Ash of Gods: Redemption was released in 2018 after a successful Kickstarter campaign on PC, Linux, and Mac OS. After many appraisals by fans and critics alike, a console version is now available. For a budget-friendly cost, Playstation 4, Xbox One and Switch owners can get their hands on this tactical role-playing adventure.
Visual novel
In Ash of Gods: Redemption you go through an epic tale set in a dark fantasy world. You follow along 3 main characters who all have separate storylines. This non-linear way of storytelling is presented by using stunning looking art with an obvious nod to the classic European style of comics. Very detailed images are used to fully immerse you into the story. The story itself has some Game of Thrones vibes mixed with some Northern folklore. Expect to see plenty of gritty images of bloodshed and tragedy as you go along the story wherein humanity is threatened to be destroyed. Be prepared to read a lot of text as most of the lengthy story is presented without a voice-over. With plenty of dialogue options to choose from you’ll be involved enough throughout but be warned not to skip any of the text because you’ll get lost in this intricate story.
Everything has consequences
As mentioned above, in Ash of Gods: Redemption you’ll need to interact during the story-telling. This mechanic isn’t solely there to keep you occupied, everything you say or do has consequences. Picking a certain dialogue path can really alter the outcome of the story. Choosing a certain gift for one of the protagonist’s wife can change the way you play the game. Certain choices can grant you fast rewards but potential troubles in the long run, others won’t help you now but make a difference during the tougher parts of the game. This risk and reward kind of system just work great. The only downside is the fact that certain choices keep everything very vague. In an RPG I like to “assume” a certain role and base my actions upon that role. Some choices left no hint as to how that choice could alter my experience, sometimes resulting in an unwanted adjustment to my “role” I planned to play. This lack of real freedom is a personal caveat I had but be warned nonetheless if you like your RPGs to be totally free.
Strategic RPG
When you see the awesome stories unfold you might almost forget that Ash of Gods is also a game. Combat needs to be done in order to advance. Once you encounter enemies, the game starts its combat sequence. The screen turns into an isometrical checkered field. You, your allies and the enemies all take turns during which they can choose to move, to attack or to play a card. Moves are limited so choosing your position as opposed to your enemies can make a huge difference. Using a twirling attack is, for instance, better when performed around multiple enemies. So based on your playstyle, the attacking powers of your character and the placement of the opposition you need to make the best decision in order to be successful. As an added bonus, you can use cards from your hand to perform “magical spells”. These powerful moves can really make a difference but can only be used once per battle.
The three protagonists, guard Thorn Brenin, healer Hopper Rouley and hitman Lo Pheng, all have a distinctive skill set. As the story continues you’ll gather allies from all trades who each perform differently during combat. Choosing the ultimate team that fits well with your main character will take you the whole game. Alternating your tactics as newer skills get unlocked could mean a huge difference. Besides new allies, you also gather more cards for your deck which opens up even more possibilities to explore during combat. Battles in Ash of Gods: Redemption continues until each of the opposing team is dead. This also means that some of your own friends can fall during battle. As if that alone wasn’t enough, your main character can also die. Although not ideal, this doesn’t mean the end of the game but of course means a huge impact on the story. The replayability of this game is actually huge.
Not very joystick-friendly
Ash of Gods: Redemption is a special kind of game that I would recommend to anyway remotely interested in the genre. I think this is a must-have for the genre but I would also mention to not get the console version if you’re easily frustrated. The game runs fine on console but the combat system is just not joystick-friendly. The translation from mouse and keyboard to using a controller is done to the best of their abilities but it just feels clumsy. The time it took me to choose an action and letting the game do exactly as I intended was just too long. I longed for a mouse during my playthrough just to get things going. I eventually settled a bit while my experience with the controls grew, but I would just stick to the pc/android/mac os version.
Conclusion
Ash of Gods: Redemption is a great (although a bit niche) game of which fans of the genre should definitely check out. Fans of the banner saga games can’t go wrong with this one. Mind you that it plays a bit sluggish on console because of the controls not being very joystick-friendly. Do take this into consideration before you buy this but take my word that this game will give you an epic experience nonetheless.
