Ephesus
- February 17, 2023
- The Pack Studios
Get on Steam"Ephesus" is a historical open-world game set in the ancient Roman city of Ephesus in 100 BC. Players can choose to play solo or in a cooperative mode for two players. The game allows you to experience the life of a citizen of Ephesus, including gathering resources, crafting, building, and monitoring vital signs for survival, all while exploring the grandeur of the city.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a beautiful design that reflects the theme of ancient Rome, showcasing detailed city structures.
- There is potential for the game to improve significantly with ongoing updates and feedback from the community.
- The developers are responsive and actively pushing out hotfixes, indicating a commitment to improving the game.
- The game is currently unplayable for many users, with frequent crashes, performance issues, and a lack of content.
- Graphics and mechanics are poorly executed, often feeling outdated and not representative of the Unreal engine's capabilities.
- There is no tutorial or guidance, leaving players confused and struggling to understand the game mechanics.
- gameplay18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the game is generally well-received, featuring unique mechanics like underwater walking and solid survival elements, although some mechanics are not fully functional yet. Players have noted initial hardware latency that quickly resolves, leading to a smooth experience. Overall, the game offers a compelling adventure with a strong sandbox feel and impressive worldcrafting, positioning it favorably against its competitors despite being in early access.
“Starting the game in single player, I experienced some hardware latency, most probably due to optimization, yet it went away in a matter of seconds and I was left with a smooth gameplay experience.”
“Game already offers pretty solid ground to let you enjoy an adventure in a setting we are not very used to seeing in this particular genre, and with its current state, Ephesus already offers more complete gameplay than its rivals.”
“The gameplay is good, the graphics are good, survival mechanics are intact, and it has an amazing city structure.”
“The very first NPC I spoke to had dialogue that just told me directly the game mechanics and still mentions the game being in early access.”
“What little mechanics are in the game currently don't work as they should.”
“Even realized that I played so little when I saw the swimming mechanics.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players finding them underwhelming compared to the capabilities of the Unreal Engine. While some appreciate the unique aesthetic and consider the graphics above average for an early access title, others feel that they do not match the quality shown in trailers and are rough even on the highest settings. Overall, there is hope for improvement in future updates, but current impressions vary significantly.
“Game has a different aesthetic from the majority of other survival games.”
“Exploring the world is not boring and the graphics are above average, which is important for an early access game to me.”
“The gameplay is good, the graphics are good, survival mechanics are intact, and it has an amazing city structure.”
“At least I think it was a bear, because the graphics are underwhelming for what the Unreal Engine can handle.”
“Graphics are rough and nothing like in the videos, but probably will be way better in the future.”
“Even on the highest graphics setting, graphics are still poor in my opinion.”
- story14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The story in the game is criticized for being poorly implemented and vague, with many players finding it lacking and unengaging. While there are attempts to provide a background narrative, it fails to resonate, leading to frustration with the quest system and overall gameplay experience. Many reviewers express disappointment, suggesting that the story does not meet expectations, especially for a title that has supposedly moved beyond early access.
“While Ephesus tries to drop a couple of breadcrumbs to you in order to hint at a background story, you might easily find it vague and lacking, but with this genre, I'd say it's quite enough to give you the jumpstart you'd need to start your own adventure.”
“It was like playing King's Quest 1 all over again without needing to type (yes, I'm old).”
“With the quests and everything in the game, there are many ways that you can push the limit of trolling.”
“The quests are just awful.”
“Many settings don't work, it is terribly optimized, some controls are not working, the story isn't yet implemented (even though it is supposedly out of early access), and overall it's an absolute dumpster fire. I don't believe this has any potential anymore and wouldn't recommend anyone to buy this.”
“There seems to be a quest system that has been terribly implemented.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is currently criticized for significant performance issues, including lag and clunkiness, even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3090. While some players report a brief latency at startup that resolves quickly, the overall experience is described as lacking polish and content, suggesting that improvements are needed for a smoother gameplay experience.
“Wait until it's polished and optimized.”
“Starting the game in single player, I've experienced some sort of hardware latency, most probably due to the optimization, yet it went away in a matter of seconds and I was left with a smooth gameplay experience.”
“General performance issues - chugs more than I'd expect even on medium settings on a 3090.”
“As it is now, it's quite hollow; it lacks content, and the entire game engine performance rendering is not well developed at all.”
“Extremely clunky, laggy, and poorly optimized at this stage.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is currently in a very early development stage, characterized by significant bugs and stability issues, including crashes, freezes, and frame rate drops. While some users find the limited gameplay enjoyable despite these problems, many caution potential buyers about the game's instability and lack of content.
“This game is buggy, very early in development, but mostly just void of anything to do and any kind of fun.”
“Purchase if you wish but don't say you weren't warned when it crashes, freezes in menus, or frame rates drop.”
“Basically, a show of ideas, not a game, and buggy as hell.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its survival elements, which contribute to a unique experience, while the calming Aegean setting further enriches the overall ambiance.
“The game has survival aspects that create a unique and immersive atmosphere.”
“The calming Aegean atmosphere enhances the overall experience.”
“For example, it has survival aspects that add a different atmosphere to the game.”
“+calming Aegean atmosphere”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a strong sentiment that the game's monetization strategy feels exploitative, with many users labeling it as a "cash grab" rather than a legitimate beta or alpha testing phase.
“In the state I see this, I wouldn't call it a beta or an alpha; I'd call it a cash grab.”
