Ember

66%
Game Brain Score Based on 699 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Ember Game Cover
Ember brings back the RPG love with a budget price.
Starting at $1.11Buy now
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"Ember is a single-player historical fighting game with stellar gameplay, graphics, and soundtrack. As a resurrected 'Lightbringer', protect the dying world of Ember in this atmospheric RPG filled with lots of grinding, humor, and an intriguing story."

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 699 reviews
story184 positive mentions
grinding19 negative mentions
  • Engaging story with interesting lore and characters.
  • Beautiful graphics and well-designed environments.
  • Fun combat system with tactical pause and crafting mechanics.
  • Clunky controls and movement mechanics, requiring constant clicking.
  • Limited character customization and skills tied to equipment.
  • Repetitive quests and lack of meaningful choices in dialogue.
  • story503 mentions

    The game's story is generally described as decent but often generic, with many players noting its linearity and lack of impactful choices. While some appreciate the engaging lore and well-crafted world, others criticize the side quests for being repetitive and uninspired, often reduced to fetch tasks. Overall, the narrative is seen as a solid foundation for gameplay, though it may not reach the depth or complexity of more renowned RPGs.

    • “The story is engaging and fairly original.”
    • “I loved the story, although I felt like it was the first chapter of something larger.”
    • “The story is well written and entertaining, with great characters and decent voice acting - it's linear, but there are side quests and extra explorable areas.”
    • “The story is painfully cliche and limps along on rails.”
    • “The quests are generally dull and boring to be honest.”
    • “The story is fairly generic, and side quests barely serve to flesh out anything.”
  • graphics158 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received a mixed reception, with many players praising the beautiful artwork, charming visuals, and attention to detail, often highlighting them as a standout feature. However, some reviews mention that the graphics can be ordinary or dated, lacking extensive customization options, and not particularly groundbreaking. Overall, while the visuals are generally considered appealing and well-executed, opinions vary on their impact relative to gameplay and other elements of the game.

    • “The graphics are amazing for how little it costs or for even many times that.”
    • “This is truly a beautiful looking game, and you can tell a lot of love went into its graphical design.”
    • “The visuals are gorgeous and the graphics engine is highly optimized allowing a massive level of detail at high resolutions even on the worst graphics card.”
    • “On top of this, the graphics look even worse in the actual game than in the screenshots, and the game mechanics are not simple -- they're plain clunky and dumb.”
    • “The graphics are dated by at least 10+ years.”
    • “The ui is confusing to newcomers, the graphics aren't anything special, the story is something you've seen before, and the combat gets tedious.”
  • gameplay152 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it overly simplistic and repetitive, leading to a lack of depth and engagement. While some appreciate the nostalgic feel and straightforward mechanics, others criticize the combat system as tedious and frustrating, often feeling like a watered-down version of classic RPGs. Overall, the game offers a decent experience for newcomers to the genre but may disappoint those seeking more complex gameplay and strategic depth.

    • “A very light and simple RPG, it has its own unique charm that makes it fun even without anything mind-blowing in terms of gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is easy to get into, there's a nice variety of side quests, and the setting provides a nice group of locations to explore.”
    • “Great visuals, intriguing storyline, fun combat and mechanics with a steady difficulty curve.”
    • “Gameplay is tedious and becomes mundane and repetitive after an hour of playing.”
    • “The gameplay is admittedly very shallow - don't expect too much strategic depth here.”
    • “The combat system will make you scream in frustration with their click and drag mechanics.”
  • music53 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its quality and ability to enhance the immersive experience, with many reviewers noting that it complements the gameplay and environment effectively. While some players found the music to be occasionally repetitive, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack is enjoyable and well-crafted, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere. Additionally, the sound design, including voice acting and ambient sounds, is generally regarded as solid, further enriching the gaming experience.

    • “The music was really good and pertinent to the storyline.”
    • “This is however a beautiful game, has a great story and has one of the best soundtracks for a fantasy/RPG game I've ever heard.”
    • “The music and sound effects, with a decent amount of voice work, are all atmospheric.”
    • “The decision to blast music in the intro, which is not controlled by the in-game menu, is frustrating.”
    • “The music is okay, but the track loop, like the rest of the game, gets repetitive quickly.”
    • “I had to do my first recording with the music blaring in my headphones and couldn't even watch the intro cutscene because the sound effects were way too loud.”
  • grinding19 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, leading to a mundane gameplay experience that detracts from enjoyment. Players find the mechanics overly simplified and the progression slow, with minimal rewards for extensive grinding, making it feel unimpactful. While some appreciate the crafting elements, the overall consensus is that the grind becomes a chore rather than a rewarding part of the game.

    • “Gameplay is tedious and becomes mundane and repetitive after an hour of playing.”
    • “The story is decent, but I couldn’t play far enough with how tedious and repetitive it was, along with the lackluster character development.”
    • “Grinding for hours can only increase 1-2 levels.”
  • character development17 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely criticized for its simplicity and lack of depth, with players noting minimal options for customization and skill selection, primarily limited to a few attributes like strength and intelligence. Many reviewers feel that the focus on environmental graphics detracts from meaningful character progression, resulting in a repetitive and tedious experience. Overall, the character development system is described as "lite," offering little engagement for players seeking a more robust RPG experience.

    • “When I play RPGs in general, I want a good story, character development, and abilities that I can choose from to use in battle, not just from gear that I can't wear yet.”
    • “Great graphics, controls were spot on, and character development (while minimal - as it was intended) was somewhat fun to toy with.”
    • “Character development is free-form but doesn't have the abundance of character-shaping leveling options that many similar games do.”
    • “Character development is lacking (a little bit more in books you can find but still...), and as far as I'm aware, we never find out who was the culprit/imprisoned 'it'... (trying not to say any spoilers).”
    • “I felt they spent more time on the environment and making it look nice rather than adding similar input to character development – which became boring for me.”
    • “The decision to make skills available only through items leads to meaningless character development.”
  • humor17 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, featuring intelligent dialogue, satirical references to fantasy tropes, and amusing scenarios, such as encounters with quirky vendors and cursed books. Players appreciate the light-hearted moments that enhance the overall experience, although some feel that humor is uneven, with certain elements standing out more than others. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with engaging storytelling and character depth, making it a fun and rewarding experience.

    • “Ember has exceptional graphics, a very original and well-written story, intelligent dialogue, humor, and most of all, it is fun to play and rewarding.”
    • “The writing was great and contained a lot of humorous and thoughtful dialogue.”
    • “There are many satiric references to known movies and games, and some dialogues are made with the intention of being funny.”
  • atmosphere16 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, with many users highlighting the strong integration of music, sound effects, and voice acting that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers liken it to classic RPGs, noting its charming graphics and engaging lore, which contribute to a nostalgic yet captivating environment. Overall, the game successfully creates a rich and atmospheric setting that resonates well with players.

    • “Great old school RPG with great music and atmosphere!”
    • “The music and sound effects, with a decent amount of voice work, are all atmospheric.”
    • “The gameplay and atmosphere I'd liken more to a D&D type of game like Neverwinter Nights, rather than Diablo.”
    • “The atmosphere is actually pretty incredible.”
    • “As a major RPG geek who has played the best isometric RPGs this world has to offer, including Planescape: Torment, Baldur's Gate, Arcanum, Fallout 1 & 2, Diablo, and a ton of others, I would say that Ember could hold a flame to the great ones in terms of combat, graphics, story, music, and atmosphere. The only thing I was kind of nit-picky about is how sparse the writing is.”
  • optimization12 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it can run on low-end systems without crashing, players frequently report constant stuttering, particularly in open areas and during the tutorial. There are limited performance options available, which leaves players feeling stuck with these issues despite the game's impressive visuals. Overall, while the graphics engine is capable of high detail, the lack of optimization options detracts from the experience.

    • “The visuals are gorgeous and the graphics engine is highly optimized, allowing a massive level of detail at high resolutions even on the worst graphics card.”
    • “Performance: my Windows 10 machine never blinked.”
    • “The game runs pretty well with the odd stutter, though you aren't given any real performance-altering options, so you are basically stuck with stuttering.”
    • “I walked around for a bit more, continued to see constant stuttering, and exited the game, and here I am reviewing the game.”
    • “Perhaps it's just the one area, though it did happen in the tutorial maybe twice, but if the rest of the game would do this constant stuttering, then I'd deem the game unplayable.”
    • “The game runs pretty well with the odd stutter, though you aren't given any real performance altering options, so you are basically stuck with stuttering.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many players noting that choices have minimal impact on the outcome and that once the main quests are completed, there is little incentive to play again. Despite a campaign length of around 20 to 30 hours, players feel that the absence of meaningful variations in character choices and outcomes significantly diminishes the game's replay value.

    • “Replayability is limited on your first playthrough depending on your choice of difficulty and class selection, not including side quests you may have skipped or missed.”
    • “Takes about 20 hours to beat and doesn't really have any replayability, but the story is enjoyable and the gameplay is easy to pick up and put down.”
    • “Limited replayability.”
    • “There is also no replayability to this game seeing as your choices do not even matter, not in the short nor the long run.”
    • “All the above points mean there is no replay value for me, as I can easily finish every quest the first time around and there aren't really any different characters to try out.”
    • “In my opinion, it's priced extremely cheaply for a game with a 30-hour campaign, although it's worth noting there's no replayability.”
  • stability9 mentions

    The stability of the game received mixed reviews, with some players reporting a generally bug-free experience and others encountering significant issues, including crashes and a problematic menu system. While a few users noted minor glitches that did not detract from gameplay, others experienced frequent crashes that required restarts, indicating that stability may vary widely among players. Overall, the game's stability appears to be inconsistent, with some enjoying a smooth experience while others face frustrating technical problems.

    • “The game seems pretty bug-free; I did not encounter any bugs worth mentioning.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive, allowing for a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the game runs; it enhances the overall gameplay.”
    • “As it is, I'm troubleshooting and trying to figure out what happened.”
    • “- Buggy menu system - not to mention you have to restart the game every time you want to change a quality of life setting.”
    • “Lastly, the game is buggy, constantly crashes and requires re-starts.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    Reviews on the emotional aspect of the game are mixed; while some players find the story boring and lacking depth, others express that they experienced genuine emotions during certain moments. Overall, the emotional impact seems to vary significantly among players, with some finding it unexpectedly touching amidst a generally unengaging narrative.

    • “I actually got emotional with that little story.”
    • “Who knows, if this is going to be an emotionally exciting experience as well?”
    • “Boring story.”
    • “Kinda meh, boring af, boring story, boring items...”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy has been criticized for not meeting the expectations set by its advertising, with some users feeling that the game is a low-quality imitation of established ARPGs like Diablo rather than a worthy competitor.

    • “For me, it doesn't really live up to the hype it's advertising.”
    • “They are advertising it as some kind of ARPG like Diablo, but it's just a cheap Android knockoff of this genre.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

63% average critic score

Buy Ember

Play time

28hMedian play time
359hAverage play time
21-39hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 15 analyzed playthroughs

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