Ashen Reviews

Ashen is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Essential
Jan 7, 2020

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.

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8.5 / 10.0
Dec 31, 2019

Ashen is one of the best souls-likes around and its quality matches that of the games that gave birth to the genre. The mystery and lore help to build a fascinating world that excellently complements the open and varied environments and strange, contorted creatures you will fight in them. A44 have provided a big breath of fresh air in a genre desperately in need of reinvigoration.

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8 / 10
Dec 30, 2019

Ashen doesn't try to hide the fact that it's a Souls clone through and through. However, where many before it unwisely try to out-do FromSoftware in terms of difficulty or obtuse systems and lore, A44 has taken its game in a more refreshing, community-focused direction.

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5.5 / 10.0
Dec 24, 2019

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.

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8 / 10
Dec 18, 2019

From superb shots of the sea to underground caves illuminated by the crackling fire of your torch, uncovering a new area is an utter pleasure. It might be a year late, but Ashen still manages to carve out its own space for greatness.

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Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
8 / 10
Dec 16, 2019

One of the best Dark Souls clones so far and while some things are near identical the co-op features help distinguish it as something more than just a straight copy.

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8.5 / 10.0
Apr 26, 2019

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.

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8 / 10.0
Jan 30, 2019

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.

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8.9 / 10.0
Jan 22, 2019

The game's AI companions are actually very good, but because of the above it's definitely more highly recommended you try and coax a friend in to return to the light with you.

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8 / 10.0
Jan 18, 2019

Ashen is a game created in the same vein as some of the predecessors of its genre, like Dark Souls or Bloodborne. It imitates a great deal of the mechanics from those games but also brings a unique and beautiful art style as well a sense of organic progression that enhances the feel of the game. For those lovers of games like Dark Souls, it's hard to guarantee that you'll find the same experience, but there's still a heck of a lot to like about what sets Ashen apart.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 17, 2019

Ashen is a souls-like game with a particular focus on the co-op multiplayer. Sadly this feature rarely works as intended, but despite its flaws, the game developed by A44 is still an enjoyable variation to the formula created by Miyazaki and From Software.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7 / 10
Jan 17, 2019

Ashen is a good Dark Souls like but it's open world feature is it's weakness.

Review in French | Read full review

Gamersky
Top Critic
8.3 / 10.0
Jan 10, 2019

From many perspectives, Ashen reminds me of Dark Souls series, such as the combat systems, game settings and the story design. It does have some unique thoughts, like the AI teammate, but overall it doesn't make its own characteristics.

Review in Chinese | Read full review

9 / 10
Jan 9, 2019

Infinitely accessible, but challenging enough for any seasoned player, Ashen exudes an air of peace and hope in an unforgiving landscape. It's not perfect, but it resonates with the soul and gravitas befitting a Shakespearean classic.

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Unscored
Jan 6, 2019
Ashen - A Brief Review (2018) [Ultra-Wide PC Gameplay] video thumbnail
7.5 / 10.0
Jan 5, 2019
Ashen - Easy Allies Review video thumbnail
8 / 10
Jan 3, 2019

I like Ashen, it's a good game, it would just be nice to see it building upon the foundation of its muse rather than almost copying and pasting it. The world of Ashen is its biggest attraction, the lore is deeply entrenched and really pulls everything together into something that is worth playing through. That being said, if you have played Dark Souls and don't want to replay Dark Souls, then you aren't going to get on with this. It is an odd one as I am a huge fan of this style of game, but we need games that build a more exciting game on top of the ideas that have been put down. It isn't enough to be the same but with a different look. Ashen is good, but nothing revolutionary.

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8.1 / 10.0
Jan 2, 2019

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.

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85 / 100
Dec 30, 2018

Ashen uses the Souls-like formula to tell a very different, optimistic story about community. Whether you're playing alone, with an AI companion, or with another person, combat with the game's varied enemies and bosses is challenging and satisfying. Ashen's world feels real and lived-in, and getting to carve out your own settlement and watch it prosper is truly satisfying.

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71 / 100
Dec 29, 2018

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.

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