Embers Adrift Review: A Stormy Experience | MMORPG.com

System · November 2022

Embers Adrift Review: A Stormy Experience | MMORPG.com

Embers Adrift is the new kid on the block, having released after years in development last month by developer Stormhaven Studios. But does it stack up well, and is it worth the asking price and recurring subscription? Here's our review.

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Viper482 · November 2022

Concur with every sentence of this review....esp "The more I played, the more my eyes started to glaze over while leveling." Most boring MMO I have played from level 1 to 3, which took a ridiculous amount of time to get through. It's not that it was hard, just sluggishly slow and boring. This is the kind of game that was meant to play with a group of friends you could chat with the entire time about your day at work and love life shit. It's a social game if you can get anyone to actually play it, as long as you don't care if the gameplay itself is fun you should be fine.

Ridrith · November 2022

I honestly believe a 4 is being kind to this game. I'd have given it a 1-2, and having a number score at all, simply would be a result of the game having launched and gotten further than half of the scam/junk mmos we've seen trying to throw Crypto systems into their game, or using Kickstarter as a crutch for a decade.

I get it that they're going for a niche audience, and they've certainly created a game that is going to meet that criteria. Likewise, I played EQ, Realm Online, OSR, etc. Tedious games by today's standards. People like to say how much more social these old experiences are, but that's honestly not true. Sitting in a group and spending 10 minutes to kill a monster or taking four hours to clear a dungeon isn't any more social or fun than me running umpteen dungeons with my friends in WoW or ESO.

Folks who are looking for a game like this already have P99, Galaxies, DAoC, etc. I don't think this game offers a single thing that's worth paying them a subscription for. Especially with a distinct lack of content beyond level 35.

Mendel · November 2022

It really seemed like this review was going out of its way to say nice things about this game, like the build-your-own hairstyle. Fairly interesting idea, but how does that apply to short-haired or bald males? The studio considering it 'released' doesn't make the quality of the game better than Early Access.

Another report that there just aren't enough game loops present in Embers, making those that are there seem even more exhausting. Compared to other reviews I've seen, a score of 4.0 is very generous.

[Deleted User] · November 2022

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Quizzical · November 2022

I don't think this site has ever given a game a rating below 4/10. League of Angels set that record, and now Embers Adrift has tied it. To get a 1/10 would probably take "game doesn't run".

budzi · November 2022

I didnt sub when it was time too, jsut didnt feel enough content to do so. I really needs more content and stuff to do as you said in the article, at one point it only becomes grinding mobs.

Talin · November 2022

Thanks for the honest and fairly constructive review. I wanted to like the game as an alternative "old school MMORPG" but wasn't really impressed with what I saw in early videos and discussions. This pretty much solidified this isn't the right game for me to invest time and money into - at least not yet. Here's to hoping the little studio can turn the corner.

enesisxlr8 · November 2022

If the studio listens and makes some adjustments then I would like to have a look at this game. The slow combat is just to slow... like so dam slow.. its like holding your breath between swings..

ashiru_1978 · November 2022

If it did not have a subscription and was B2P instead and the price was no more than $20, I would've bought it, but these developers/publishers are in over their heads thinking their game is worth a AAA price + a monthly subscription. I've seen 1-man indie MMORPGs achieving more with less.

The game is just not worth it and I think it will follow the fate of Crowfall very soon. They will have to swallow their pride and remove the subscription or at least make it optional, like awarding you some store currency that you can use to buy cosmetics or pets or mounts or housing crap and then reducing the initial price and then offering free to play weeks.

Also not being on Steam only further limits their exposure to a wider audience. Something tells me they don't want to go on Steam, because they are full of it and greedy and would sacrifice exposure for more money.

I may be wrong, but I think I read on their forums people trying to refund after realizing the game is just not fun and having problems refunding or the developers refusing to refund them, but I could be mixing things up.

Scot · November 2022

Mendel said:

It really seemed like this review was going out of its way to say nice things about this game, like the build-your-own hairstyle. Fairly interesting idea, but how does that apply to short-haired or bald males? The studio considering it 'released' doesn't make the quality of the game better than Early Access.

Another report that there just aren't enough game loops present in Embers, making those that are there seem even more exhausting. Compared to other reviews I've seen, a score of 4.0 is very generous.

Emily is a table-top fan and a writer, I am not sure they could have got a more on side reviewer for the game. I still think it will improve but with a 4.0 it will be a very hard climb. I won't even look at the game again until the end of next year, a small team can only do so much.

Splattr · November 2022

Quizzical said:

I don't think this site has ever given a game a rating below 4/10. League of Angels set that record, and now Embers Adrift has tied it. To get a 1/10 would probably take "game doesn't run".

Games have indeed scored less than a 4, I looked it up during the discussion about God of War getting a 10/10 a couple of weeks ago. Say Say Girls has the lowest score in recorded history with a 1.3, and several others have received below a 4, though it isn't very common.

If you want to know what it takes to get a 1 (or any other score for that matter), the review policy is posted on the site - https://www.mmorpg.com/review-policy

The game is playable, it just isn't fun for many (most?) people including the reviewer. Given the scoring definitions for the site, I'd say Emily giving it a 4 is a fair rating. I also believe that some people could give it as high as a 6 or as low as a 3 given the subjective nature of reviews.

borghive49 · November 2022

Yep, like many of us have been saying for years on this sub, that the ideas for the foundation of this game were just not conducive in creating a fun MMO.

The original founder was nothing but a nostalgia fueled fool who thought these old school design elements would actually appeal to modern gamers. I think the team pushed him out because he was so inflexible with some of these design concepts. I bet the game would be even in worse state if he was still on the team. I think they made quite a few changes to try to appeal to a more modern MMO player.

Honestly, the amount of people interested in a grindy slow MMO like this is very niche. I give props to those guys for making a playable game though, it is too bad this game won't survive, a lot of man hours were probably poured into this mess.

Almost all the Kickstarter MMOs that promised a return to the glory days are either on life support or they're offline. When are people going to realize that no one wants play MMOs from the late 90s in 2022!!!!

Mendel · November 2022

borghive49 said:

<snip>
Almost all the Kickstarter MMOs that promised a return to the glory days are either on life support or they're offline. When are people going to realize that no one wants play MMOs from the late 90s in 2022!!!!

At least, no one wants to play an MMO using ideas from the 90s unless the game is substantially better than those games they are re-working.

Kyleran · November 2022

Mendel said:

borghive49 said:

<snip>
Almost all the Kickstarter MMOs that promised a return to the glory days are either on life support or they're offline. When are people going to realize that no one wants play MMOs from the late 90s in 2022!!!!

At least, no one wants to play an MMO using ideas from the 90s unless the game is substantially better than those games they are re-working.

There's quite a few ideas from the first gen games I'd like to see in modern title.

Many more races than just "human, " or humans in animal skins, racial attributes which matter, weapons and armor which are stronger or weaker to different types of damage, elementals attacks which vary in effectiveness, the list goes on.

But slow, boring combat, no compass, a map which shows where the heck I am in the world, no, I am not looking for those things.

Sovrath · November 2022

Kyleran said:

There's quite a few ideas from the first gen games I'd like to see in modern title.

But slow, boring combat, no compass, a map which shows where the heck I am in the world, no, I am not looking for those things.

lol I am. One of my best gaming experiences is crossing the desert in Black Desert without a compass because I didn't do the correct quests to get one.

So the desert in black desert does not show your position to anything.

Was hella fun.

Kyleran · November 2022

Sovrath said:

Kyleran said:

There's quite a few ideas from the first gen games I'd like to see in modern title.

But slow, boring combat, no compass, a map which shows where the heck I am in the world, no, I am not looking for those things.

lol I am. One of my best gaming experiences is crossing the desert in Black Desert without a compass because I didn't do the correct quests to get one.

So the desert in black desert does not show your position to anything.

Was hella fun.

I'm told if one wears a blindfold while gaming it adds extra challenge as well.

Sovrath · November 2022

Kyleran said:

Sovrath said:

Kyleran said:

There's quite a few ideas from the first gen games I'd like to see in modern title.

But slow, boring combat, no compass, a map which shows where the heck I am in the world, no, I am not looking for those things.

lol I am. One of my best gaming experiences is crossing the desert in Black Desert without a compass because I didn't do the correct quests to get one.

So the desert in black desert does not show your position to anything.

Was hella fun.

I'm told if one wears a blindfold while gaming it adds extra challenge as well.

Ha!

I think it comes down to shared experience. Everyone having the same challenges and even, in some cases, banding together to overcome them.

Mendel · November 2022

Sovrath said:

Kyleran said:

Sovrath said:

Kyleran said:

There's quite a few ideas from the first gen games I'd like to see in modern title.

But slow, boring combat, no compass, a map which shows where the heck I am in the world, no, I am not looking for those things.

lol I am. One of my best gaming experiences is crossing the desert in Black Desert without a compass because I didn't do the correct quests to get one.

So the desert in black desert does not show your position to anything.

Was hella fun.

I'm told if one wears a blindfold while gaming it adds extra challenge as well.

Ha!

I think it comes down to shared experience. Everyone having the same challenges and even, in some cases, banding together to overcome them.

To me, the shared experience is the crux of MMORPGs. It's too bad that developers haven't really improved on the Boss mob model. Dungeons, Raids, and Open World Bosses are the only real tools developers developed that can put people together.

Brainy · November 2022

I am shocked someone actually finally did a real review past level 15. Everyone else was reviewing this game at level 5. What a difference a few levels make.

Props to the Author I think the review was pretty much fair, both positives and negatives.

Kyleran · November 2022

Mendel said:

Sovrath said:

Kyleran said:

Sovrath said:

Kyleran said:

There's quite a few ideas from the first gen games I'd like to see in modern title.

But slow, boring combat, no compass, a map which shows where the heck I am in the world, no, I am not looking for those things.

lol I am. One of my best gaming experiences is crossing the desert in Black Desert without a compass because I didn't do the correct quests to get one.

So the desert in black desert does not show your position to anything.

Was hella fun.

I'm told if one wears a blindfold while gaming it adds extra challenge as well.

Ha!

I think it comes down to shared experience. Everyone having the same challenges and even, in some cases, banding together to overcome them.

To me, the shared experience is the crux of MMORPGs. It's too bad that developers haven't really improved on the Boss mob model. Dungeons, Raids, and Open World Bosses are the only real tools developers developed that can put people together.

Play different MMOs, like EVE, all sorts of reasons for players to band together besides the items you listed.

Quizzical · November 2022

Brainy said:

I am shocked someone actually finally did a real review past level 15. Everyone else was reviewing this game at level 5. What a difference a few levels make.

Props to the Author I think the review was pretty much fair, both positives and negatives.

That's one of the reasons why this site's "Review in Progress" approach is so good. They have to get something up at launch for the sake of clicks, but rather than it being a final review and a final score, it's intentionally left incomplete. The final review and final score comes later, after the reviewer actually knows what he's talking about.

Scot · November 2022

Sovrath said:

Kyleran said:

Sovrath said:

Kyleran said:

There's quite a few ideas from the first gen games I'd like to see in modern title.

But slow, boring combat, no compass, a map which shows where the heck I am in the world, no, I am not looking for those things.

lol I am. One of my best gaming experiences is crossing the desert in Black Desert without a compass because I didn't do the correct quests to get one.

So the desert in black desert does not show your position to anything.

Was hella fun.

I'm told if one wears a blindfold while gaming it adds extra challenge as well.

Ha!

I think it comes down to shared experience. Everyone having the same challenges and even, in some cases, banding together to overcome them.

When it comes to UI we all have a sweet spot. You start with a world map, then one that shows you where you are, a compass, then one that shows quest directions, a lighted path all the way to the quest, a minimap, then one showing every feature on it; just how far do you want the game to go? This ties in with travel options too.

First and foremost, players should be able to turn of the options they don't want to use. For me, I prefer a world map, with every feature shown after you visit (you explore to reveal the map) and quests highlighted on the map as soon as you get them, no compass or light trail routes, a minimap that works in the same way as the main map.

Scot · November 2022

Quizzical said:

Brainy said:

I am shocked someone actually finally did a real review past level 15. Everyone else was reviewing this game at level 5. What a difference a few levels make.

Props to the Author I think the review was pretty much fair, both positives and negatives.

That's one of the reasons why this site's "Review in Progress" approach is so good. They have to get something up at launch for the sake of clicks, but rather than it being a final review and a final score, it's intentionally left incomplete. The final review and final score comes later, after the reviewer actually knows what he's talking about.

I was very against "reviews in progress" I saw them just as hype. Since then, their value has become obvious, the depth of the reviews together is far greater.

budzi · November 2022

enesisxlr8 said:

If the studio listens and makes some adjustments then I would like to have a look at this game. The slow combat is just to slow... like so dam slow.. its like holding your breath between swings..

Combat gets faster at higher levels but it's the mechanic of the combats that...there is no mechanics, just managing your mana/power. I did suggest some things but we will see. I will def. give this mmo another try in a year to see where they at because they do listen to the community.

Arkangel32 · November 2022

I bought it, hoped it was going to scratch the itch I yearned for, that old school MMORPG...
I struggled to enjoy it and 19 levels later..
I completely regret spending $30 on this.
So so boring and slow.
I did not pay when sub came.
Props to the devs for trying, but this is not worth $30 and a sub, this should not have even been released.

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Embers Adrift Review: A Stormy Experience | MMORPG.com

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Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

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Embers Adrift Review: A Stormy Experience | MMORPG.com

Comments

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV