Ashes to Ashes

About

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 152 reviews

story31 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game has a great concept and potential, with interesting mechanics like elemental bullets.
The narrative is engaging and adds depth to the gameplay, making it a fun experience despite its flaws.
For a free game, it offers a decent amount of entertainment and charm, making it worth a try.

The game suffers from frequent crashes and performance issues, making it frustrating to play.
Voice acting and animations are subpar, detracting from the overall immersion and quality of the game.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks challenge due to unlimited ammo and simplistic mechanics.

story
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it intriguing and unique, particularly the blend of western themes and magical elements, while others criticize its execution and voice acting as lacking depth and immersion. Although the narrative concept, such as a skeleton cowboy seeking revenge, piques interest, many reviews note that the delivery is often hampered by technical issues and a lack of fluidity in animations. Overall, while the story has potential and some emotional resonance, it struggles with execution and pacing, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.
- “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.”
- “Story wasn't particularly special, but got its point across.”
- “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.”
- “What a contrived storyline, in just the first 10 minutes.”
gameplay
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
7%
The gameplay has a mix of intriguing mechanics, such as an elemental revolver and shield/bullet interactions, but suffers from issues like clunky controls, repetitive combat, and performance problems. While some players appreciate the narrative and survival elements, many find the mechanics overly simplistic or frustrating, leading to a lack of engagement after the initial experience. Overall, the game shows potential but requires significant refinement to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “It's a fun indie title with some really cool mechanics!”
- “Love the narrative and the gameplay idea of an elemental revolver!!!”
- “You can feel the passion the developers had for this small project in the gameplay.”
- “Dull gameplay, really terrible voice acting and sound mixing, clunky controls, and a bunch of performance issues in just 10 minutes.”
- “The gameplay on its own is kind of dull; there is not much to do besides mindlessly shooting everybody (not as fun as it may sound) and very little to care about in how to use the magic bullets.”
- “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
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, particularly the haunting soundtrack that immerses players in a melancholic world and fits the western theme well. However, some users noted issues with abrupt transitions between songs, and while the music is appreciated, the voice acting received mixed reviews. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the gaming experience, though it may not be universally acclaimed.
- “The haunting soundtrack complements the atmosphere perfectly, immersing players deeper into the melancholic world.”
- “Love the rattlesnake pass intro music/cutscene.”
- “In-game music totally fits the western theme.”
- “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
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
67%
20%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, including lag, clunky controls, and frequent bugs and glitches. The voice acting and sound mixing are also noted as subpar, contributing to an overall feeling of dull gameplay. Despite these shortcomings, some players still find enjoyment in the game and 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.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
25%
8%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the good visuals that align with the game's theme and commend the available graphics options, others criticize the low-quality cartoonish style and performance issues like low FPS. Overall, the graphics are considered decent for a free game but fall short of high-end titles like Elden Ring or PS5 games.
- “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.”
- “Graphics options are great (thanks for v-sync and 60fps).”
- “I wanted to play, not to see a cartoon with low graphics, low FPS, and twinkling red/yellow effects on screen.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it initially amusing, particularly the quirky voice acting and gags, others feel it quickly becomes repetitive and dated. Overall, the game has moments of humor that can be funny and touching, but it may not sustain laughter throughout the experience.
- “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
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including lag, bugs, and poor AI behavior, such as shooting through objects. While it hasn't crashed for players, it does experience glitches and occasional freezes, indicating a need for better optimization and bug fixes.
- “It's very laggy and buggy all around and doesn't run on very high frames.”
- “The AI is incredibly buggy; it will often shoot you through objects such as boxes and will attempt to shoot you through rocks and other objects that they can't even shoot or see you through.”
- “The optimization definitely needs work, along with all of the bugs and glitches.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is profoundly immersive, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and meticulous sound design that create a melancholic world. Players find the experience memorable, with a captivating narrative and engaging survival mechanics, despite the game's short duration of about an hour. 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.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game excels in emotional storytelling, featuring a well-crafted narrative that allows players to connect deeply with the protagonist through impactful flashbacks. This emotional depth and character development enhance the overall experience, making it more than just a typical survival adventure, and leaving players with a lasting impression that is both touching and thought-provoking.
- “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.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Character development in the game is praised for its emotional depth, which enhances the overall experience and distinguishes it from standard survival adventures. Reviewers highlight the unpredictable plots and strong character arcs as key elements that contribute to the game's richness.
- “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!”

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Ashes to Ashes

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Buy Ashes to Ashes

Ashes to Ashes

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