ASH II: Shadows is Konami’s follow-up to the well-received ASH on the iOS platform. A JRPG in the vein of the original Final Fantasy, ASH II features a lot of crisp, hand-drawn visuals that really pop on the iPhone 4S retina display. The game follows the story of an ostracized warrior and the party members he teams up with. While the writing in the game is somewhat cliche, overall the story gets communicated well and, along with the visuals, really help to sell the game world. In fact, several times I could not wait to find out what was going to happen next in the chapter.
Throughout the course of the story’s first chapter (the game is episodic and more are on the way), you and your party members will fight tons of creatures and enemies as well as explore the fantasy-based landscape.Combat is handled in the tactical, JRPG manner of each being on the display getting his or her chance to act, whether it be using magic or attacking with a melee weapon. Players can outfit their party members with new items and equipment along the way.
ASH II’s biggest problem is in the EXTREMELY easy difficulty level. I played through the entire first chapter and never once had a problem dispatching my foes. Hopefully, in later chapters, they will remedy the situation as the game mechanics are a lot of fun and are sure to offer the iOS gamer hours of playtime.
