Ashen E3 2018 footage highlights haunting atmosphere and brutal combat

Ashen is a dark role-playing game which was announced as a Microsoft exclusive many years ago. It stood out from the crowd because of its unique art style and haunting atmospherics. Since then, the project basically went dark, and fans of that early trailer have been wondering what form it would eventually take. It's unclear if it's an exclusive anymore, but we do know it's coming to Microsoft's platforms.

At E3 2017, we got a better look at the game and saw that it took a lot of inspiration from titles like Dark Souls, The Surge, and Lords of the Fallen. However, another year has passed since then and we still aren't sure when Ashen will launch on Xbox One and PC.

At E3 2018, Ashen maintained the style of gameplay we saw at E3 2017 but there were noticeable refinements. The animations and combat seem tighter, and the world seems much more open than before. That sense of exploration you get from traversing uncharted lands is definitely there!

The new gameplay is thrilling to say the least, and reveals a lot of interesting and mysterious vendors, but we can't help but wonder when Ashen will actually launch. A lot of developers make the mistake of delaying their games so much that the public loses interest. With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and other similar titles on the horizon, Ashen needs to come out sooner rather than later. We'll keep you posted as soon as we know more about an expected release date.

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Asher Madan

Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.