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I have a lot of experience with RPGs, JRPGs in particular, because I’m a huge fan of the genre. I’ve dedicated hours upon hours of my life to leveling up skills, bravely vanquishing hordes of enemies, and watching cutscenes. While I enjoy any RPG, Classic 8-bit and 2D RPGs have always held a special place in my heart.
That’s probably why I was so excited to play Ash II: Shadows, which is 2D RPG followup to the original Ash for iOS by SRRN Games, and a faithful homage to those classic games. Ash II features the same great gameplay as the first game, plus an all new storyline, new quests and characters, HD graphics, and a great soundtrack.
Ash II picks up where the first game ends, with a sad and bitter opening sequence that immediately drew me back into the storyline, but if you haven’t played the first version of the game on the iPhone, you’re going to be confused about what’s going on. In fact, I’m surprised there wasn’t a little more backstory for new players.
The star of the game, Damien, a tough guy turned good, is after the emperor, and on a mission to find out what’s happened to Nicholas, his mentor who was corrupted by the evil goo that’s infected Aghaus.
Ash II is split into six episodes, and what’s available now is the first one – the others will be coming in the future. In the App Store, the game is available in both Gold and Silver editions, with the gold containing all of the episodes for $4.99, while the silver comes includes the first two episodes for $2.99 (additional episodes will cost $0.99).
In the original, Damien was the joker and Nicholas had no sense of humor, so it was an amusing blend. The first episode contains very little Nicholas, so we’re left with Damien who spews joke after joke. If humorous RPGs interest you, then you’ll be in heaven with Ash II.
The controls are intuitive, with movement controlled by touching and holding. Combat is turned based, and to attack, cast a spell, wait, or flee, you tap the corresponding button and then the enemy that you want to attack. You will have party members with the typical skill sets – a healer, a warrior, and a caster, so you’re able to deal with any enemy.
Killing enemies earns experience for all of your party members, plus gold, which is used to buy upgraded items from shopkeepers, and you will have a never-ending stream of enemies to slay while inside of dungeons. Unlike the original game, there are no enemies on the main mini-map, which is a nice change because it makes travel faster.
You will also have a continual set of objectives to fulfill, which can be found by tapping the menu button and then checking the journal. The journal also displays a map and shows you where you should be heading. This same menu contains character information, which can be accessed by tapping on a character portrait, and your equipment, where you can use new items. You can also save here, though it’s largely unnecessary because the game has an autosave system.
An options menu lets you set dialogue speed, change the movement controls, and change the battle speed. A content menu opposite of the main menu is where you will be able to access future episodes, or add enhancements to your game. Enhancements can be purchased for $0.99, and will add perks like increased movement speed or faster experience gain.
Overall, Ash II is a great RPG that’s sure to satisfy fans of the genre with retina graphics, fantastic character art, a stunning soundtrack, and most importantly, engaging gameplay with likable characters and an immersive storyline.

What I liked: I was impressed with the music in Ash II. It’s great, even better than a lot of console games, and it really set the atmosphere for me. I’ve always liked Damien’s humor, and this episode had some very funny moments.

What I didn’t like: I was really annoyed that I couldn’t turn off the directions in the battle system – after the first few battles, I no longer need to know that I should tap on an enemy to attack. The menus load much too slow, making accessing the journal and the equipment menu a chore. There’s no reason there should be a several second pause when opening and closing the menus. Finally, I’m hoping future episodes ramp up in difficulty, because this one was far too easy, and not at all up to par with the difficulty of the original game.

To buy or not to buy: If you were a fan of the original game, then this is a must have. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re new to the series, this is still a great game to pick up and a good value, with three to five hours of gameplay for the first episode  – with five more episodes to come, that’s approximately 18 to 30 hours of play time for $4.99.

• App Name: Ash II: Shadows (Gold Edition)
• Version Reviewed: 1.0.1
• Category: Games
• Developer: SRRN Games/Konami
• Price: $4.99
• Score:  
• Via:Padgadget