

So similar to the Soulsborne series is Ashen, in fact, that these comparisons will inevitably attract or avert players from the outset.

Ashen's enemies are tough, its bosses are blockbuster, and its gorgeous handcrafted world is littered with ambiguous lore and odd but charming NPCs. Likewise, resting at Ritual Stones replenishes vitality, à la Dark Souls bonfires, at the expense of reinstating fallen foes within the world. As is law in Miyazaki's nightmare-scapes, accumulated Scoria is lost upon death, and can only be regained in your immediate next life. In the absence of Souls, Ashen trades in Scoria-a currency farmed from fallen enemies that helps facilitate progression.

In place of Estus Flasks, for example, Ashen gives players sap-filled Crimson Gourds that deliver health boosts in limited supply.
