Inner Ashes | PS5 Review
It’s always admirable when a developer decides to tackle a serious issue with their game. Of course, the way in which the matter is addressed in the title can either help or hurt the intended audience. Calathea Game Studio thankfully falls in the former category with Inner Ashes. They’ve crafted a powerful narrative around Alzheimer’s disease that both educates the player while also allowing them to step in the character’s shoes and see how it affects him. It’s not a fun game, per se, but it is a heart-wrenching experience.
While the Memories Last
Inner Ashes sees you play as a man named Henry. Henry has Alzheimer’s and is struggling to remember why he and his daughter Enid are estranged. Your task is to help him regain his memories and find out the source of the conflict. To do this, Henry literally dives into Enid’s sketchbook to hunt for clues. While you’re in the realm of the sketchbook, you’ll be tasked with solving simple environmental puzzles and exploring the worlds of the book to find Enid’s drawings. You can also find collectibles in the form of factual information about Alzheimer’s. I loved this little touch and it’s respectfully implemented.
Another main mechanic of the game is solving tangram puzzles during each level. These are used in real life to help patients with Alzheimer’s refine their cognitive and motor skills. I’m not too proud to admit that some of these puzzles had me wanting to rip my hair out, but I always felt a sense of satisfaction when I did eventually solve the trickier ones. I only wished the context for the puzzles was addressed in the game, as you’re just thrown into solving them without an explanation for why they’re there.
You’re Tearing Me Apart
The story that Inner Ashes wove was an emotional gut-punch for me. The further you advance in the game, the more Henry’s disease progresses. At the beginning of the game, you’ll see sticky notes sporadically placed around Henry’s home to inform him of a certain items’ function or meaning. As you uncover more recollections of Enid in the sketchbook, Henry’s memory in the real world starts to fade quickly. The notes start becoming more concise and detailed, you see more of them plastered around the home, and you even hear Henry’s voice start to weaken. Hearing him struggle to speak had tears welling up in my eyes, and the reality of this horrible disease hit me hard.
Not Everything Is Rosy
As I stated at the beginning of this review, Inner Ashes isn’t inherently a fun gaming experience. I would categorize it as more of an educational tool. It’s extremely respectful and effective, but this won’t appeal to everyone. Henry walks slowly around his environments and the overall simplicity of the gameplay will probably turn off gamers who don’t enjoy walking simulators. I interpreted these gameplay choices as a metaphor for the experience of living with Alzheimer’s, but that’s not going to be enough for some.
Now to talk about the technical aspects. The game runs well on PS5, but motion blur is pretty terrible in this title and it made my three hours with the game tougher to get through. I had to take breaks every thirty minutes or so due to how queasy it made me feel. If you don’t suffer from motion sickness you should be fine playing this, but it would have been nice to have had the option to turn it off as an accessibility feature. The voice acting is also a pretty mixed bag. I feel bad for nit-picking this, but it did break the immersion of the game. I also became stuck in the environment at a specific location, causing me to reload my last save twenty minutes prior.
The Final Verdict
Inner Ashes is a powerful, often emotional, experience. The subject of Alzheimer’s disease is handled respectfully yet realistically, and the small details really make the narrative pop. The graphics are simple yet colorful, and the score is soothing. Not everyone will be a fan of the slow pace and the seemingly random use of tangram puzzles, but these touches do add to the immersion if you are aware of their real-life reasoning and purposes. I just wish that there was an accessibility option for turning off motion blur, and the voice acting left a lot to be desired. If you’re up for a moving narrative and don’t mind the gameplay mechanics, Inner Ashes will be up your alley.
To hear me talk more about Inner Ashes, be sure to listen to the July 5, 2023 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 56:20 time stamp.
This review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy of Inner Ashes provided by Ico Partners for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
Inner Ashes
$14.99
Pros
- Respectfully and Realistically Addresses Alzheimer’s
- Wonderful Score
- Heart-Wrenching Narrative
Cons
- Gameplay Won’t Be Everyone’s Cup of Tea
- Motion Blur Is Terrible
- Voice Acting Is a Mixed Bag
