Ashen Reviews
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 feels like it's trying to be too many things at once, and perhaps because of that, it ends up tasting like a bland pot of soup without any punchy flavors to really catch your attention.
Ashen tries too hard and not hard enough to be both a Dark Souls clone and something different, and loses a lot in the process.
Ashen is a good Dark Souls like but it's open world feature is it's weakness.
Review in French | Read full review
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
Another Souls-like game which will help you pass the time before the release of a new From Software project.
Review in Russian | 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.
As I continued to make my way through Ashen a calm of complacency washed over me. It doesn't have quite the same highs as a lot of its predecessors, but it maintains its tranquil equilibrium throughout. If you have an adventurous spirit and the patience and time to put into it, Ashen will pay dividends.
Ashen is a game that saddly ends being halfway between what promised and what it actually delivers.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Ashen is a very good action-adventure game sporting interesting lore, good character development, and solid gameplay features like combat and exploration. Unfortunately, the game does almost nothing to separate its gameplay loop from the one seen in the Dark Souls series and therefore ultimately feels like a lite version of the series developed by From Software. The well-made overall experience does make it easy to look past this issue, but if you're looking for something innovative, you won't find it here.
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.
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.
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
A good direction for souls like, difficult but not unfair, with a great attention to the the art design.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ashen wears its influences unabashedly, but immaculate execution helps it rise above unoriginality.
Dark Souls serves Ashen's premise but does not define its conclusion. By instilling senses of community and devotion inside its narrative, Ashen proves Souls' discourse expands beyond punishment and brutality. Once separated from its inspiration, Ashen has plenty to show off inside of its common space.
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.
Ashen is one of the best indie games of the year, drawing heavily from past RPGs like Dark Souls and Legend of Zelda.
Through an embrace of more traditional game design, Ashen's take on the Souls formula ends up feeling welcome, even after countless imitators. A solid quest structure and top-notch world design make this beautiful low-fi title a worthy homage to a quickly aging series.