Ashes of Oahu

32%
Game Brain Score Based on 22 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • optimization
Ashes of Oahu Game Cover
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Ashes of Oahu is an open world, story driven shooter where you work with or against the surviving factions of a post apocalyptic Hawaii. Inspired by native Hawaiian stories, traditions, and beliefs but with a unique fictional twist that brings in ghosts, raiders, and godsFour distinct factions to work for...or against!Over 75,000 lines create a massive and engaging narrativeChoices truly matter a…

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Reviews

32%
Audience ScoreBased on 22 reviews
story3 positive mentions
stability1 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique setting with a large open-world map that is visually appealing and colorful.
  • There is a deep skill tree and weapon customization system, allowing for diverse gameplay and character development.
  • The game has interesting dialogue and choices that can affect faction relationships and lead to multiple endings.
  • The combat is clunky and frustrating, with technical issues such as glitches and poor enemy AI affecting gameplay.
  • There is a significant lack of polish, including missing voice acting, optimization issues, and bugs that can disrupt quests.
  • The map, while large, can feel empty and is marred by invisible walls and confusing quest mechanics.
  • story14 mentions

    The game's story is described as having potential with a variety of quests and faction dynamics that influence gameplay, but it suffers from execution issues such as confusing quest icons and bugs. While some players appreciate the depth of character development and dialogue, others find the overall narrative lacking and the controls and UI frustrating. Despite its indie status, the game offers a large world and engaging missions, appealing to fans of open-world RPGs.

    • “While some of the quests are bugged, the graphics and storyline are great.”
    • “There are 5 factions in the game, and for 4 of these, your actions and the missions you complete will determine how they feel about you; the final raider will always hate you, as they are your main enemy.”
    • “Lots of dialogue to progress the story, and choices will affect your faction progression.”
    • “It is not really open world, as there are sometimes baffling invisible walls to keep you on the rails they want to keep you on. The RPG is okay, but the controls are bad, the UI is bad, and the story is lacking in most every way.”
    • “As soon as I got to the first town, 'the village' I believe it was called, the on-screen quest giver icons and the quest icons were just jumbled up and very confusing.”
    • “While some of the quests are bugged, the graphics and storyline are great.”
  • graphics6 mentions

    The graphics have received mixed reviews, with some players expressing disappointment over technical issues and a lack of polish, while others appreciate the beautiful cell-shaded art style and detailed environments. Although the visuals are generally considered decent, they fall short of expectations set by promotional materials, and players have noted bugs that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, but significant improvements are needed to address the technical shortcomings.

    • “The graphics are beautifully cell shaded with mostly very detailed textures. The characters have nice models, if lacking in some detailed animation. The animals feel good enough and like they belong in the world (until they run into a building and get stuck). The buildings look as you would expect in the post-apocalyptic world the game is set in; it feels like a well-defined game world.”
    • “While some of the quests are bugged, the graphics and storyline are great.”
    • “Story, graphics, and combat were all good, but no voice acting was throwing me off.”
    • “I am very upset that the graphics are not as advertised.”
    • “The visuals are disappointing and do not meet modern standards.”
    • “The character models look outdated and lack detail.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game faces notable optimization issues, requiring players to lower settings significantly to achieve smoother performance and reduce technical glitches. While some users report that medium settings can maintain visual fidelity, others experience stuttering and increased GPU temperatures, necessitating further adjustments for a playable experience.

    • “But stick with it you must -- the game is rewarding once you get past some technical glitches. I only lost some major frustration once I dropped my settings to medium and saw no loss in fidelity, but major increases in performance.”
    • “It's a good game; it has a few optimization issues that will likely cause your GPU to warm up.”
    • “But stick with it you must -- the game is rewarding once you get past some technical glitches. I only lost some major frustration once I dropped my settings to medium and saw no loss in fidelity, but major increases in performance.”
    • “I had to put the settings on as low as they go and disable some settings altogether in order to even play without it constantly stuttering.”
  • gameplay3 mentions

    The gameplay is generally enjoyable and set in an amazing world, but it suffers from significant issues such as inconsistent pacing, lack of customization options like a field of view slider and remappable keys, and frustrating bugs that can hinder progress. Despite these problems, players find the game finishable.

    • “No matter the glaring problems, to me the game is totally finishable, and again, amazing world, and gameplay, beautifully enjoyable.”
    • “The gameplay slows and speeds up at a constant frequency on any setting above low.”
    • “The gameplay slows and speeds up at a constant frequency on any setting above low.”
    • “No FOV slider, no remappable keys, and a bug that made my character stuck after 3 minutes of gameplay.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth, featuring extensive skill trees, factions, and weapon customization, which contribute to a rich gameplay experience. However, some users note that the indie nature of the title results in certain limitations, indicating that while the character development is robust, it may not reach the polish of a AAA game.

    • “I enjoy the character design and mana abilities.”
    • “The developers have lovingly crafted a large play world with deep skill trees, factions, weapon customization, character development, and a ton of missions to do.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks the depth that I was hoping for, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “While the game offers a variety of skills and customization options, the character development is ultimately underwhelming and doesn't feel impactful.”
    • “I found the character arcs to be predictable and lacking in meaningful choices, which diminished my overall experience.”
  • humor1 mentions

    Users find the humor in the game to be effective, particularly appreciating the comedic take on the map's inaccuracies, especially from those familiar with the actual location.

    • “As a born and raised resident of actual Oahu, the butchering of the map is actually pretty funny.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game experiences some technical glitches that can lead to frustration, but players find that lowering the settings to medium significantly improves performance without sacrificing visual quality. Overall, while stability issues are present, the game becomes more rewarding once these adjustments are made.

    • “The game is rewarding once you get past some technical glitches.”
    • “I only lost some major frustration once I dropped my settings to medium and saw no loss in fidelity, but major increases in performance.”
  • music1 mentions

    Users express frustration with the music aspect, noting that there is only a single sound bar for all audio, preventing them from turning off the music. This limitation detracts from the overall experience, especially when the graphics do not meet expectations.

    • “I'm very upset that the graphics are not as advertised, and there's only one sound bar for everything, so you can't turn off the music.”
    • “The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
    • “I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and forgettable, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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