3.5/5 ★ – _NeverGrow's review of Ashen.

With its unique art style, and constant AI companion system, Ashen is probably the most approachable souls like I’ve played. The world is bright and welcomes traversal and exploration, even if there aren’t many nooks and crannies worth exploring. The combat is nice and weighty and interesting in the sense that there’s only a small handful of actual weapon types so it promotes personal preference and upgrades over waiting for the next best thing. The AI companion is nice in that it helps you never feel alone but it’s not the smartest AI out there, and many of the boss fights almost rely on the fact that it will be facing two opponents, not one, which can make the game even more challenging if your partner happens to die in the first few seconds. Overall worth picking up on a sale for fans of souls likes who want a brighter feel and less systems to think about.