Ember

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 749 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
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

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 749 reviews
story189 positive mentions
grinding24 negative mentions
  • Ember features beautiful graphics and a charming art style that enhances the overall experience.
  • The game offers a decent story with engaging lore, and the in-game books are enjoyable to read.
  • The crafting system allows for customization of gear and skills, providing a unique twist to character development.
  • The controls are clunky, requiring constant clicking to move and interact, which can be frustrating.
  • Combat lacks depth, as skills are tied to equipment rather than character progression, making it feel simplistic.
  • The game is linear with minimal choices, leading to a lack of replayability and a predictable storyline.
  • story545 mentions

    The story in the game is generally described as decent but often simplistic and linear, with many players noting its reliance on familiar fantasy tropes and a lack of meaningful choices. While some found the narrative engaging and well-written, others criticized it for being generic and filled with fetch quests that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a straightforward plot that may appeal to casual RPG fans, but it lacks the depth and complexity found in more acclaimed titles.

    • “The story is engaging and fairly original.”
    • “I loved the story, although I felt like it was the first chapter of something larger.”
    • “The storyline is intriguing and kept me wanting to keep playing to find out more about the ember universe.”
    • “The story is painfully cliché 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.”
  • gameplay171 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and lack of depth, leading to repetitive and sometimes tedious experiences. While some appreciate the engaging story and nostalgic mechanics reminiscent of classic RPGs, others criticize the clunky controls and underdeveloped systems that detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a decent experience for casual players but may disappoint those seeking more complex and strategic gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is fun.”
    • “The game world is beautiful and colorful, animations are smooth, and gameplay is fast and fun.”
    • “Ember is a fantastic little gem with a surprisingly excellent story and fun gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay is tedious and becomes mundane, repetitive after an hour of playing.”
    • “The combat system will make you scream in frustration with their click and drag mechanics.”
    • “Shallow gameplay, non-existing progression, boring loot system, and very generic story.”
  • graphics171 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the charming art style and attention to detail, describing them as beautiful and well-rendered, especially for a budget title. However, some critics note that the visuals are not cutting-edge and can feel dated or simplistic, with limited graphical options and occasional issues like video tearing. Overall, while the graphics may not wow everyone, they are generally considered a strong point of the game, contributing positively to the immersive experience.

    • “The graphics aren't cutting edge (even for the year it was made) but I found them to be beautiful and well rendered.”
    • “Ember has exceptional graphics, it has a very original and well-written story, it has intelligent dialogue, humor, and most of all, it is fun to play and rewarding.”
    • “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.”
    • “The graphics are dated by at least 10+ years.”
    • “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 ui is confusing to newcomers, the graphics aren't anything special, the story is something you've seen before and the combat gets tedious.”
  • music61 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its quality and ability to enhance the immersive experience, with many reviewers highlighting its atmospheric qualities and how well it complements the gameplay and environments. While some noted occasional repetitiveness, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack is excellent, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal. Additionally, the sound design, including voice acting and ambient sounds, is generally regarded as solid, further enriching the gaming experience.

    • “Music is excellent and varies to what's going on screen.”
    • “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 quite fits whatever you're doing or where you're at.”
    • “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 I couldn't even watch the intro cutscene because the sound effects were way too loud.”
  • grinding24 mentions

    Overall, reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious and repetitive, with many players finding combat and loot systems to be particularly uninspired and monotonous. While some appreciate the crafting elements, the general consensus is that the gameplay lacks depth and becomes boring quickly, making it a struggle to stay engaged. Despite a few positive notes on its value for casual play, the grinding experience is largely viewed as a significant drawback.

    • “Gameplay is tedious and becomes mundane, repetitive after an hour of playing.”
    • “The mechanics are over-simplified, except for crafting, which is both tedious and superfluous.”
    • “Very repetitive, grindy gameplay.”
  • character development18 mentions

    Character development in the game is widely criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, with players expressing disappointment over limited ability selection, few companions, and a simplistic stat allocation system. Many reviewers noted that character progression feels shallow, relying heavily on gear for skills rather than offering meaningful choices or interactions. Overall, the focus on graphics and environment over character development has left many RPG fans feeling unsatisfied with the 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.”
    • “Character development is free-form but doesn't have the abundance of character-shaping leveling options that many similar games do.”
    • “A decent game; simplified RPG elements with streamlined combat options and character development.”
    • “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).”
    • “The skills in this game come from items, so there is very little character development.”
    • “Character development is limited to just a few stats and points to place, minimal gear variations, and poor ability equip.”
  • atmosphere17 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 well-crafted environments that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers liken it to classic RPGs, noting its engaging story and character depth, while also appreciating the nostalgic, old-school feel that contributes to its charm. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating and atmospheric world that resonates with players.

    • “Great old school RPG with great music and atmosphere!”
    • “Solid story, good gameplay, love the atmosphere, and very well written lore.”
    • “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.”
  • 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, like goblins, 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, it has a very original and well-written story, it has 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.”
  • replayability11 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many players noting that choices made during the game do not significantly impact the outcome. While some mention a decent initial experience and the potential for exploration with different classes, the consensus is that once the game is completed, there is little incentive to replay it, as most quests can be finished in a single playthrough.

    • “Lots of fun, decent replay value, and a bit of that classic D&D feel to it.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization10 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs well on lower-end systems and features a highly optimized graphics engine, players frequently report issues with stuttering and laggy movement, particularly in certain areas. There are limited performance options available, leaving players with persistent stuttering despite the overall decent performance. Overall, while playable, the optimization could significantly improve to enhance the gaming experience.

    • “Performance: my Win10 machine never blinked.”
    • “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.”
    • “The game runs pretty well with the odd stutter, though you aren't given any real performance-altering options.”
    • “Limited ability selection, few companions, dry story that kind of just drags on, low stat values for character development, poor optimization/laggy movement.”
    • “I walked around for a bit more, continued to see constant stuttering, and exited the game, and here I am reviewing the game.”
    • “Would still be playing if the stuttering wasn't constantly present.”
  • stability9 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a bug-free experience with no significant issues, others encounter frequent crashes and a problematic menu system that requires restarts for changes. A few users noted minor glitches that did not detract from their enjoyment, but the presence of crashes, especially upon dying, raises concerns about overall reliability.

    • “The game seems pretty bug-free; I did not encounter any bugs worth mentioning.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive; it runs smoothly without any crashes.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the game is; it allows for an uninterrupted gaming experience.”
    • “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, suggesting that the narrative may resonate with certain audiences despite its flaws.

    • “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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