Ashes is a Post-apocalypse themed total conversion for the GZDoom engine. It combines old school build style level design and Doom style action with a twist of Stalker and Fallout.
Because it's the Mad Max and Rage we deserves
The experience reminded me of a post-apocalyptic Half-Life in the Build Engine. More enjoyable than modern titles.
The only room I see for improvement is strictly Doom Engine (GZDoom) related. The zig-zag enemy movement and enemy aggro are annoying. Sometimes projectiles don't behave the way I expect, possibly due to using portals or 3d floors.
10/10
Incredible gameplay, atmosphere, level design, with a great story and tons of environmental storytelling, not to mention the amazing soundtrack that complements it all.
This is a masterpiece of a game, just go play it NOW!
Incredible TC. Great texture work, awesome soundtrack, compelling map design, fun gameplay, rewarding exploration. It nails everything. Every DOOM TC should aspire to reach this standard.
Ashes, made by Vostyok, ReformedJoe, TDG, Retromuffin and of course Primeval, is a doom-based indie game that draws inspiration from all sorts of post-apocaliptic classics, from Escape from New York and Mad Max, to Fallout, Metro and Stalker, but it *does not* simply wear its inspirations on its sleeve while remaining largely derivative, it draws the best from them while thriving in its own ways.
It surprised me how much the story and setting of Ashes drew me in, I came in for the (quite enjoyable) scavenging experience, and got involved in a mysterious, suspenseful and well crafted tale, that has left me combing the internet for discussion and speculation, and also wanting to play the game again immediately after I beat it. If that isn't a sign of an addictive game, I do not know what is haha.
Gameplay is quite solid, it's a modern "doom clone" or "boomershooter" experience, with modern mechanics such as reloading, inventory management and weapon upgrades, although no ability to aim down sights, except for a select few mid-game sniper weapons, there were some situations were I wished I could zoom in a bit more, so I crafted a keybind to swap between an FOV of 120 and 70, so that I could aim a bit better at enemies that were at extreme ranges. If I could make a request to the dev team for their upcoming projects, this would be it, a built-in zoom key for when you're aiming at punks and gasbags across the large cityscapes.
The art style of Ashes is iconic, its world feels quite lived in, or rather, it feels like it was lived in decades ago, before everyone's lives were interrupted by the apocalypse, and now all that remains is an urban corpse, carefully cannibalized by its new inhabitants.
I want to make special mention of the astonishing sound design and Primeval's work with the soundtrack, these factors, combined with the lighting work and the clever and considered pacing, made this a very special experience, it is wild to me how the soundtrack and ambience can make you feel like you are the most dangerous thing in the wasteland in one moment, and then in the next one, smoothly transition into making you feel like you are stuck in a dimly lit bunker, with the *actual* most dangerous thing in the wasteland.
Ashes makes you the hunter, and it makes you the prey, and it's immensely compelling in both of these moments. This sense of empowerment diluted in the dread you are immersed in, gives the game a sense of exciting "realism", relative to your character's capabilities, you're carying a one man army's arsenal, but will it be enough for what you'll find down that corridor with the flickering lights?
Bit of a tip for anyone having problems with the game's motorcycle (yes, there is a motorcycle!), I used a keybind to alter the game's speed with the command i_timescale and a value like 0.6 or 0.7, to improve my ability to respond to the changes in the road, and that made the driving a much more enjoyable experience, things happen too fast while you're blazing down the roads (and the... non-roads) but if you got a bit more time to think and drift around corners (preferably running over enemies in the process), the bike is actually pretty fun.
If you weren't already downloading Ashes while reading this, then you should do it now, playing this game is something I guarantee you will not regret!
I guess this is the game for me. I found nothing that I would change, nothing that I would complain about, or reduce. All I could hope for is more, and bigger in scope. If more doesn't arrive in soon, I'll probably be very happy to revisit the sizeable campaign already on offer. Simply put, this is one of those boomer must-haves. But more than just paying homage, it creates wholly original moments.
this mod very good
Episode 1 and 2 back to back are awesome. Would gladly buy this if it were published on steam (Please do)