Skip to main content
Ashes of Creation Apocalypse Game Cover

About

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse is a multiplayer action game. It was developed by Intrepid Studios, Inc. and was released on September 24, 2019. It received negative reviews from players.

The standalone prequel to the upcoming epic MMORPG Ashes of Creation - both a testing ground for new systems and content, as well as a unique last-man-standing action game where magic, steel, and chaos reign supreme in a high fantasy, free-to-play experience.

Skip User Reviews

40%Audience ScoreBased on 541 reviews
gameplay13 positive mentions
monetization19 negative mentions

  • Unique combat system combining melee, ranged, and magic with strategic abilities and stamina management.
  • High-quality graphics and beautiful fantasy setting with detailed character models and environment.
  • Free-to-play with cosmetics that carry over to the upcoming MMORPG, supported by active developer communication and updates.
  • Game suffers from poor optimization issues, including frequent lag, crashes, and long queue times due to low player population.
  • Controls and UI are clunky and unintuitive; there is no tutorial, making it difficult for new players to learn mechanics and gear usage.
  • Misalignment of player expectations as many complain about it being a Battle Royale instead of the promised MMORPG; aggressive monetization with microtransactions and battle passes in an early access testing environment.
  • gameplay

    79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay offers a unique blend of fast-paced, high-mobility medieval fantasy combat with purposeful mechanics like stamina management and skill-based dodging, though it has a steep learning curve and lacks tutorials for new players. While the core combat is praised for its innovation and engaging mechanics, many cite bugs, optimization issues, and clunky controls that hinder the overall experience. As an early access battle royale mode designed to test MMO combat systems, the gameplay shows promise but remains rough around the edges and may frustrate those expecting a polished final product.

    • “In-game mechanics fit very nicely with the overall match, such as repairing armor, dodging in the air consecutively allows you to summon your griffon, etc. Everything in the game has a purpose and isn't like other battle royale games that have way too many things and players only use a percentage of it.”
    • “Gameplay takes a bit of time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, it's a nice blend of high-mobility and medieval fantasy combat.”
    • “The mechanics are pretty solid and the game actually flows at a nice pace.”
    • “It plays like a potato; the controls are unnecessarily complicated, combat is awful, and the dodge mechanic doesn't work properly.”
    • “Worst battle royale out there. I've been playing BR since it came out. No tutorials, bad optimizations, bad gameplay, bad UI, bad game balance—everything about this is bad so far. The game could be fun if only it was made into a simple playable game; way too complicated for the most part. Unplayable on low to mid-end PCs.”
    • “After 15 minutes of gameplay filled with login issues and update issues, why do you release a half-finished game?”
  • graphics

    51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their beauty, detailed armor, unique art style, and immersive landscapes, offering a visually stunning experience that enhances combat and exploration. However, some users note optimization issues and heavy graphical demands that impact performance, particularly on certain hardware. Overall, while controls and content receive mixed feedback, the graphics represent a strong highlight and a promising preview of the upcoming MMO's visual quality.

    • “Graphics are on a whole new level for a battle royale game, featuring highly detailed armor sets, beautiful scenery, landscapes, and wildlife.”
    • “Even though this is just an alpha version of a yet-to-be-finished game, the graphics look amazing, and the combat feels fluid and very engaging.”
    • “The graphics are amazing and will look like this in the actual MMO, which is very promising.”
    • “Only graphics settings are fullscreen or no, resolution, and framerate limit.”
    • “It is very graphic heavy and that's not good when you need all the FPS.”
    • “Got through one match before I realized the game was causing my RX 580 to hit over 80°C, overheated and shut down; lowered the graphics and it did not affect the temperature at all.”
  • monetization

    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization in this game is widely criticized as an aggressive cash grab, with numerous microtransactions and expensive cosmetic items, especially given its early access status. Many players feel the focus on monetization—through battle passes, cosmetic sales, and in-game purchases—is excessive and detracts from gameplay, fueling frustration over perceived greed and pay-to-win concerns. While some acknowledge cosmetic purchases are optional, the overall sentiment is that the game exploits its audience financially under the guise of development testing.

    • “So there is a bit of monetization at work here if folks wish to support the dev team but beyond the initial legendary tier pass purchase (if you didn't kickstart/pre-order the game) you can simply play to earn the stuff instead of paying.”
    • “"It's a standalone game with monetization to fund itself that also aids in data for the MMO being made later on."”
    • “I don’t understand how people think that Intrepid Studios could run their battle royale testing ground with zero monetization whatsoever.”
    • “Nobody wanted this poor excuse of a cash grab.”
    • “There is no excuse for this obvious and blatant cash grab for a game that is so early in development, both the battle royale and the MMO, especially when it has made so much money at the Kickstarter(s).”
    • “Start your adventure ... but before you do here is 3 cash shop spams. This is some excuse for a game that should never have been made. Don't get it, don't even consider it... this is a piece of cash grab, an early access cash grab to boot. I wonder when this will become illegal.”
  • optimization

    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is inconsistent, with some users experiencing smooth performance and good graphics, while many report severe issues like server lag, crashes, and poor performance on mid- to low-end PCs. Despite noted improvements and potential, the overall optimization remains a significant problem affecting gameplay stability and accessibility.

    • “Maps creation, skills balancing, shops, leaderboards, customization of matchmaking for both huge and short multiplayer sessions, optimization of the network architecture for heavily populated maps with a lot of player-player interaction plus all the research and prototyping if you expect your battle royale to stand out in this overcrowded period.”
    • “I feel the graphics, optimization, and variety of weapons are great.”
    • “It looks pretty good, it runs smoothly, I had no issues with optimization and my 1080ti didn't burst into flames either.”
    • “Optimization is awful, the servers lag often, especially when around other players.”
    • “Game is horribly optimized for me at least and I have a pretty middle of the line PC.”
    • “If you don't have a decent computer this might not run very well for you as it is not perfectly optimized yet.”
  • stability

    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely criticized for being buggy, poorly optimized, and experiencing frequent glitches and downtime, typical of its early testing stage. While some users find it surprisingly fun and smooth, many report significant performance issues that hinder playability. Overall, stability remains a major concern, with improvements needed before the game reaches a polished state.

    • “The systems seem to be very responsive and not too buggy.”
    • “I am actually really enjoying the combat of this game. I think it runs great and smooth; others are saying differently, but I haven't had a single problem.”
    • “The two main criticisms that I keep seeing are: 1) it's buggy and poorly optimized!”
    • “It's a buggy mess, it is poorly optimized and has a ton of downtime.”
    • “Tldr: play the game since it's free but don't support the developers because it is pushing the cash shop at players as if this is a completed game, when in fact, it is a buggy, broken mess with countless errors and crashes.”
  • story

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story and lore incorporate MMORPG elements to enhance the gameplay experience, but some players find the inclusion of paid quests in a test game unusual. Despite the premise, certain gameplay mechanics, such as combat movement, detract from the immersion.

    • “The developers just took the battle royale map and switched on all the MMORPG elements for a quick quest run, showing a lack of original story design.”
    • “Selling cosmetics is acceptable in a free game, but charging players for quests in a test game is unusual and detracts from the story experience.”
    • “The story and premise feel disjointed, with quest integration seeming forced and lacking depth.”
  • emotional

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional impact of the game is minimal, with players finding ranged weapon usage somewhat satisfying but not particularly memorable or emotionally engaging. There is no notable emotional manipulation or strong emotional connection reported.

  • humor

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is lighthearted and self-aware, with amusing moments like long-distance strafing and aiming, as well as playful dialogue referencing "triple A" quality and cheeky stream comments.

    • “Strafing and aiming from a distance are possible and are funny.”
    • “It's funny when they mentioned 'triple A' quality of a game and the one girl says 'if you're mad go somewhere else' in their latest stream.”
  • music

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music is an epic, uplifting orchestral score that enhances the atmosphere, especially at high volume. However, some users note a disconnect as the intense soundtrack plays even during inactive moments like waiting in the lobby.

    • “Experience high definition character detail of a character you had no control in making with epic, extreme, supreme, uplifting orchestral music 2 hour mix version 58 on max volume!”
    • “You press play and the game just sits in the lobby while some epic music thunders in the background.”
  • replayability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers fast-paced action and a fantastic map design, contributing to its limitless replay value.

    • “Fast action, fantastic map, and limitless replay value.”
  • grinding

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's anti-cheat system effectively prevents bots, particularly from certain regions, from farming and spamming, improving the overall grinding experience.

Skip Game Offers

Buy Ashes of Creation Apocalypse

7h Median play time
13h Average play time
6-24h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Ashes of Creation Apocalypse
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse is a action game.

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 13 hours playing Ashes of Creation Apocalypse.

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse was released on September 24, 2019.

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse was developed by Intrepid Studios, Inc..

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse has received negative reviews from players. Most players liked Ashes of Creation Apocalypse for its gameplay but disliked it for its monetization.

Ashes of Creation Apocalypse is a multiplayer game.

Similar games include Reign of Guilds, Dragon's Prophet, PlayM2M, Pixelite Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online and others.