Ashen 2018

Is it still worth playing?

A character seeks a home in a sunless world, in this action role-playing game from the New Zealand studio A44, with a muted cel shaded look seen from a third person view. Open world exploration and combat were key design elements, and combat has ranged and melee weapons. Combat is high risk and high reward. Multiplayer means interacting with other players, who bring traditional role-playing elements such as crafting, and you can cooperate or compete. Character growth depends mostly on equipment, not stats, and Talismans, found or crafted, upgrade abilities or give perks. One enemy, the Gnaw, can erode the environment like a searing acid. The hub town of Vagrant's Rest grows as new characters arrive, and the game takes roughly 25 to 30 hours. A quiet, empty world still makes each meeting with another traveler matter.