Of Ash and Steel

Item: Of Ash and Steel
Rating: 60
Author: VaporLens

Last updated: 2025-11-25

Summary

Authentic, classic Gothic-style RPG experience.
Excellent story with engaging, non-linear quests.
Challenging, tactical combat and rewarding exploration.
Unfinished, unpolished, with outdated graphics.
Frequent crashes and critical technical bugs.
Unguided progression; no map or quest markers.

Emotions

Frustration19%Satisfaction17%Disappointment14%Excitement9%Enjoyment4%

Sample precision
Helpful reviews: 75%
Unhelpful reviews: 25%
Protest reviews: 0%

60%
Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
40%
Helpful reviews with negative sentiment

Positive points: 934
Negative points: 885
Gameplay points: 198
Perf. points: 83
Rec. points: 272
Misc points: 199

Point	Description	Importance
Enjoyable, Soulful, Great Value Description The game receives overwhelmingly positive feedback, lauded for its soulful development, immersive atmosphere, and excellent value for money. Despite acknowledging some 'jank', players find it a refreshing and deeply enjoyable RPG that consistently creates positive impressions and long play sessions. Importance 99%	The game receives overwhelmingly positive feedback, lauded for its soulful development, immersive atmosphere, and excellent value for money. Despite acknowledging some 'jank', players find it a refreshing and deeply enjoyable RPG that consistently creates positive impressions and long play sessions.	99%
Authentic Gothic RPG Feel Description Players consistently highlight the game's strong resemblance and spiritual succession to classic RPGs, particularly the Gothic series. It successfully captures the core mechanics, atmosphere, and challenging progression that fans of old-school role-playing games cherish, often evoking deep nostalgia. Importance 64%	Players consistently highlight the game's strong resemblance and spiritual succession to classic RPGs, particularly the Gothic series. It successfully captures the core mechanics, atmosphere, and challenging progression that fans of old-school role-playing games cherish, often evoking deep nostalgia.	64%
Excellent Story, Voice Acting Description The game's narrative elements, including well-written characters, engaging dialogues, and robust voice acting (especially praised for Russian talent), are consistently lauded. Players find characters memorable and lively, with witty, often humorous dialogues that are rich in choices, contributing significantly to immersion. Importance 36%	The game's narrative elements, including well-written characters, engaging dialogues, and robust voice acting (especially praised for Russian talent), are consistently lauded. Players find characters memorable and lively, with witty, often humorous dialogues that are rich in choices, contributing significantly to immersion.	36%
Challenging, Tactical Combat Description The combat system is described as measured, tactical, and challenging, requiring players to learn mechanics like parries, dodges, and stances. While initially difficult, it becomes more enjoyable and reveals its depth as the character levels up and players adapt, offering a refreshing departure from mindless clicking. Importance 26%	The combat system is described as measured, tactical, and challenging, requiring players to learn mechanics like parries, dodges, and stances. While initially difficult, it becomes more enjoyable and reveals its depth as the character levels up and players adapt, offering a refreshing departure from mindless clicking.	26%
Open, Rewarding Exploration Description The game excels in world design and exploration, actively encouraging players to discover areas and quests without reliance on map markers or auto-pathing. The world is described as beautiful, detailed, and alive, making self-guided exploration feel incredibly organic and rewarding. Importance 23%	The game excels in world design and exploration, actively encouraging players to discover areas and quests without reliance on map markers or auto-pathing. The world is described as beautiful, detailed, and alive, making self-guided exploration feel incredibly organic and rewarding.	23%
Choices Matter, Deep RPG Description Players appreciate the game's deep RPG system, where choices in dialogue, character upgrades, and exploration truly matter and impact gameplay. The absence of hand-holding encourages players to learn from mistakes and actively engage with a world that offers freedom and varied approaches. Importance 12%	Players appreciate the game's deep RPG system, where choices in dialogue, character upgrades, and exploration truly matter and impact gameplay. The absence of hand-holding encourages players to learn from mistakes and actively engage with a world that offers freedom and varied approaches.	12%
Engaging, Non-Linear Quests Description The quest design is highly praised for being engaging, abundant, and handcrafted, avoiding generic 'run-to-marker' tasks. The absence of quest markers encourages players to pay attention and explore, making quest progression feel more organic and rewarding. Importance 12%	The quest design is highly praised for being engaging, abundant, and handcrafted, avoiding generic 'run-to-marker' tasks. The absence of quest markers encourages players to pay attention and explore, making quest progression feel more organic and rewarding.	12%
Functional Crafting System Description The game features a good and motivating crafting system that encourages ingredient collection and offers various ways to create items. Players appreciate the tactile feel of crafting at special stations, contributing to the game's soulful atmosphere. Importance 8%	The game features a good and motivating crafting system that encourages ingredient collection and offers various ways to create items. Players appreciate the tactile feel of crafting at special stations, contributing to the game's soulful atmosphere.	8%

Of Ash and Steel

Categories

Emotions