Ashen

 Xbox One
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 35
  3. Negative: 1 out of 35
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Feb 27, 2019
    70
    A decent tribute to From Software's masterpiece, elevated by its co-op mechanics.
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Gameblog.fr
    Jan 17, 2019
    70
    Ashen is a good Dark Souls like but its open world feature are its weakness.
  3. CGMagazine
    Dec 28, 2018
    70
    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.
  5. Edge Magazine
    Jan 4, 2019
    60
    With combat that feels lightweight and inexact by comparison, in service of a broader structure which doesn't quite suit the core mechanics, the game's strengths - in particular, that winning, distinctive aesthetic - don't provide enough of a spark to let Ashen find its own way in the dark. [Issue#328, p.108]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. Twinfinite
    Dec 17, 2018
    60
    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.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Eurogamer
    Dec 6, 2018
    A moody, well-wrought action role-player with striking, desolate landscapes and a couple of great dungeons. [Eurogamer Recommended]
  2. The Jimquisition
    Dec 22, 2018
    Ashen isn’t trying to hide the fact it’s exactly Dark Souls. It’s Dark Souls, people! And that’s… fine? Perhaps the best Soulslike ever, Ashen understands From Software’s formula better than many other pretenders.

Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best Xbox One Game of 2018
20
#20 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2018
24
#24 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2018

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 184 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 121 out of 184
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 184
  3. Negative: 42 out of 184
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Dec 11, 2018
    9
    For me both the visuals and sound design give the game a lot of character and whilst it’s minimalist in areas it still doesn’t stop the gameFor me both the visuals and sound design give the game a lot of character and whilst it’s minimalist in areas it still doesn’t stop the game from shining. The combat feels awesome and it remains fluid at all times which means it’s not only a nice challenge when in combat but it’s also fun as well. There’s a decent variety of enemies and bosses you come across during your time with the game and this does keep things fresh and interesting for longer. I really enjoyed traversing through the fantastic world because it feels alive in all areas and it never seems to get dull or boring either. Each weapon feels important when in combat and they all pack a punch as well which means defeating an enemy is very satisfying. The game suffers with a few issues here and there and whilst these bugs aren’t game-breaking they can still be off-putting from time to time. Your A.I companions can be a real nuisance at times and they do tend to do what they want to do instead of what you’d like them to do. Ashen is a game that I’ve read a lot about but it seems like it has been in development forever. As you can imagine then I was very surprised to learn of a release coming out of the blue, but I’m glad it did come out of the blue because Ashen is awesome. Without a doubt you’ll notice similarities with the Dark Souls series in this game and whilst some may call it a clone at least you can say it’s a fantastic clone instead of being something poorly done. Combat is obviously the main aspect in this game and I’m pleased to say that they’ve got this aspect spot on because everything remains fluid and brutal at all times. The weapons also shine in the combat elements as well and trying out each weapon is very fun because they all pack a punch and have tons of variety. Speaking about variety the enemies you have to face also have tons of variety as well and defeating each different enemy and boss always remained satisfying because of this. At the end of the day then Ashen was definitely worth the wait because it has a world that’s worth exploring and it never seems to get dull or boring and if it didn’t suffer with a few bugs and AI problems then it may have got a perfect score because the game is that good and it without a doubt deserves everybody’s attention. Massive two thumbs up!… Full Review »
  2. aCeManning
    Dec 7, 2018
    10
    Enchanting graphics and style with fluid combat, a must play for any PC or Xbox One owner.
  3. USarmygamer
    Dec 7, 2018
    9
    Absolutely charming game. I've been playing it since last night and there are Souls-like things to Ashen but how is that a bad thing? CombatAbsolutely charming game. I've been playing it since last night and there are Souls-like things to Ashen but how is that a bad thing? Combat is fluid and playing with another gamer is so much fun. Whether you're on PC or X1 PLAY THIS GAME.… Full Review »
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