In place of Estus Flasks, for example,
Ashen gives players sap-filled
Crimson Gourds that deliver health
boosts in limited supply. In the
absence of Souls, Ashen trades in
Scoria – a currency farmed from
fallen enemies that
helps facilitate
progression. Gathered
Scoria is lost upon
death, and can only be
regained in your
immediate next life.
Likewise, resting at
Ritual Stones
replenishes vitality, a la
Dark Souls’ bonfires, at the expense
of reinstating fallen foes within the
world. Ashen’s enemies are tough, its
bosses are blockbuster and its
gorgeous handcrafted world is
littered with ambiguous lore and odd
but charming NPCs.
So similar to the Soulsborne series
is Ashen that these comparisons will
inevitably attract or avert players
from the outset. This reflects the
polarising nature of this style of
game, but, by setting out its stall with
precision and conviction, Ashen never
feels cynical. Ashen also leaves littleroom for learning curves during its
20-ish hours runtime. But I reckon
it’s all the better for it.
In the wake of the game’s titular
‘Ashen’ rebirth, Ashen paints a
familiar tale of light versus dark,
which ultimately boils
down to: all the goodies
in the world want the
light to survive, and all
the baddies want it
extinguished. The
overworld is often
described as the
‘twilight plains’, while
its beastie-infested
dungeons are, by nature, drab and
packed with terrors.
Ashen regularly switches from
sprawling open world to
claustrophobic grotto during the
game’s scores of quests, requiring you
to adapt your playstyle accordingly.
Early on, I found myself fumbling
around the Restless Knoll; a large
wooded area filled with spear-
wielding enemies. Encountering two
foes at the foot of a hill, I let my
AI-controlled NPC partner Jokell
engage them from the front as I
snuck back around and got the dropfrom above. It was a markedly
different style of play to when we
later plumbed the depths of a Tomb
of the Giants-style dungeon,
brimming with traps, winding
corridors and shadow monsters. In
these moments Ashen’s stamina-
based combat comes into its own.OBSERVE AND OVERCOME
In any fight, understanding the lay of
the land is crucial, and while conflicts
out in the field can be judged in
advance, battles indoors often unfold
in tight, dimly-lit areas. Different
weapons have different stamina
demands, and shrewd use of light and
heavy attacks is essential for survival.
Do you steam in with an RMB
double-handed axe smash and hope
for the best, or do you offload a flurry
of LMB light attacks and Shift dodge
your way to success? Judge well or
die hard, my friend.
And speaking of friends, Ashen’s
co-op is wonderful. AI companions
offer sidequests and will often tag
along for the journey, while you can
band together with real-world
players for specific missions and part
ways whenever you so choose. You
can go your own way if you like, but
I’d always recommend against it
because a) I’m a shitebag and b)
every time I went it alone, I wound
up crying for a buddy’s help anyway
after a new wave of misadventure.
To say Ashen borrows liberally
from FromSoftware’s Soulsborne
series is an understatement, but here
the ‘Soulslike’ label is a compliment
not a pejorative. Yes, Ashen echoes
the core mechanics of Dark Souls, but
it does so which such finesse that it
hardly matters. Its passive co-op
offers new insights into the genre,
andthe variety of its beautiful world
is an absolute joy.NEED TO KNOW
WHAT IS IT?
Alow-fantasySoulslike
action RPG
EXPECT TO PAY
£36
DEVELOPER
A44
PUBLISHER
Annapurna Interactive
REVIEWED ON
Core i5-6600K, GTX
980, 8GB RAM
MULTIPLAYER
Yes
LINK
http://www.ashen-game.com85
Ashen’s slant on Souls
isn’t revolutionary, but is
a wonderful example of
the familiar formula
executed well.VERDICTAshenleaves
little room for
learning curves
during its
runtimeS
ome people will argue the ‘Soulslike’ label needs to die. They’ll
tell you it’s overused, hackneyed and that there are other
catch-all terms to describe hybrid ARPGs, which don’t rely on
comparison. I think these people are wrong. Ashen, a low-
fantasy action roleplayer, closely echoes many of the ideas and
systems found in FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series. It knows exactly who
its audience is, and, for all intents and purposes, is a Soulslike game.SOUL MATE
ASHEN is a thoughtful, engrossing Soulslike that wears its inspirations on its
blood-stained sleeve. By Joe Donnelly
DOPPELGANKER Compare and contrast Ashen’s Soulslike systems
GEAR
Ashen’s ‘Gear’ menu is reminiscent of
Dark Souls, with its cyclable weapons,
outfits, consumables and buffs.ARTIFACTS
Likewise, Ashen’s ‘Artifacts’ tab
houses special items – each of which
has its own suggestive lore snippet.JOURNEY
The ‘Journey’ menu, however,
provides map information, and
reflects the likes of Skyrim.Ashen
REVIEW