Ashes to Ashes

About

Ashes to Ashes is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Team Beans and was released on June 11, 2023. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Ashes to Ashes" is a mystical, revenge-driven shooter set in Gloam Country. Utilize hexes to manipulate the elements and obliterate enemies, or go for precision headshots to quickly clear waves of bandits. Explore diverse settings, from perilous canyons to breathtaking vistas, as you track down key members of the Red Wake gang in epic boss battles. Immerse yourself in the original soundtrack by Collin Anderson .

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

60%

Audience ScoreBased on 95 reviews

story16 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game has a unique concept with interesting mechanics involving elemental bullets, which adds a layer of strategy to combat.
Despite its flaws, the game is made with passion and has a charming narrative that can be enjoyable for a short playthrough.
The graphics and art style are appealing, providing a visually interesting experience for players.

The game suffers from numerous performance issues, including crashes, lag, and unresponsive controls, making it frustrating to play.
Voice acting is subpar and often feels forced, detracting from the overall immersion and quality of the storytelling.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with combat mechanics that do not provide a satisfying challenge or engagement.

story
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
56%
7%
The game's story features themes of betrayal and revenge, set against a backdrop of a unique magical western world, which some players found intriguing despite its uneven delivery and lackluster voice acting. While the narrative has potential and offers emotional depth through character backstories, it suffers from technical issues and pacing problems that detract from immersion. Overall, the story is seen as a highlight for some, but it is marred by execution flaws and a short runtime.
- “Ashes to Ashes is a story-driven third-person shooter where you come back from the dead and try to uncover what happened surrounding your death.”
- “The storyline is intriguing, and the idea of a skeleton cowboy out for revenge definitely piqued my interest.”
- “Developed with meticulous attention to detail, this indie gem offers a unique blend of survival, exploration, and emotional storytelling that leaves a lasting impression.”
- “The story involves betrayal and a quest for revenge against a gang.”
- “Story is alright but the character voice acting sounds somewhat poor - it doesn't immerse you into the scene enough.”
- “What a contrived storyline, in just the first 10 minutes.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
12%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the unique mechanics and narrative, while others criticize the shooting mechanics, clunky controls, and repetitive gameplay. Although there are interesting elements like the shield/bullet mechanic and survival challenges, many feel that the overall execution is lacking, leading to a dull experience after initial engagement. Performance issues and a lack of depth in combat further detract from the potential of this indie title.
- “It's a fun indie title with some really cool mechanics!”
- “Its captivating narrative, atmospheric world, and engaging survival mechanics make it a must-play for fans of the genre.”
- “You can feel the passion the developers had for this small project in the gameplay.”
- “Can't really use cover effectively and there's no mechanic to duck or hide.”
- “Dull gameplay, really terrible voice acting and sound mixing, clunky controls and a bunch of performance issues in just 10 minutes.”
- “With the gameplay being pretty dull due to dumb enemy AI and healing dropping very often, not to mention the performance issues I've frequently run into, it ends up feeling like a tech demo, but it's obvious that there was at least some effort put into it.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with a haunting soundtrack that enhances the melancholic atmosphere and fits the western theme effectively. However, some users noted abrupt transitions between songs, which can disrupt immersion. Overall, while the music is appreciated, opinions on the voice acting and certain musical choices vary.
- “The haunting soundtrack complements the atmosphere perfectly, immersing players deeper into the melancholic world.”
- “In-game music totally fits the western theme.”
- “Loved the music and cast, especially Philip Glenister and John Simm.”
- “Memoir music abruptly stops/cuts to next song when it's over”
- “What's with all the crazy music and dizzying scenes?”
- “Music is okay and the voice acting is mid.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, including lag, clunky controls, and frequent bugs and glitches. Many feel that the overall experience is marred by dull gameplay and subpar voice acting, leading to a perception of the game as a tech demo rather than a polished product. Despite these shortcomings, some players express hope for future updates to improve performance.
- “All that being said, the game was pretty fun to me, and I hope to see it get updates, especially performance optimizations.”
- “Even for a free game, it's quite laggy, and the voice 'performance' is far from decent; the dying bandits are the only times you'll hear someone talk and not cringe.”
- “There are things that can be improved on and this game felt unplayable with the performance.”
- “The optimization definitely needs work, along with all of the bugs and glitches.”
- “Even for a free game, it's quite laggy and the voice 'performance' is far from decent; the dying bandits are the only times you'll hear someone talk and not cringe. The 'story' parts of the game lock you in place and make you wait for way too long, not to mention how long you have to wait to start a level.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
22%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for being visually appealing and fitting the theme, especially considering it is a free title. However, some players feel that while the visuals are good, they do not reach the level of top-tier games, and there are concerns about performance issues like low FPS. Overall, the graphics are seen as a positive aspect, but they are not enough to compensate for shortcomings in gameplay.
- “The graphics in this game are really quite good, which at least makes the game look more appealing.”
- “It has an interesting idea for the storyline, with the mixing of western bandits and magic, and the graphics are good and fit well to the theme.”
- “The graphics are nice, most definitely better than what I'd expect from a free game, but definitely not Elden Ring or PS5 graphics.”
- “I wanted to play, not to see a cartoon with low graphics, low FPS, and twinkling red/yellow spots on the screen.”
- “Graphics:”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it initially amusing but ultimately repetitive and dated. While certain elements, like voice acting and gags, provide moments of laughter, others feel the humor lacks depth and variety. Overall, the game is seen as having potential for improvement in its comedic aspects.
- “I'd probably rate this game a 7/10, very funny short game that I feel has a lot that could be worked on.”
- “I honestly thought it would be fun to try it out real quick and the voices made me laugh at the beginning because of how off they were, but it got old real fast; thank god it was a short game.”
- “This is a good series and there is humor and sass.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent lag, bugs, and glitches affecting gameplay, including AI issues that allow enemies to shoot through objects. While it hasn't crashed for players, it does experience occasional freezes and requires significant optimization improvements.
- “It's very laggy and buggy all around and doesn't run at very high frame rates.”
- “The AI is incredibly buggy; it will often shoot you through objects such as boxes, and they will start attempting to shoot you through rocks and other objects that they can't even shoot or see you through.”
- “The game hasn't crashed on me yet, but it is a bit glitchy and freezes sometimes.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game excels in emotional storytelling, skillfully intertwining survival and exploration with the protagonist's poignant backstory revealed through flashbacks. This depth of character development fosters a strong player connection, making the experience both touching and thought-provoking, and elevating it beyond a standard survival adventure.
- “Developed with meticulous attention to detail, this indie gem offers a unique blend of survival, exploration, and emotional storytelling that leaves a lasting impression.”
- “As players progress, they unravel the protagonist's backstory through emotional flashbacks, building a strong connection with the character.”
- “The emotional depth and character development add a significant layer to the game, elevating it beyond a typical survival adventure.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game's atmosphere is deeply immersive, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and effective sound design that create a melancholic experience. Players find the captivating narrative and engaging survival mechanics contribute to a memorable ambiance, despite the game's short duration. Overall, it is highly recommended for fans of atmospheric storytelling.
- “The haunting soundtrack complements the atmosphere perfectly, immersing players deeper into the melancholic world.”
- “Combined with the atmospheric sound design, it creates an experience that lingers in the player's mind even after stepping away from the game.”
- “Its captivating narrative, atmospheric world, and engaging survival mechanics make it a must-play for fans of the genre.”
- “The atmosphere is there for sure, but it feels underdeveloped and lacks depth.”
- “While the game has a decent atmosphere, it ultimately falls flat and doesn't immerse you as much as it should.”
- “The atmosphere is present, but it feels more like a backdrop than an engaging environment.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is praised for its emotional depth and unpredictability, enhancing the overall experience and distinguishing it from standard survival adventures.
- “The emotional depth and character development add a significant layer to the game, elevating it beyond a typical survival adventure.”
- “Unpredictable plots, great character development!”