Ash & Rust

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 29 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Ash & Rust Game Cover
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"Ash & Rust" is a single-player, open-world survival game set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Players must manage their resources, craft tools, and battle hostile enemies to survive. The game features a rich, immersive world with a focus on exploration and player choice. However, it has received mixed reviews due to some technical issues and a lack of polish.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews
graphics3 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique item and ability crafting system that allows for deep customization and creativity in character builds.
  • The developer is highly responsive to player feedback and consistently releases updates, showing a commitment to improving the game.
  • Despite its early access state, the game offers enjoyable gameplay with interesting mechanics and a fun progression system.
  • The game suffers from significant performance issues, including low frame rates and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
  • Controls and keybinding options are poorly implemented, leading to frustration during combat and navigation.
  • The game lacks polish in various areas, including a steep learning curve due to insufficient tutorials and unclear quest objectives.
  • story12 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is generally viewed as its weakest point, with players noting that while the lore is cohesive and well thought-out, the actual narrative and dialogue lack depth and engagement. Many reviewers found the overall storyline to be short and underdeveloped, often overshadowed by the gameplay mechanics and progression systems. Despite these criticisms, there are some interesting ideas and a solid foundation that could be built upon in future updates.

    • “The overall story is short, but once you finish it, you unlock a 'waves' mode where you fight through stronger and stronger waves of enemies.”
    • “Overall, the foundation here is excellent; albeit short, it took me around 10 hours to finish the story and all the currently available waves.”
    • “Storyline is pretty barebones at the moment, but that's to be expected for most early access titles. Besides, who are we kidding... ARPGs are all about gameplay, synergies, and loot!”
    • “I haven't played far into the story at all, but if the story and writing continue in the same vein, it would be, in my estimation, the weakest part of the game by a fair margin.”
    • “The strange part is that it really seems like the lore has been taken fairly seriously and is cohesive and well thought-out, but the actual moment-to-moment story and dialogue seem a bit lacking.”
    • “Storyline is pretty barebones at the moment, but that's to be expected for most early access titles. Besides, who are we kidding... ARPGs are all about gameplay, synergies, and loot.”
  • gameplay4 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a somewhat janky movement system and lane-based mechanics that restrict player movement despite a large map. However, the unique mechanics and build possibilities offer an enjoyable experience, even if the storyline is minimal, which is typical for early access titles. Overall, the focus remains on gameplay, synergies, and loot, which are central to the ARPG genre.

    • “Mechanics are quite unique and feel like they were never tried before, so I'm having fun with the build possibilities so far.”
    • “Storyline is pretty barebones at the moment, but that's to be expected for most EA titles. Besides, who are we kidding... ARPGs are all about gameplay, synergies, and loot!”
    • “Regarding content, gameplay is pretty jank - especially movement.”
    • “There is a lot of lane-based gameplay where you have a big map but are effectively throttled into a more narrow lane of space you are allowed to move in.”
    • “Storyline is pretty barebones at the moment, but that's to be expected for most EA titles; besides, who are we kidding... ARPGs are all about gameplay, synergies, and loot.”
  • graphics4 mentions

    The graphics of the game are described as decent for an indie title, with a realistic art style that features intimidating enemies. However, there is a noted dissonance between the serious tone of the visuals and the lighthearted, cartoonish writing, suggesting a need for better alignment between these elements to enhance the overall experience. Despite this, the game's early stages show promise, with minimal bugs and a solid foundation for future development.

    • “This isn't just aesthetic.”
    • “This game in its early stages is a very simple take on an RPG you customize, you change, you figure out what you really want, you pick up augmentation to change your skills, your characters, your stats and more. The graphics are not bad for indie style and there is a lot of promise; I would recommend giving this game a solid try as a potential up-and-comer.”
    • “The graphics are stunning and really enhance the immersive experience of the game.”
    • “I think what I find off-putting is the juxtaposition between the tone of the art style (which is mostly grounded in reality, with fairly frightening and intimidating-looking enemies) and the tone of the writing, which so far has come off as very cartoonish and sophomoric.”
    • “I think these things need to be unified -- either the tone of the writing needs to be made slightly more serious in nature with occasional jokes and banter thrown in for comedic effect, or the art style needs to be made slightly more comical and cartoonish to reflect the lighthearted nature of the writing.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, users report encountering some bugs and glitches, though the frequency appears to be low, with only one person specifically mentioning issues. Comparatively, the game's stability is considered acceptable, especially when contrasted with higher-budget titles like Diablo 4.

    • “Sure, there are some bugs and glitches.”
    • “It's not a Diablo 4 budget, and I still find bugs and glitches in that one too.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received negative feedback, with users reporting significant performance drops and overall poor performance.

    • “Some areas experience significant performance drops.”
    • “The performance is absolutely terrible.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its old-school vibe, featuring funny jokes and clever fourth-wall breaks that resonate well with players. However, some aspects, like the inflation-deflation models for character creation, are noted to be visually unappealing despite their comedic intent. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay experience.

    • “The inflation-deflation models for character creation, while hilarious, are painful to look at.”
    • “Really loving this game with its old school vibe and funny jokes and fourth wall breaks; absolutely would recommend!”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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