Ashina: The Red Witch | Xbox Review

August 22, 2023 Alyssa White

Point-and-click adventure games aren’t usually my cup of tea. I’ve never really been able to click with the genre, much to my chagrin. Stranga Games may have made me a convert, though. Ashina: The Red Witch is a charming, albeit emotional, experience with nods to Studio Ghibli and Japanese culture. I fell head over heels for this game, and I won’t forget my time with it any time soon.

Spirited Away to Another World

You play as the titular character (who goes by “Ash”) as she struggles to adjust to the passing of her mother. Ash looks after her younger sister Tena, who has a devil-may-care attitude towards life. One night after Tena leaves their apartment, a ghost named Tanto enters the home and steals Ash’s only memento from her mother; a pendant that seems innocuous at first. Ash chases after Tanto, only to end up in a spirit realm that isn’t too kind to humans. She only has a few hours to retrieve her pendant before she’s stuck forever in this alternate world.

Over the course of three and a half hours, you’ll encounter yokai, Japanese urban legends, and nefarious characters who want to trap Ash in this realm forever. I adored coming across the different citizens of this world, even the infamous Kuchisake-onna. Most of these spirits are just curious about how a human ended up among the spirits and will either help you out in your journey or at least make you chuckle. Others are bone-chilling and will have you wanting to get the hell away from them. There aren’t any actual threats to Ash during your playtime, other than one specific encounter. These characters just give you the creeps.

Restoring Peace in the Realm

The central gameplay mechanics of Ashina: The Red Witch are simple. You explore the environment and find objects hidden around the world. You’ll inevitably encounter a spirit or creature that needs a certain item, but it’s never difficult to find these. One feature that I adored is the fact that the game automatically combines objects in your inventory, removing any frustration that can be common in this genre. If you usually enjoy the aspect of figuring out what needs to be meshed together, Ashina will probably be too easy for you. It was like manna from heaven for me, though.

Other puzzles, such as figuring out how to make a bridge appear or trying to decipher a poem’s meaning, are forgiving and won’t stress you out too much. I appreciated the fact that the exceptional story is the main focus, and not pulling my hair out trying to find solutions only enhanced the experience for me. The only gripe I had gameplay-wise was the fact that invisible walls seemed to be in place in some of the paths that I clearly needed to take. I would have to maneuver Ash into a specific position just to be able to progress, which was a tad frustrating.

I’d be remiss not to quickly mention the gorgeous visuals and excellent score. The pixel graphics add an extra layer of charm to the Ghibli-esque characters and world, while each track perfectly accompanies each area and scenario that you encounter. It’s evident that there was a lot of love poured into Ashina: The Red Witch, and it’s all the better for it.

The Final Verdict

Ashina: The Red Witch is a charming, emotional, and sometimes creepy experience. Ash’s journey to find her mother’s pendant takes unexpected turns, and the simple yet satisfying gameplay only enhances the story further. The graphics and score are perfect for this experience, and the game doesn’t overstay its welcome with its shorter length. It will have you itching to play the prequel and sequel to this title if you haven’t already, though. I know I’ll be diving into them to further explore Stranga Games’ unique vision.

To hear me talk more about Ashina: The Red Witch, be sure to listen to the August 23, 2022 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 1:26:11 time stamp.

This review is based on an Xbox copy of Ashina: The Red Witch provided by PR Hound for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and Itch.io.