Ashfall, An Eastern Shooter MMORPG With Fallout Vibes, Premieres Gameplay On Stream And Launches In 2023

Today, developer Legendary Star Studio presented their ambitious debut title "Ashfall," a Fallout-inspired shooter MMORPG with a world blending Eastern and Western post-apocalyptic themes to deliver something fresh for players. I say "ambitious" because the devs enlisted a cast of iconic composers like Hans Zimmer and are following the steps of Fallout. However, the released gameplay footage reveals a lack of overall polish, the combat is incredibly stagnant, and the environments don't follow through with the inspirations established.

Ashfall is supposed to come to PC and mobile devices in 2023, according to its world premiere on IGN's live stream. Following the narrative beats of Fallout, Ashfall's world suffered a nuclear attack from AIs gone rogue, bringing the world to its knees as a desolate wasteland. Enter mutated enemies, ever-changing weather systems, and dangerous rogue AI, but with an Eastern twist.

Legendary Star Studio has implemented monsters from Chinese folklore, crafted ruined buildings seen within the culture, and meshed Eastern and Western backgrounds by finding chemistry between the two. Their ideas sound fantastic, but the gameplay doesn't execute them well and comes across as mediocre.

"Looks like a mobile game," said one user on the Ashfall Combat Gameplay comment section, which understandably, looks the part. Gun recoil turns the character into a vibrating mess, unique enemies get sprayed down before doing anything intriguing, and the moment-to-moment gameplay doesn't inspire much excitement. Of course, the game is "still in progress," says the devs, but it is expected to ship in 2023.

It's a bit rough around the edges as it is now, but the idea behind it is compelling enough to me. I'd argue it needed more time to bake, collect feedback, and conduct tests before broadcasting an estimated date.

Is this something you're interested in trying out? Let us know below!