We all crave some form of connection. From friends you can message whenever, to people you care for being with you when you need it the most. Sadly, not everyone has that in their lives, and it’s something many of us experience. I’ve experienced it before, and it was a tough time in my life that I’m glad I’ve been able to work past. But what happens when you can’t? What happens when you stay isolated and can’t develop any real connections, or cut off the ones you had? These are the questions I kept asking while playing Return to Ash.
Return to Ash is a visual novel from game developer NomnomNami/Sophie Gray and Serenity Forge. In it, you play as Ashleigh (Ash), a young girl who wakes up in a strange hospital that seems to be the afterlife. Explore this strange world while you get to know the other people here and deal with strange trials made by Death. Your decisions will shape the outcome of Ash and everyone here in this short narrative adventure. Return to Ash asks poignant questions and brings up interesting ideas, but sadly, it’s over before any of them can fully stick.
Purgatory is Other People
Return to Ash takes place in a purgatory-like setting. You play as Ash, a girl who has spent the last seven years in the hospital. She has drifted away from her friends and family during this time and has since become isolated. When she wakes up, the hospital seems different. Out the window, there is a white void that stretches on for eternity, and she feels no pain for the first time in years. It doesn’t take long for her to question if she has finally died and if this is the afterlife.
Not long after that, she meets Scarlet, a professional-looking woman only a few years older than you. She was an office worker who worked hard to move up the corporate ladder, but due to one colleague, it became her downfall. The other person you meet is Celadon, a divorced man who appears to have been here for years. He is very timid, and after many mistakes, he has been left behind by everyone in his life, including his wife. You three are the only ones here besides the one who seems to be in charge, Death.
Upon meeting Death, they tell you that you aren’t dead in the traditional sense, but socially. They all have no relationships and have become isolated. This purgatory they are in is one last chance at life. Death offers them trials, and if they succeed, they get a chance to be revived. Scarlet never does and thinks the trials are rigged, and Celadon has been doing them for years with no luck. You don’t know if you can trust Death, but you still have to try, and the choices you make will decide if you and the rest can come back to life.
A Short Afterlife
Return to Ash has a strong premise, one I wanted to experience more of. Sadly, I feel the premise wasn’t fully utilized. The short length helps you experience the full story in an afternoon, but it also rushes what could have been a more impactful narrative. In its current state, it’s fine, but it takes a while to get interesting. But when it finally starts to click, it’s over quickly after. I wanted this world and characters to be fleshed out more, but it was over before I could begin to care for them.
My biggest gripe is with the characters. While I like Ash and wanted to help them, I didn’t care for our supporting cast most of the time. When you meet them, you see their faults immediately. It seems like you are supposed to warm up to them and want to help them. However, I was mostly annoyed with them, even though I became more sympathetic to them as I learned more about them. I did eventually come around, but it wasn’t until each character’s respective ending. Due to the short runtime, I never felt like my time was wasted.
There are six possible endings, and I decided to get all of them. Even with my problems, I never put the game down, and I actively did want to see everything. Each respective ending does redeem the characters somewhat, but a longer runtime could have expanded on each one better. One route and ending was strong, and despite the short playtime, it told a complete arc. Although the short runtime caused some issues, I was still able to complete all endings in a single afternoon.
Perks of Purgatory
While I have issues with the narrative of Return to Ash, I did enjoy a few aspects, such as the art style. The art style feels like it was drawn with pen and paper, consisting of different shades of white and grey. It’s a simple but distinct and effective style for the story being told. I must commend the artist as well, because when needed, all the characters can convey emotion through the art alone. All the full-page environment spreads are well designed, and I’m glad the game lets you see it all from the main menu.
The music was fine; it worked for the story being told. I don’t remember most of it, but there are a few tracks that stayed in my mind. You can listen to the soundtrack from the main menu, too, which is a nice touch. There is also a minigame you can unlock and play from the main menu whenever you like. It’s a memory-style card game, and it was a fun distraction, especially when the narrative didn’t click.
Revive or Die
Return to Ash is a fine visual novel with a strong premise that I would have liked to explore further. It’s very short, which isn’t usually an issue for me. Although I feel that my problems with the narrative would be alleviated if I had more time with these characters. I feel like it could be done even with just a little more time, as one of the routes was able to make me care before the end.
After all that, this is still worth a try. I have my issues, but I still went out of my way to get all the art and endings. Visually, this worked for me and helped me empathize with the characters in the beginning as well. While it could have been better, my time never felt wasted. I can also see this narrative working for others more than it did for me. If this sounds interesting to you, give it a try. It’s about the price of a movie rental, and you finish it in an afternoon. Return to Ash is a short visual novel that I would’ve liked to do more, but one I wasn’t displeased with.
Disclaimer: Serenity Forge provided a PC (Steam) copy of Return to Ash for review purposes.
