Ashen Reviews
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's slant on the Soulslike subgenre isn't revolutionary, but is a wonderful example of the familiar formula executed well. It's thoughtful, gorgeous, challenging and a dream to explore.
Ashen's handful of new ideas make it a stellar Souls-like with solid combat, a great art style, and an interesting world.
A moody, well-wrought action role-player with striking, desolate landscapes and a couple of great dungeons.
Ashen contributes more hits than misses to the Souls formula, though the overall experience may feel too familiar to fans of FromSoftware's trendsetting series.
Collecting souls is as nerve-wracking and rewarding as ever, but the real joy Ashen brings to this deadly dance is sharing those memories with strangers
A44's Ashen is as much about building community as it is defeating challenging enemies, reinforcing the triumph of victory with concrete examples of how you're improving its world.
A lighter souls, yes. But not a lesser one.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Like an illegitimate heir to the fire of FromSoftware, Ashen clicks exactly the same notes that made Dark Souls a legend, achieving a challenging, mysterious and visually astonishing experience. We will closely follow the works of A44 from now on.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Ashen could have done more to make itself stand out, and also could have been optimized better for the Xbox One, but at the end of the day, it's still a great game.
Ashen is a soulslike, but to call it a clone would be a betrayal of the awesome job A44 have with their debut project.
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.
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.