Ashen Empires

About

Ashen Empires is a classic MMORPG set in the fantasy world of Dransik. Dransik has been besieged by the sinister forces of Talazar, preying on mortals. Play with your friends, battle your foes, complete quests, defeat powerful bosses, pursue tradeskills in a player-driven market. Play YOUR way!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+17

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 309 reviews

story8 positive mentions

grinding32 negative mentions

Offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic MMORPGs like Ultima Online and RuneScape.
Engaging community with helpful players and active developers who listen to feedback.
Diverse character classes and skills allow for unique playstyles and extensive crafting options.

Outdated graphics and clunky user interface make the game feel unpolished and difficult for new players.
Heavy reliance on grindy mechanics and pay-to-win elements can deter casual players.
Poor management and inconsistent developer support have led to a decline in player trust and satisfaction.

story
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
76%
7%
The story in "Ashen Empires" is characterized by a lack of a central narrative, with players starting on an island and having the freedom to explore and engage in various quests. While the game features rich lore and a plethora of side quests, many players find the quest chains unengaging and repetitive, often leading to frustration due to their design. Overall, the game offers a vast world with extensive gameplay options, but it falls short in delivering a compelling storyline or deep character development.
- “Rich lore and an immersive storyline.”
- “Beginner island sets the mood and tells you a story of a larger land that, when you're ready, you will go to.”
- “Be prepared to be amazed at the size of the game, the amount of storytelling/quests, and the gigantic amount of gear for your character.”
- “There is no main storyline.”
- “The NPCs often refer you to seek other NPCs in very unengaging quest chains that are poorly presented.”
- “You do get to hear about stories through quests, but it doesn't really progress your own character's story.”
gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
73%
8%
The gameplay of "Ashen Empires" offers a nostalgic, old-school experience with immersive mechanics and a strong community, but it suffers from slow-paced combat, technical issues, and a reliance on pay-to-win elements that disadvantage casual players. While the game features a wealth of content and complex systems, its dated graphics and some frustrating mechanics may deter those seeking modern gameplay experiences. Overall, it appeals to fans of classic MMORPGs but may not satisfy players looking for contemporary polish and fast-paced action.
- “Fun addictive gameplay and a good community.”
- “The game itself has over 1000 hours of gameplay that can be accumulated from quest lines, tradeskills & weapon skills, wandering around and grinding.”
- “A side note on the gameplay is that magery makes the game infinitely more complex with the buffs, runes, and emergent playstyles between the four schools of magic - it's so good that it's difficult sometimes to resist making yet another magic archer or magic warrior.”
- “The game's heavy reliance on pay-to-win mechanics further exacerbates the problem, putting casual or non-paying players at a significant disadvantage.”
- “Dev and GM team don't follow their own rules, and they allow players on the PvP server to also be GMs/Devs, which has resulted in gameplay interference.”
- “Also, the stamina and combat mechanics were a tedious irritation; it wasn't fun, and after level 25+, it's boring what you have to do to get your stamina back. What's the bigger picture point of it?”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
64%
17%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated and lacking compared to modern standards, often described as "ugly" or "dated," which can deter new players. However, many players appreciate the nostalgic, old-school isometric style and find that the gameplay and community engagement compensate for the visual shortcomings. Overall, while the graphics may not appeal to everyone, they evoke a sense of nostalgia for classic MMORPGs and do not detract significantly from the overall experience for those who value gameplay over aesthetics.
- “Oldschool isometric graphics, very classic MMORPG feel with a small tight community, extensive crafting system, PvP and PvE servers.”
- “Open world top down isometric MMORPG with WASD movement scheme, dynamic random quests + static quests, clean retro graphics, excellent music, engaging tradeskills and oldschool classless leveling system.”
- “Visuals are dated, but nostalgic.”
- “The game's visuals and user interface may feel dated compared to modern standards, which can be a deterrent for new players looking for more polished aesthetics.”
- “Sadly not many know about it and care for it due to its low graphics.”
- “Graphically, the game is very dated, for sure, but in terms of classic MMO content, this game is better than it's ever been.”
grinding
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is a significant focus, with many players noting it as both a defining feature and a potential drawback. While some enjoy the extensive grind and find it rewarding, especially in terms of crafting and leveling, others criticize it for being tedious and time-consuming, particularly without membership benefits. Overall, the game appeals to fans of grind-heavy MMORPGs, offering a strong community and a wealth of activities to engage in.
- “If you follow a tedious online guide, I hear you can hit max level after about 3 weeks of 40-hour weeks.”
- “Also, the stamina and combat mechanics were a tedious irritation; like it wasn't fun, and after level 25+, it's boring what you have to do to get your stamina back. What's the bigger picture point of it?”
- “The only way to get rid of the minutes was to stay logged in, or drag heavy rocks in the prison to a grinder to break them apart. Each rock reduced your sentence by 1 minute and was very tedious to do.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its nostalgic charm and engaging quality, while others criticize its repetitiveness and low-quality MIDI sound. Many find the ambient tracks enjoyable and fitting for the gameplay experience, though some note that the music can become monotonous due to limited variety and looping. Overall, it contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, despite some technical shortcomings.
- “The music in this game is something I always go back to even at times while I wasn't actively playing.”
- “The atmosphere in this game is the best, it is very captivating and I love the music.”
- “Personally, I love the ambient music (I'd give it a 10/10) because me and my brother joke around over the years with it.”
- “You are also bombarded by the most awful MIDI-quality music.”
- “There is barely any sound, except the music which everyone turns off because it plays regardless of the game being the active window or not, and is very repetitive.”
- “But there's a lot of similarities, particularly the music, and the name of the starting kingdom.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a volatile and unstable development team, leading to inconsistent management and a lack of trust within the community. Players express frustration over the staff's unpredictable emotional responses, which result in unfair treatment and erratic enforcement of rules. Conversely, some players find emotional elements, like the farming goblin, to provide a sense of strength and progression, adding a layer of excitement to their experience.
- “That made me feel weak and vulnerable, but it also made me excited because the farming goblin became a clear and understandable measure of my strength and a sense of scaling many games just lack.”
- “All of a sudden, a change after being emotional.”
- “Two weeks later, you see players walking around with names like deeznuts and don't receive any penalty because that week, the emotional cycle had ended.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
Players report that the game suffers from occasional technical glitches and performance issues, indicating a need for further optimization and bug fixes. While the game is generally accessible even on lower-end computers, concerns about a pay-to-win system and unreliable server performance have led to frustrations regarding in-game trades and investments.
- “Optimization is good, and I'm sure that even low-end computers can handle it.”
- “The need for optimization and bug fixes is noticeable.”
- “Technical issues and performance optimizations are needed.”
- “The issue is that they have a pay-to-win system with servers that are not trusted for performance, which causes losses in in-game trades and investments due to server resets, shutdowns, etc.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
83%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting numerous technical glitches and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. While some users find it runs well on their systems, others describe it as feeling like a poorly managed alpha version, particularly highlighting problems with the inventory system.
- “Runs great on my laptop!”
- “The game has a solid performance with minimal crashes.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is, even during intense moments.”
- “However, if you want to play something that feels like a buggy alpha of a dead game, with an actual price tag (expansions) of 20+ USD, look no further.”
- “And furthermore, why does Steam allow such a buggy and mismanaged game to be on the platform anyway?”
- “Technical issues and performance: occasionally, players may encounter technical glitches or performance issues that affect their gameplay experience.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's monetization is praised for being completely free of ads, loot boxes, and subscriptions, appealing to nostalgic players. However, it suffers from a lack of advertising and investment, leading to a poorly planned launch and a confusing user interface. Overall, while the absence of monetization tactics is a positive aspect, the execution and promotion of the game leave much to be desired.
- “On the positive side, the game has nostalgic elements, is completely free, and I saw no ads, no loot boxes, no season pass, no NFTs, and not even an offer to subscribe.”
- “Steam cash grab.”
- “Needs advertisement and investment.”
- “It was poorly planned and delivered; they didn't do a whole lot of advertising or build any hype towards the launch. The first view in the game is a mess of UI elements spread across the screen with no guidance on where to place them or what to do with them.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of Ashen Empires is highly praised for its immersive quality and captivating music, creating a strong sense of engagement. However, it is noted that the game lacks in graphical quality and storytelling compared to others in the genre.
- “The atmosphere in this game is the best; it is very captivating, and I love the music.”
- “In comparison to games in the same genre, Ashen Empires delivers an immersive atmosphere and detailed mechanics.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game to have higher replayability compared to the Dransik title, citing its superior controls, immersive world, and detailed MMORPG elements as key factors that enhance the overall gameplay experience.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the inclusion of amusing elements like "clown awards," which users find particularly funny. Overall, the comedic aspects contribute positively to the gaming experience.
- “Clown awards, that's hilarious.”