Ashen

Ashen is a quality Soulslike with a nice art style and some great ideas about seamless and anonymous online co-op. The dungeons are memorable, the evolving town is awesome, and the increased focus that quests provide is a nice touch.

75%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

grinding, stability

68% User Score Based on 1,481 reviews

Critic Score 84%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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About

Ashen is a single player and multiplayer open world role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by A44 and was released on November 18, 2019. It received positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"Ashen is an open-world, co-op action RPG with a twist on the 'souls' genre, featuring passive multiplayer reminiscent of Journey. Traverse a brutal world filled with dangerous creatures and dynamic environments, shaping your unique adventure. While it offers stunning visuals, atmospheric music, and a wholesome story, Ashen's replayability is limited, and players should expect bugs and grinding."

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,481 reviews

story124 positive mentions

grinding41 negative mentions

Beautiful art style and atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.
Engaging exploration with rewarding side quests that contribute to character progression.
Unique mechanics such as the evolving hub town and AI companions that add depth to the gameplay.

Combat feels clunky and lacks depth, with limited weapon variety and no parry or backstab mechanics.
AI companions can be frustratingly unhelpful, often getting stuck or dying in combat.
Long run-backs to bosses with sparse checkpoints can make the game feel tedious and frustrating.

story
463 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
67%
6%
The story in "Ashen" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its straightforward narrative and character-driven quests that enhance world-building, while others find it generic and forgettable, often reduced to repetitive fetch quests. The game's art style and the progression of the hub town as players complete quests are frequently highlighted as engaging elements, but many reviewers criticize the lack of depth and emotional connection to the plot and characters. Overall, while the story has its moments and can be enjoyable, it often feels overshadowed by gameplay frustrations and a lack of compelling narrative structure.
- “The story is beautifully told with engaging cutscenes and NPCs that slowly tie into the narrative, making even the fetch side quests feel meaningful.”
- “As you progress through the main story and complete specific quests for characters, your main base gradually rebuilds, adding new facilities and enhancing the sense of progression.”
- “The world, atmosphere, music, characters, and plot are all unique and deeply immersive, showcasing the love and effort put into the game's design.”
- “The story ends without explanation; I felt robbed of satisfaction.”
- “I was trying to care about the plot and the world, but it gives us zero desire to do so.”
- “The story is vague and confusing, and I didn't pay much attention to each story beat, but got the gist of it.”
graphics
373 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
44%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and beautiful art style, which features a minimalist and often muted color palette that enhances the overall atmosphere. Many players appreciate the charming visuals and the way they contribute to the game's immersive world, although some note that the simplicity can lead to repetitive environments. Overall, the art style is considered a standout feature, appealing to those who enjoy a more stylized aesthetic rather than high-end graphical fidelity.
- “The art style of this game is lovely; the areas feel distinct, and while some are a bit dark, others are outright gorgeous.”
- “The graphics and art style are minimalist and clean, providing a unique look that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The art style is gorgeous - the use of a muted palette fits the game, and the muted cel shading makes it feel like you are playing an old Tim Burton stop-motion movie.”
- “The main problem with Ashen is that, aside from the art style, it feels... unfinished, I guess?”
- “The graphics are plenty simple, some fine details like faces being omitted, but the consistent and well done art style the game has going for it just makes up for that and much more.”
- “Graphics are really bad even on ultra, controls just suck, not the least bit fun for me.”
gameplay
363 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
62%
12%
The gameplay of "Ashen" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric design and unique mechanics, such as climbing and cooperative play, while others criticize its lack of depth and polish compared to traditional souls-like games. Players appreciate the challenge and exploration aspects but often find the combat mechanics simplistic and repetitive, with some noting frustrating elements like the lantern mechanic and AI companion behavior. Overall, while the game offers a visually stunning experience, its gameplay may not satisfy those seeking the complexity and depth found in more established titles in the genre.
- “I particularly enjoyed the hub mechanic; your cozy little base of operations slowly turning into a village as the game progresses was a very nice touch.”
- “The gameplay in 'Ashen' is both challenging and rewarding.”
- “With its captivating world-building, satisfying gameplay, and stunning visuals, it is an experience that will stay with you long after you finish playing.”
- “The gameplay loop simply isn't complex or varied enough to maintain your interest for that long.”
- “The gameplay is an encapsulated display of the most basic third-person combat.”
- “The fun of souls-likes is adjusting your builds and strategy to overcome insurmountable odds, but that's impossible with 'ashen,' given its thin mechanics, so while the game is nowhere near as difficult as the souls series, it ends up being way more of a headache just because it's not fun to play.”
music
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
42%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the overall experience with a blend of ambient soundscapes and thematic melodies that shift with the environment. While many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke emotions and complement the game's art style, some note that it can be subtle or underwhelming during intense moments, such as boss battles. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere, despite some mixed opinions on its memorability and energy.
- “The music is very unique and does a lot with very little melodic material - it is primarily made up of disconnected motivic ideas embedded in oceans of soundscapes that perfectly set the mood.”
- “The music was such a pleasure to listen to and the way the music shifts between environments and how the environment and music complement each other is brilliantly done.”
- “The atmosphere, the music, the dialogues - it's 100% unique and it just feels so incredibly deep and real, mind- and heart-warming... so much love was put into it, you can easily tell.”
- “Skippable story, no music in the last boss area (wow, that's bad).”
- “The music would keep playing, but the game would no longer accept inputs, so I had to restart.”
- “Exploration is unrewarding, the story and lore are hard to care about, music is a few hits but mostly misses, design and visuals are fantastic, combat sucks, bosses suck, levels suck, the balancing sucks, the game sucks.”
atmosphere
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
30%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating and immersive qualities, enhanced by stunning visuals, haunting soundtracks, and unique art styles. Players appreciate the blend of desolation and beauty, with environments that evoke a sense of exploration and mystery, making it a standout experience in the souls-like genre. While some critiques mention gameplay shortcomings, the overall ambiance and world-building are consistently highlighted as the game's strongest aspects.
- “The hand-painted environments, atmospheric lighting, and hauntingly melodic soundtrack create an enchanting and immersive experience that draws you deeper into the mysterious tale.”
- “The atmosphere is great, the music is great, the sound effects are great, it looks great, and the open world area is just a really chill, low-stress experience.”
- “Amazing atmosphere instills a constant drive to explore, combined with a lovely art style and solid and responsive combat systems make this a very enjoyable experience.”
- “The other big con of the game is that the atmosphere is lacking.”
- “What a shame because the world and atmosphere is pretty and mysterious but I just can't go through one more minute of its boring and terrible gameplay design.”
- “The game does develop a bit of atmosphere at key points throughout, but the storytelling felt very cliché and didn't pull me in.”
grinding
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
5%
91%
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and repetitive, with many expressing frustration over the lengthy and monotonous nature of combat and progression. While some enjoy the initial gameplay, they quickly find that the need for extensive grinding, particularly for weapon upgrades and character leveling, detracts from the overall experience. The game's design often leads to a sense of frustration rather than satisfaction, especially in solo play or when attempting to connect with friends for co-op.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “No grinding is needed as stats and equipment are obtained mainly from quests and exploration.”
- “Too grindy and repetitive.”
- “What starts off as an adventure of wonder quickly devolves into a tedious mess of gameplay that was probably never play tested.”
- “What started out as a promising souls clone soon turned into a very boring, tedious, and unrewarding experience.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
95%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs affecting AI behavior, climbing mechanics, and multiplayer connectivity. While some aspects, like voice acting and graphics, are praised, the overall experience is marred by frustrating glitches and unresponsive controls, leading to a consensus that the game feels excessively buggy and poorly designed. Many users express disappointment, suggesting that the game's issues detract significantly from its potential enjoyment.
- “The game runs great, and the graphics are good, providing a stable experience that enhances the overall enjoyment.”
- “This game delivers a solid performance, ensuring a smooth and stable gameplay experience.”
- “The stability of the game allows for an immersive experience, making it easy to focus on the co-op elements.”
- “Worst part, the AI was buggy at some of the rest sites and was completely bugged out at the Seat of the Matriarch, which has supposedly been an issue known for years.”
- “It's incredibly buggy, and you'll often find yourself stuck in a loop where you jump over and over even after you let go of the jump button because you're stuck on a ledge or in some in-between area the game can't figure out how to guide you out of.”
- “The game is excessively buggy.”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
27%
56%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that it offers limited character builds, a short playtime, and no New Game Plus option. While some players found enjoyment in the initial experience, the absence of diverse playstyles and meaningful multiplayer options significantly detracts from the game's long-term appeal. Many agree that, despite its quality, the game does not encourage repeated playthroughs.
- “Gives more replay value and allows for player skill expression.”
- “The souls games offer a lot of replay value by giving the player tons of different weapons, armor, spells, and leveling abilities to create unique builds and playstyles.”
- “Probably does not have much replayability besides a hard mode, which I hear is ridiculous, so I wouldn't try it. Worth the price, especially on sale for souls fans/co-op fans.”
- “The game is good although it's short compared to Dark Souls and has very little to no replay value.”
- “Overall, in terms of builds, the game has no replay value.”
- “I won't even be mentioning the 'hard mode' that you unlock mid-playthrough instead of as a sort of new game+ after completing your journey that, in the end, lasts for just 20 hours at most and has no replayability.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its themes of perseverance, friendship, and hope, which resonate deeply with players and create a lasting impact. While some find the narrative and character connections lacking, many appreciate the unique atmosphere, music, and heartfelt storytelling that evoke strong emotional responses. Overall, the game is seen as a beautiful and emotionally rich experience, despite some critiques regarding character engagement.
- “The game's overarching themes of perseverance, friendship, and hope resonate deeply with players, leaving an emotional impact that lingers long after the credits roll.”
- “In conclusion, 'Ashen' is a hauntingly beautiful and emotionally resonant masterpiece.”
- “The world, the atmosphere, the music, the characters and the plot - it's 100% unique and it just feels so incredibly deep and real, mind- and heart-warming... so much love was put into it, you can easily tell.”
character development
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
10%
30%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its unique faceless characters and rewarding progression system, which makes each advancement feel significant. While the overall character design is praised for its aesthetic appeal, it lacks depth compared to other titles like Dark Souls. The narrative is enriched by superb voice acting and a beautiful story, though some players feel the lore could be deeper.
- “A beautiful story, superb voice acting, rich character development, and well knit together as a whole to drive the story of vagrants looking to carve out a haven for themselves in the midst of light and darkness.”
- “Also because you unlock every feature slowly one after the other, it feels much more rewarding and character development feels every time like a grand step forward.”
- “This game features lovely environments and character designs, and even some decent voice acting.”
- “The faceless characters were a unique feature, but the overall character design didn't stand out.”
- “The lore isn't as deep as Dark Souls, and the sense of scale and character development doesn't really live up to Outward.”
- “Character design, weapons, armors, and effects are well done and crisp.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players praise its beautiful graphics and overall performance, others report significant issues such as poor multiplayer functionality, strange performance drops, and various bugs affecting gameplay. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be inconsistent, with some users experiencing smooth performance and others encountering frustrating technical problems.
- “Beautiful graphics, amazingly well optimized, a lot of fun!”
- “The visual style, gameplay, and performance all outweigh the series it spawned from.”
- “Performance is as it should be.”
- “Multiplayer broken + poorly optimized; a PowerPoint presentation about this game would cycle through images at a higher framerate.”
- “9/10, only docking a point for some strange performance issues and weird bugs after playing for a few hours.”
- “Other bugs include some poor optimization, random window switching (e.g. alt-tabbing), and an inability to select the output audio device (and it won't always pick your default audio device!).”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
43%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of amusing gameplay mechanics and a lighthearted approach to combat, particularly when played with friends. While some players find the humor in the game's quirks and storytelling, others feel that the reliance on difficulty detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to mixed feelings about its comedic elements.
- “With a simple combat system, it's very funny to play (always with a friend) and fun to explore the open world.”
- “It's smooth as silk, funny, and has an interesting story.”
- “Very funny.”
- “Overall, it's a no for me. If a game isn't funny and only focuses on difficulty, it loses my interest.”
- “The humor fell flat and felt forced, making the experience less enjoyable.”
- “I expected more laughs, but the jokes were stale and didn't land at all.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized for feeling like a cash grab, as it superficially incorporates souls-like elements into a walking simulator. Additionally, the presence of infinite ads during boss fights detracts from the gameplay experience, forcing players to navigate overwhelming challenges that feel exploitative.
- “The souls-like elements seem like they were added onto a walking sim game as a cash grab; this is a walking sim with a paper sheet that says 'souls-like' on top of it to entice the souls player base into the game.”
- “The boss also spawns infinite numbers of ads over time in the second phase, forcing you to either hope that they aggro on your companion so you can solo the boss, or get rushed down by infinitely spawning trash mobs.”