good interface and writing, but not without flaws

Pros:

-The first thing I want to compliment them on is that this was designed for a touchscreen. The locations of the character portraits, the menu system, the battle system... theyre not perfect, but they work really well with a touchscreen. Talking to NPCs in particular - this game handles that better than almost any 16-bit RPG I can recall. The interface really does prove that a "virtual d-pad" doesnt have to be your only option.

-Unique music. Rather than going either J-Pop, chip tune, or classical, the music is a surprisingly somber piano-based arrangement. Its nothing you can sing along to, but it stands out.

-The banter between characters is fairly witty. The plot isnt really original, but its well done, you want to know what happens next, and the main characters have an interesting backstory.

Cons:

-Completely baffling difficulty. Either youll be sorely punished for stepping outside the inn, or youll learn a spell so unbalanced that you wont need any other strategy. Even when its a level playing field, the battle system allows for a lot of misses and "no damage" hits, so even an easy battle sometimes takes much longer than youd like.

-No overhead map. "We should head to the northeast outpost", theyll say, and then its up to you to do a LOT of wandering over somewhat featureless terrain. And theres no quest or story log to remind you where you have to go, either.

-No sidequests. Not that every RPG needs a fishing minigame, but if there was at least a random dungeon somewhere, maybe being lost in the overhead world wouldnt be so bad.

Overall:

Ash is one of the better original iOS RPGs out there, and Ill be happy to give Ash 2 a shot, if it ever happens. And like I said before, its a great example of how to design a retro-styled game without a virtual D-pad.

Aquadeo about Ash, v1.35