Back To Ashes
- February 20, 2023
- InDID
- 30h median play time
Get on Steam"Back To Ashes" is a story-driven, turn-based strategy game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Assemble and lead a team of survivors, scavenge for resources, and make strategic decisions to rebuild society while navigating through a branching narrative. Fight off hostile factions, manage your community's needs, and experience a rich, immersive atmosphere with hand-drawn visuals and atmospheric music.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a solid atmosphere and labyrinthian level design that appeals to fans of dungeon crawlers.
- Combat can be enjoyable and rewarding once players learn the mechanics, with a decent variety of enemies and bosses.
- The developer is responsive and actively working on updates, showing potential for improvement and expansion of the game.
- The combat feels unresponsive and clunky, with issues like hitboxes not aligning properly and dodging mechanics being inconsistent.
- Many players have reported bugs and technical issues, including problems with controls, inventory management, and level navigation.
- The game lacks clear direction and guidance, making it easy for players to get lost in the confusing level design.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as addictive but marred by unclear mechanics, particularly regarding adrenaline management and build choices, which can lead to frustration. Combat mechanics, while reminiscent of classic RPGs and souls-like games, suffer from balance issues, especially with bosses that can be overly punishing. Overall, players appreciate the nostalgic elements but desire more originality and clearer gameplay instructions.
“The gameplay is pretty addictive, but the aforementioned problems ruined it for me.”
“Bosses - the bosses, one of the main reasons I play souls-like games, this game has about 7 bosses right now, and there's a lot more content coming soon. As for the balance of the bosses, they have good mechanics and are fun to fight, but are padded out for difficulty as a couple of bosses later on can kill you in one or two blows. Overall, they are amazing to fight and have good musical tracks to go along with them, certainly a highlight of the game.”
“Very old-school style RPG with modern mechanics and souls-like battle!”
“I want to use my fireball, but for some reason, the game always says that I am out of adrenaline at the wrong moments. I wish I could figure out how to get more adrenaline, and this is not clear in the game mechanics.”
“But this game forces you to make build choices without having any idea of the gameplay these choices will entail.”
“The biggest problem is the combat mechanics.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its dark, immersive quality, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and detailed enemy designs. Players appreciate the creative environments and the overall vibe, which draws inspiration from dark fantasy titles like Dark Souls, making exploration rewarding and engaging. The combination of a gloomy aesthetic and intense gameplay contributes to a compelling experience that resonates with fans of the genre.
“Amazing atmosphere and density.”
“The music and atmosphere are right on point and the gloomy, sad atmosphere feels absolutely amazing and makes you want to continue further.”
“I 100% recommend this game to anybody who likes the souls-like style of combat and the dark atmosphere it gives.”
“Dark atmosphere and enemies are absolutely vicious.”
“So far the world/level seems to be very consistent and fitting with the whole atmosphere.”
“I like the fact that it obviously takes inspiration from games like Dark Souls and other dark fantasy titles and the atmosphere that it creates.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users describing them as dated and reminiscent of older console generations, such as PS2 and PS3. While some appreciate the general aesthetic, others find the visuals underwhelming and not on par with current standards, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite the graphical shortcomings, players express a willingness to enjoy the game if the combat mechanics improve.
“The graphics are good, combat is pretty awesome, and the skill tree is large and diverse, cool right?”
“The general aesthetic is nice.”
“The graphics are meh, but I will be happy to play it (and recommend it) if the combat felt better.”
“Way too clunky... graphics are dated and areas too dark.”
“If you like soulslikes and can live with some PS3 graphics, give it a try.”
- story7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story is generally considered decent, with a good introduction that sets up the lore, but some users feel it lacks depth and could benefit from more backstory. While it effectively ramps up the action, the ending left some players dissatisfied. Overall, the plot and writing are seen as adequate but not exceptional.
“Good storyline and lore in the intro.”
“A backstory as to why we're in the dungeon would be cool.”
“The plot is okay; so is the writing.”
“A back story as to why we're in the dungeon would be cool.”
“Story was okay; it helped ramp up the action.”
- stability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is currently a mixed bag; while it runs well on the Steam Deck, many users report significant bugs that hinder gameplay, particularly during combat, indicating it is not in an optimal state for play at this time.
“The game runs great on Steam Deck.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs during my playthrough.”
“The performance is smooth, and I can play for hours without any issues.”
“The game is very buggy at the moment, so it's not in a state to be played right now.”
“Still way too buggy at the moment.”
“A lot of the time, the combat just feels like it is buggy.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for creating a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience, particularly during boss fights. Reviewers note that the soundtrack complements the game's gloomy and immersive tone, making it a standout feature that motivates players to progress further.
“Good atmosphere and soundtrack.”
“An amazing experience, through and through, from the musical score to the bosses; all of them are amazingly fun to fight against and play.”
“The music and atmosphere are right on point, and the gloomy, sad atmosphere feels absolutely amazing and makes you want to continue further.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be unsatisfying and lacking in reward, despite some enjoyment from farming gear and discovering shrines or buff stones. While obtaining rare items like a yellow two-handed weapon can be exciting, the overall experience of grinding feels unfulfilling.
“After grinding for a while to obtain this type of equipment, it feels very unsatisfying and unrewarding.”
“I spent a lot of time farming gear from skeletons, and while I finally got a two-handed weapon, it was just a yellow one.”
