Embers Adrift

About

Embers Adrift is a multiplayer tactical role playing game with fantasy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Stormhaven Studios and was released on April 29, 2025. It received negative reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

Embers Adrift is a fantasy MMORPG where you escape a war-torn south to find refuge in the City of Newhaven. Recovering your memories, you aid its inhabitants, battle hostile Exiles, explore ancient ruins, and uncover the secrets of Ember’s powerful magic. The game offers both solo and group PvE, with limited PvP arena combat.

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Play Modes

+18

Skip User Reviews

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 251 reviews

story8 positive mentions

optimization8 negative mentions

Embers Adrift captures the nostalgic feel of classic MMOs like Everquest and Dark Age of Camelot, offering a unique and engaging experience.
The game encourages social interaction and teamwork, making it rewarding to explore dungeons and complete quests with friends or other players.
The developers are responsive and actively engage with the community, regularly updating the game based on player feedback.

The game has a low player population, making it difficult to find groups for quests and dungeons, which can hinder the overall experience.
Combat can feel slow and clunky, especially at lower levels, with limited abilities and long cooldowns that may frustrate players used to faster-paced gameplay.
The lack of a traditional magic system and the need for extensive grinding may deter players looking for a more modern MMO experience.

story
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
79%
7%
The game's story and quest design are characterized by a lack of clear guidance, with no quest markers or hand-holding, which encourages exploration but can lead to frustration for players trying to navigate the world. Many quests require group participation, making solo play challenging, and the repetitive nature of tasks like "kill 15" quests detracts from the overall narrative experience. While some players appreciate the unique lore and the sense of community fostered through group play, the overall quest structure and rewards are seen as lacking, leading to a mixed reception regarding the story aspect.
- “Unique story and lore.”
- “Great game where you mostly have to figure out quests yourself and also with the help of others.”
- “Sense of wonder: no quest markers or hand-holding.”
- “The story lacks direction and gives you no real guidance, leaving players to figure it out themselves or rely on world chat for help.”
- “The quests are a terrible source of XP, and the descriptions offer absolutely no help whatsoever, making the experience frustrating.”
- “The majority of quests force players to group with large parties (6 players) to finish them, and many quests require rolling on quest items, meaning that difficult and time-consuming content needs to be completed multiple times for a full group.”
gameplay
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
72%
11%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a blend of simple mechanics that evolve into deeper strategic elements, appealing to fans of old-school MMOs. However, players have noted issues such as slow and grindy progression, clunky combat, and frustrating mechanics that detract from the experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game offers a solid core gameplay loop with regular updates, encouraging group play and social interaction, making it a potential gem for those who appreciate a more traditional MMO experience.
- “As you start to dig deeper into the game, you will find some deep, strategic gameplay.”
- “The gameplay loop is very familiar to anyone who has played games like EverQuest or Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. It's basically a hardcore PvE MMORPG where grouping is highly encouraged and leveling is generally at a slower pace; it's one of those journey things rather than the destination.”
- “The gameplay is simple yet rewarding, and it just feels good to play.”
- “The gameplay feels too slow and grindy, and it reminds me too much of another game I won't mention here.”
- “However, it has a broken group design concept, several time-wasting mechanics, and slow, clunky combat.”
- “I don't know who this game was developed for, but it was not made for a 'relaxing old school game'; this was more of a 'break my screen because of its garbage mechanics' game.”
optimization
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
68%
23%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues even on high-end systems. While some have noted improvements and the ability to achieve playable frame rates with tweaking, the consensus is that the game still requires substantial optimization to meet player expectations. Many users recommend waiting for further updates before fully committing to the game due to its current performance inconsistencies.
- “So far it looks like there has been a lot of improvements to gameplay, content, and performance.”
- “Good performance did require some tweaking, but I gained sizable FPS in some cases with the game looking nice at a capped 60 FPS on my 3060 Ti.”
- “It's very strange, but the consistency is what makes the game stay playable with low performance.”
- “Optimization is honestly crazy bad. I'm using a fairly high-end system and my fans go up completely audible the moment the game launches unless it's set to low settings.”
- “The performance is horrible even on my PC that greatly exceeds the requirements.”
- “I am sorry, but I am not recommending this game that asks for a 1060 and does not even come close to desirable performance on hardware that is well beyond that.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
63%
14%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them decent and fitting for an old-school MMO experience, while others criticize them for poor performance and outdated visuals. Many appreciate the art style but call for improved animations and overall graphical enhancements. Overall, while the graphics may satisfy some players, they fall short of expectations for others, especially when compared to more graphically advanced titles.
- “The art style and graphics are pretty cool for what this is, but slightly improved animations would really go a long way for me.”
- “Recent updates gave a new life to my character and desire to keep casually playing. Great community, graphics are well above my expectations; the videos they have posted are terrible looking compared to what they are.”
- “This is a perfect MMO experience for those of us who enjoyed the EverQuest/Ultima 90's vibe, with better graphics and mechanics in some ways.”
- “I was gobsmacked to come back and see that no, nothing had changed. Frames were bad, clients bad, graphics are bad. The client doesn't play well with other clients like EVE and FFXI at all. I had to mute the sound effects the mobs made as it was like torture. Level 1 mobs pop aggro and linked, fricking level 1 deer linked and killed me, and it wasn't fun or cute like retro games like FFXI or EVE; it was just obviously terrible design, and the graphics are worse than DDO.”
- “I'll just keep playing Cyberpunk and Witcher 3 and Destiny 2 with maxed out graphics and continue wondering what's going on with this game. We're talking about bad performance with a capped framerate in 1080p. I guess you just need to run this in 640x480 if your computer's good enough for bigger, more complex, and more graphically intense games. As of now, I can't recommend it; it has terrible performance.”
- “It's alright, low population... probably more content than Pantheon, but the graphics are so meh.”
grinding
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
95%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and slow, particularly around level 10, where the experience gain feels disproportionately low. While some enjoy the grind and appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic MMOs, others criticize the lack of engaging content outside of grinding and the overall unpolished experience. Players who prefer a more streamlined and fast-paced gameplay may find this grind-heavy approach unappealing.
- “If you prefer a lot of quality of life features (quest markers, location on map, mounts, etc.), fast pace, and no grinding, then I would say you are probably not the target audience.”
- “Grinding in this game feels rewarding, as each session brings you closer to your goals and enhances your character's abilities.”
- “The grind is balanced well, providing a sense of achievement without feeling overly tedious.”
- “The gameplay feels too slow and grindy, and it reminds me too much of another game I won't mention here.”
- “Expect to spend 300+ hours grinding just to get the gear required to move forward.”
- “Meaningless grinding loop... by level 40 you will have to kill about 200 mobs for 1 percent of experience. What is the point?”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
Overall, the music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it average or uninspired, others praise it as fantastic and immersive, enhancing the gaming experience. Notably, certain moments, like exploring caves, showcase exceptional musical compositions that resonate well with the game's atmosphere. The soundtrack is generally considered solid, contributing to the game's unique charm.
- “The world, music, quests, gear, NPCs, combat, classes, and lore are clearly handcrafted with so much love and attention.”
- “The music is fantastic, and the game is very immersive.”
- “It pairs perfectly with a podcast or some music, though the in-game soundtrack fits the mood so well that it’s worth listening to on its own.”
- “The world was empty, resource gathering felt bad, music was average and I was not in a mood to be sent from NPC to NPC to do quests.”
- “Their music is uninspired.”
- “Music is pretty solid.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a friendly and welcoming environment, fostering strong social connections among players. It effectively captures a grounded, low-magic medieval setting that emphasizes the journey, complemented by well-executed lighting and subtle effects that enhance the immersive experience. Overall, it creates a calm and inviting space ideal for relaxed gaming.
- “It captures a grounded, low-magic medieval atmosphere that prioritizes the journey over the destination.”
- “The game has a calm and inviting atmosphere that makes it ideal for relaxed gaming.”
- “Subtle skill effects will reflect off dark dungeon walls and the lighting and atmosphere is very well done here.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Embers Adrift features a unique monetization model that relies on optional subscription time instead of microtransactions, appealing to players seeking a traditional RPG experience without pay-to-win elements. Despite its lack of microtransactions, the game struggles with visibility and player base growth, highlighting the challenges faced by indie developers in attracting attention.
- “I find it baffling that literally millions of people online are constantly begging for a good MMO with no microtransactions, just a good solid RPG, yet when one gets made by an indie developer without a massive marketing team, those same people turn a blind eye.”
- “In lieu of microtransactions, Embers Adrift offers optional subscription time.”
- “Essential to kind of play together even from a lower level - the player base is smaller at the moment and definitely could use some advertisement to get more players online.”
- “They have no microtransactions and no pay-to-win.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
Overall, users report a stable experience with minimal bugs or glitches, though some minor issues may arise. Players with low-end or older PCs may experience performance drops, but adjusting the graphics settings can significantly improve stability.
- “The game runs smoothly even on lower-end PCs; just adjust the graphics settings and it performs great.”
- “I've experienced minimal crashes and bugs, which really enhances the overall stability of the game.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job optimizing the game, ensuring a stable experience across various hardware.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Character development in the game presents a learning curve that may initially challenge players, but ultimately leads to a deeper connection and appreciation for their characters as they progress.
- “The depth of character development in this game is remarkable, allowing players to truly connect with their characters and see them evolve over time.”
- “I appreciate how the character development feels organic, with choices that genuinely impact the story and the growth of my character.”
- “The game is not easy to pick up, and there is a bit of a learning curve to truly grasp the experience and fall in love with your character development.”
- “Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful choices that impact the story.”
- “I found the character progression to be tedious and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is characterized by its lighthearted and amusing nature, providing players with a delightful and entertaining experience.
- “It's a funny little game.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the emotional warmth and sense of community in the game, highlighting how welcoming interactions with others enhance their multiplayer experience, even for those who typically avoid social engagement in gaming.
- “I genuinely never engage in chat or grouping with randoms when playing multiplayer games of any sort, so I am very glad all the players here made me feel quite welcome.”