First, the visuals. ASH doesn't use 2D and it doesn't use polygons. Instead, the game makes use of pre-rendered CG for its battle visuals. While Mistwalker had the opportunity to use 2D or low-level polygon visuals like many other DS games, Sakaguchi found that pre-rendered visuals created a fresh feeling. He states that, while the visuals would look rather bad on a large screen, they look crisp and clean on the tiny DS screen.
These ash people are actually Aisha's allies. Without quite understanding why, they'll accompany her on her adventures. The game promises over twenty primary, named characters, along with a number of unit characters that grow as you play.
With ASH, you'll have to think half like you're playing a strategy RPG and half like you're playing a true RPG.
One of the more mysterious elements of the game (yes, there's a lot of mystery surrounding ASH -- and all of Mistwalker's games, for that matter) is its weapon system. Character designer Hideo Minaba reveals to the magazine that he created the Aisha character with a gun that can be equipped with swords.