Return to Ash review

Despite its succinct length, Serenity Forge’s Return to Ash delivers a poignant storyline that explores life, death, and social bonds. The game follows Ashleigh, a young woman who awakens in a mysterious afterlife after a seven-year hospitalization. Her emergence provides the catalyst for a journey that that’s both otherworldly, yet also introspective. For better or worse, it’s designed to be completed in about three hours, offering a meaningful story that can be completed in a single sitting.

Every decision Ashleigh makes shapes her fate all well as the destinies of the other souls she encounters. The plot draws inspiration from the personal experiences of Serenity Forge’s founder, Zhenghua “Z” Yang. His struggles with illness endow Return to Ash with a sense of authenticity, exploring concepts like hope, regret, and acceptance. Meanwhile, dialog choices have impact, undoubtedly encouraging you to reflect on your own values.

Is Death Being Duplicitous?

Ash is joined by other souls, each bringing their own emotional baggage. Scarlet is an ambitious office worker broken by her workplace downfall while Celadon is a divorced man haunted by past mistakes and loneliness. Looming over everyone’s experience is Death. Unsurprisingly, the Grim Reaper is an enigmatic figure who claims to offer a last chance for people to reclaim their lives.

Your dialog choices will shape Ash’s fate as well as her companions. Every decision influences the novel’s trajectory, determining which of the six possible endings will be given. Choices range from how Ash forges bonds with Scarlet and Celadon to different trials arranged by Death. Expectedly, the branching structure emphasizes the importance of relationships, encumbering every decision with emotional weight.

That said, Ash’s exposition might be a bit too relaxed for some. The novel habitually delivers moments of quiet contemplation, prioritizing rumination over traditional conflict. As such, readers expecting dramatic twists or supernatural showdowns may find the pacing to be a bit too plodding. Return to Ash excels at offering a heartfelt meditation on our mortality, catering to readers who prefer existential exposition. While the supporting cast ultimately receives redemption, another nagging issue is that they’re not especially likable at first.

Living in an Ethereal World

Visually, the novel employs an atmospheric aesthetic to portray its ethereal setting. The afterlife is rendered as a snowy, dreamlike world, conveying both comfort and unease. Portrait designs lean toward the minimalistic but still communicate aspects of each character’s personality. Meanwhile, the game’s soundtrack attempts to underscore some of the novel’s more stirring moments. But save for a few tracks, it mostly vanishes into the backdrop.

Return to Ash aims to deliver emotional impact with its introspective storytelling and meaningful choices. If you’re seeking a branching novel that resonates on a personal level, you’ll likely appreciate Serenity Forge’s latest effort. Personally, it took a while to warm up to the game’s secondary cast. And once I did begin to emphasize, the novel was already advancing toward a conclusion. For me, the characters’ personalities didn’t live up to the strength of the premise, leaving Return to Ash stuck in a kind of narrative limbo.

Return to Ash was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.