Ashen Reviews
Ashen's subtle additions to its obvious inspirations make it greater than the sum of its parts. If you're a fan of Dark Souls or found it and many games inspired by it too daunting, Ashen is well worth checking out.
Ashen manages to take a hardcore genre of games and make it accessible and approachable to those who are not fully experienced.
Ashen is not awful, and I think that any hardcore Souls fans who just can't get enough of this style of combat will enjoy it. The open world adds a new layer to the Soulsborne format that succeeds more than it fails, but it comes at the cost of weakening a core pillar of the genre. The result is a passable experience, and in a genre that's quickly becoming as crowded as this one, passable just won't cut it for anyone but the most hardcore of fans.
Ashen was just a brilliant surprise at the last days of this year. It's a perfect balance in the genre of Souls Like games which both please the fans and also gives newcomers a chance to know what they were missing.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Overall, Ashen is a great title. The Souls formula may be adapted nearly wholesale, but the art style gives the game a different vibe. The presence of co-op at all times makes each run feel feasible, since the odds rarely feel impossible to overcome, and the presence of a community to grow gives you a real sense of progression and purpose. Unless you're completely burned out by the formula, Ashen is an adventure that's well worth checking out.
Aurora44 managed to build a distinctive and unique game on mechanics, which has long become familiar. Do not blindly copy other people's achievements, but embody familiar things in your own vision. I look forward to what the authors will do next.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Basically, Ashen is like a Souls-clone and of course a highly recommended game for souls like fans and hardcore gamers. Compared to the best games of 2018, Ashen is an average game and for sure, it's not a game for everyone, but if you are a souls fan, don't miss it at all, because death is so close to you in Ashen! You can feel the death shadow in every steps and every battles of this game.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Ashen is a Souls-like that succeeds despite its lack of originality. The simplified progression, tracked quest objectives, and a persistent companion make it a great way to get into this challenging sub-genre.
By the conclusion of Ashen, the dominant feeling is not that of simply finishing a video game, but of having journeyed through a landscape of silence, distance, and quiet acts of reconstruction. This is a project that never chases instant spectacle; instead, it lingers slowly in the player’s memory. Its minimalist aesthetic and gameplay design mark it as a distinctive work – almost countercultural in a landscape where many contemporary releases prioritize immediate impact over reflection. What endures after the journey is primarily the bond forged with the game world: a connection cultivated through patient exploration, the effort of traversing its spaces, measured engagement in combat, and a gradual familiarity with locations that were initially forbidding. The game transforms repetition into ritual and challenge into learning, without ever conveying a sense of punitive design. Every advancement feels earned, every newly discovered area becomes part of an interior geography before it is merely virtual. Emotionally, Ashen resonates through its ability to evoke a luminous melancholy – a tension that persists constantly between desolation and hope. Its story is not explicitly told, but emerges organically from the interplay of environment, sound, and game mechanics. The experience hints at more than it reveals, inviting the player to fill in the gaps through personal interpretation. This openness makes it unforgettable for some, while for others it may feel distant or less immediately engaging. From a gameplay perspective, the commitment to essential, readable systems reinforces the game’s identity, even if it sacrifices the variety seen in other genre entries. Yet this very simplicity allows the rhythm of the adventure to remain steady, avoiding overload and keeping attention focused on the experience as a whole rather than on the intricacies of individual mechanics. It is a delicate equilibrium – one that may not satisfy those seeking highly technical challenges, but which aligns perfectly with the developers’ vision. Ultimately, Ashen is not a game built for universality; it is profoundly idiosyncratic. It does not seek to please everyone, and in doing so, it resonates with greater authenticity among players willing to embrace its deliberate pace and intention. The experience is measured, almost meditative, deriving its strength from coherence and the ability to craft a compact, recognizable, and tangibly human world. It is not a shouted adventure, but a whispered tale that lingers long after the controller is set down. Recommended for those seeking not only challenge, but a story that is truly worth inhabiting.
Ashen is an indie action RPG that combines minimalist design with a compelling story and engaging gameplay. You explore a desolate world filled with secrets and challenges as you seek friendship and light. While some combat can feel repetitive at times, the overall experience is rewarding and memorable.
Ashen offers an accessible introduction to the soulslike genre, with a forgiving difficulty and streamlined gameplay. However, it pales in comparison to From Software's titles and may only appeal to newcomers.
Review in Italian | Read full review
As a higher-budget indie release, is Ashen massive enough to be considered a worthy expedition? Rich takes on this quiet Soulslike to find out.
Ashen copies some of the best aspects of Dark Souls' gameplay, and takes an interesting—if imperfect—approach to cooperative multiplayer. If you're up for a challenge, this game is a treat.
I’m not a huge ‘Souls fan, at least not since bouncing off Dark Souls 2, and I tend to shy away from these games as I get older; however, even though Ashen has some difficulty spikes that remind me of those games, the vibrant world, likeable characters, companion system, and soothing soundtrack all kept me coming back.
Whatever missteps Ashen makes can be mostly overlooked, save for the worlds rarely unforgiving nature. This was a journey that enticed me from start to finish, and I pray to The Lord Bruce Lee that it'll do the same to you.
Ashen is a hardcore minimalistic RPG that delivers on a calming experience that requires pacing and patience to correctly take on the challenge.