalia comes off as having no sense of urgency upon returning to her home and seeing what has happened there. There’s no shock or terror in learning many people that she knew have died as part of the fungus running rampant. The most engaging parts of the story come when you retrieve the DNA of those who wished to be part of the Ambrosia Project. These scenes are told through artistically beautiful comic cutscenes that have an emotional pull the game is otherwise lacking.

Overall, act one of Ambrosia Sky builds a decent foundation for what’s to come in future acts. The game features a beautiful art style and the hints at the story are intriguing. However, the repetitive mission structure really hampers what could have been something more, and may have been even better if they held off to release all acts at once. We will see how the overall structure of the game evolves as the final two acts are released at some point next year.

Score: 7 out of 10

Reviewed on PC