For those that play with mods and know how to add them, I have a few recommendations for enhancing the Ashes experience. > Zh2s's _Intelligent Supplies_ - because a true-blooded and experienced scav would know to take just what he or she needs without trashing the rest of the package. This mod changes pickups to restore just the amount you need from ammo and health items lying around, and leave the rest for later. (Though it doesn't work for Ashes's weapons due to coding conflicts, be warned.) > _Use to Pick Up_ - This mod makes it so you have to stand close to what you want to nab and press 'Use' to collect it. It really adds to the pacing of the game, trust me. (NOTE: load this mod *BEFORE* Intelligent Supplies on your priority list or it'll get wonky.) > ZikShadow's _Extended Markers_ - Find a medicine stash while healthy? Is there an interesting door you can't open yet? Found an armor you don't need for the moment? Jot it down on the map! This one is _stupid_ useful, especially for Afterglow, thanks to its hub system allowing (and demanding) for backtracks.
@@czarnakoza9697 Oh, right, I forgot to mention a gore mod! My personal pick is _Nash's Gore Mod_ both because of the looks and sounds and because Bolognese makes my PC lag for whatever reason.
I would add that GZDoom (no idea about the other ones) allow you to drop off a item from you inventory (just choose a button for that) so you could reunite them in one place and come back when you need them. It is also great to register those medic packs into level account pickups even when you are on full heath because you could just drop one medic pack from your inventory and get the new one from the level without the need to consume any.
@@neto5928 That is GENIUS. How didn't I think of that? Especially when you go back and forth within hubs in Afterglow, always coming back places like Prosperity or Rigs' tent, you can easily make a stalker stash. Although with recent updates, medkits no longer make part of the items tally, so the score bit is irrelevant. Thankfully.
Maybe I'm just misunderstanding here, but... "Though it doesn't work for Ashes's weapons due to coding conflicts..." is confusing me, because earlier in that same sentence, it's mentioned that ammo is one of the things that the "Intelligent Supplies" mod works for... and ammo goes into weapons, so... how does it not work with Ashes's weapons?
I described it once on one of the full OST vids that this game is pretty much the "John Carpenter's : Mad Max" movie that we never got. The desolate feeling, the constant sense of dread and having to be more "tactical" in how you approach places, even the choice of weapons is all but missing the "Snake Plisskin stamp of approval" on 'em xD it captures the feeling of a post apocalypse better than . . . Literally anything else. Even with the motorcycle you get, it has that sense of "Road Warrior" but with a different more grimey lens. Especially when it comes to some of the subtleties with how the military is used. The fact that there is a third one in the works has me more than excited!
I also loved little bits of world building with the magazines, scattered around the world in afterglow. About the virus, mutating bug dogs and other little things. So neat!
@@DinnerForkTongue But Detroit at least has Robocop. Who does Chicago has? Scarlet Spider? I mean we can't go to Moscow because it's a US of A based Apocalypse.
@@DinnerForkTongue Another site in Nashville was mentioned as being close-by at the end of Afterglow. Makes sense too, there’s a replica of the Parthenon in there that is dedicated to Athena and has a statue inside similar to the one in game.
You got me into the game and it is absolutely great - the firefights against bandits are actually insanely good, it feels super tactical and tense without being a hardcore tactical shooter. You have to play on apocalypse difficulty to get the proper experience.
Very happy to hear that! Thanks! I agree, the Apocalypse difficulty is the definitive option. The fact that every dropped shotgun has a single bullet in it makes every shot count. And it goes even harder in afterglow, with first aid kits. Wait for it!
To make a standalone mod (let's call it what it is a free full game) that is so awesome in the time when amazing boomer shooters are being released all the time, to make it soo good it really stands out from the crowd is an incredible achivement. Becasue Ashes is easly compareable to the best of them!
And it's _still_ wtfbbq-ing AAA shooters to this very year. I seriously, SERIOUSLY doubt it'll be topped in the foreseeable future. Companies have lost touch with what it truly is to make *_games._*
I feel compelled to write a review like never before. Ashes Afterglow is crazy awesome. I switched from playing Elden Ring mid game after giving this a thing a try. Couldn't stop until I beat all 3 episodes (2063, dead man walking and Afterglow) in a row, such a captivating experience. Ashes scratches a very special kind of itch no other post-apocalyptic game can. While the game borrows some ideas from Fallout 1/2, Metro, Stalker, and a bit of Half Life, the experience itself is surprisingly unique and really comes of as quite original. Pros: -Absolutely TOP tier level design and environmental story telling. Loved EVERY SINGLE map, a ton of memorable moments with heaps of stuff going on, from betting on pit fights to dog racing from lazer tag to exploring old soviet submarines. You are still collecting keys and pressing switches most of the time but the true art here is how it is contextualized in the story and it never stops being fun. -Greatly realized atmosphere and world setting. Heaps of interesting characters to meet and places to visit. It is properly spooky at times and you just get to feel what its like to be a Scav for a day. -Secrets are satisfying, got a ton of unique content. You get to talk to Larry the meat trader, find an atari cartrage and knock some sense in a to gang leader. All very amusing and consistent with the world of the game. Feels a bit like those random encounters in Fallout. -Legendary soundtrack, its so good you'd want to listen to it on its your own. -Addictive gameplay loop, very punchy combat and excellent arsenal. I used most of my guns (maybe not the lazer) throughout most of the game. And then there are upgrads that significantly change the balance in your favor. -The BEST damn Glock in gaming. -Great writing and surprisingly decent voice acting, even if it's only a few lines per level at times. -Solid enemy variety, cool enemy design and surprisingly detailed sprites. -The game somehow encourages you to want to 100% it. -Excellent sound design, from guns to monsters, from footsteps to the sound of the v twin chopper. -2063, Dead man walking and the fist half of Afterglow give an excellent challenge on max difficulty. You have to count each shot and avoid getting hit entirely. The balance is just right, and it makes getting through very satisfying. -There are multiple endings in the Afterglow, where we get to see what happens in the areas after we pass through them. -Mad respect for mind bending tricks and black magic that was used against Doom's engine limitations to pull of these levels. There is a moving train here, yes in Doom engine. -Despite running on the doom engine the game looks much better than one would expect. Very strong artstyle. -Extremely good lighting even by todays standards, I wonder what this would look like with RayTracing with all those explosions and particle effects. Now there are a few small suggestions I could make after 30+hours with Ashes: -That one song at The Wall gets a bit tedious once you hear it loop around a few times. -The second half of Ashes Afterglow could use more enemies placed at the map. I mean the maps surrounding the bad lands, the outcast side, biodome, pipeworks and badlands itself. This is where we start getting some excellent enemy variety yet there are not many instances spawned on the map. Please add a bunch more Marangos, Gasbag Nurseries, Laughing Toms and a ton more Overlods, Hunts, Anomalies and Destroyers. I feel like the missle gap and the stadium get enemy saturation just right. -Not enough radiation hotspots. The gap gets this right, but the outcast side, biodome, and a few other maps could use a lot more radiation spots. -A few to many bugdogs. It makes sence that both raiders and mutants get along with dogs, but maybe we could have another special dog variety or something. I just felt that I fought the dog pack a bit too much. -On max difficulty I ended the game with ~1800 unused scrap, maybe ++upgrades for rifles and heavy weapons should be increased to 300 to prevent the player from going a bit OP towards the end. -Too many health items are available in the last few levels. Had to leave 10+ medkits behind. -I feel like we could use more dialog with the Water Baron, feels like there is an opportunity to get more out if this character given his place in the story. -If more enemies would be added to the later stages, an ability to make ammunition would be handy late in the game. -Does buying food from vendors change anything? Opportunity for a buff? -Add ray tracing??? I'd give this a 10/10. Cant imagine what Vostyok and his team would be capable of if they were given a modern game engine. Can't wait for the next episode.
@@nondayz593 there are for sure better games in that regard. But Total Chaos is so ambiently horrifying and intriguing with the story and sound design that I could not put it down until I beat it. It was soooo immersive
I absolutely loved those ghost enemies. Creepy and mysterious as hell, great sounds from them. Their attacks was also a reversal of what you expect graphics wise: Normally energy projectiles illuminate the immediate area, but theirs darkens the area it travels making it much more ominous.
this mod is absolutely amazing for something free, and is an awesome window into the world of doom mods and wads. I played this months ago and now I can't stop playing doom lol
This is a special game. Legendary music, cool enemies, god-tier level design, great tension-building, truly oppressive radioactive post-apocalyptic world.
Something about that design of the AI, I don't know how they made it so good - it's like it resembles an area in Doom 1 or 2, but it's unique because all other environments don't look like that in Ashes.
About the Dead Man Walking cannon issue, this event is actually acknowledged in AfterGlow Roamers ammo warehouse by a former Ripper who sell you ammo and Armor etc. He admit he does not know who got his Ripper clan rekt but do know it was an nuclear overload that got them in the end. Since Scav Stalker GreenHood here has no official name, either he is been subtle or another Scavenger was behind the incident. I do think DMW does take place either between Ashes2063 Prologue and Stage1, where your lack of gear suggest you sold them for living/medical expanses. Because other than that event there is no part in the after story can we fit in the DMW details in.
Dead Man Walking is actually a "what if" universe parallel to 2063 and that Ripper NPC is more a nod of acknowledgement from Vostyok than an actual canon connection.
Wow thanks to your video i played the two games and it was a blast. I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was amazing. Wish we had an option to support the developers. Again thank you for bringing attention to these two games.
Found out about this game from a different random youtube video and decided to give it a shot Next to Cultic, this has got to be one of my absolute favorite shooters! I'm still going through Afterglow, and I didn't even know about the secret mall level or SMG upgrade in the first game!
Oh jeez I was worried you were going to absolutely roast my voice acting for the scav. It was definitely not my best work but it was still an absolute blast being part of this game.
Thanks! I'll be honest, I stalled the production of this video because of your "turning doom into a roguelike". Took me a couple of weeks to get out of it)
Love Ashes! loved Afterglow even more and just got around to going through Dead Man Walking. One part of Afterglow genuinely scared to the point where I was on edge for the rest of the game, they do such a good job building tension by taking away music in certain sections. Really excited to see what Vostyok and the band of misfits do for episode 3!
Yo I'm always happy to see this awesome mod get some more attention, it feels like a disservice to just call it a mod, it's basically it's own game at this point. Anyways great video bro you've got yourself a sub from me!
I played it all weekend and what a blast! But this video also made me realize how much I screwed up lol. I started with Afterglow because I thought that it was the first episode...well :-D And I also started shooting at the first settlement (I didn't know there even were friendly NPCs in this so I saw some "enemies" and started shooting, then they started shooting back at me so I killed everyone). It was weird when some of the NPCs kept mentioning some guard captain and there was nobody like that to be found...he was probably one of the people I killed lol. I really feel like an idiot now :-D
Yep. The same. I just wrote a comment about a similar issue above. Thank god I found that bar-lady to talk. On the next level (when you go to the ground to the shopping mall) I spent appr 1h till I used cheats and found that one of the leverages didn't work. So you can't pass the water gate without cheat-codes to fly and to open the gate in the 2nd floor (( I played 2 more levels and just stuck to look for all that directions on where to go ((
amazing review. I'm surprised this game doesn't have more attention. I do hope they consider turning the ashes series into a commercial released later down the line.
Solid review and it's nice you're bringing attention to this amazing doom mod it certainly deserves. Could you review the Golden Souls 2 it's also amazing but it feels like it has been under the radar for alot of people.
I wonder if the recurring number "1221" is an homage to Dirty Harry's badge number (2211). 5:09 Moose kinda looks like Dusk Dude. 5:54 At least one track sounds like it's paying homage to Rammstein's 'Du Hast'. 5:56 The ambient buildup sounds like John Carpenter. 6:34 The shotgun even has a chamber-load animation! 13:02 Hawg wild! 17:45 Jojo's gotta be a reference to 'Blood'. 22:22 Not only does it have a chamber-load animation, but it also throws fairly realistic patterns! 26:29 Possibly an homage to one of the bad endings from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. 26:46 "Its," not "it's." 28:06 That's not how you do a McMillan Tilt. 28:07 Napalm globs should be more devastating. 29:40 Rifle looks like an FAL. The sight's not actually a scope. Looks more like an old-timey peep sight like what you might see mounted on the tang of a levergun. Fallout: New Vegas has one like that, but it's hard to aim with. When you put one of those on a rifle that already has the usual type of adjustable leaf sight, yer 'sposed ta take the leaf sight off. Plus, that type of peep sight (tang-mounted or otherwise) is meant to be aimed with both eyes open, otherwise yer sight picture looks obscured. In this case, maybe it's an FAL with a magnifying lens mounted in the style of one of those old-timey sights. Kinda like sight1 for combat rifles in Borderlands 1. Btw, imagine Ashes with ADS. 31:00 There's that Rammstein homage! 35:52 Hey, kids! It's Breeki Man! (applause)
"Ashes 2063 Part 1&2" are one of the best games i have played in a long time. For a free standalone mod, the value is immeasurable and the games are amazing for design and atmosphere. I love and hate the level design equally. On one hand, some levels are huge, look amazing and generally well designed. And the on the other, they are designed this convoluted way of early doom/quake games, where you don't know where to go way too many times. And the levels are full of secrets i can never hope to find, its insane. In a good and a bad way. 10:14 you don't have to fight that. Save yourself some ammo and use the Switch and go. Which is good game design, because they don't force this on you. You could very well be out of ammo at that point anyways. Because the gad damn mutants don't drop ammo, so they are always a waste of resources. 25:25 who had thought the boss can destroy your cover over time. When you hide behind pilars or the windows where the Boss Switch was, it or they/them will destory the window frames to expose your naked arse. Genius. I was not a fan of Dead Man Walking. For a one time play, its fine. But its constantly dark in basically all the levels. Combine this with the 5 second Solar Lantern you have and it will get on your nerves. Even if you brighten up the game, the all dark gets annoying.
16:34 sees the closest thing the setting has to a literal ghost. first response is an unimpressed "Really?" pulls out a jackhammer and puts it to use 10/10 aint-afraid-of-no-ghosts
Excellent video dude; I've been using it to get my friends into this bloody outstanding game. 10/10, amico. Molto bella. This is the first game to have my genuine full-attention interest in literally years, let alone it being made with love and being absolutely free. These guys are masterpiece-makers.
Only part I didn’t like in Afterglow is the Baron’s quest, since it feels really odd. You’re told to sneak into the base which is actually impossible. What you need to ACTUALLY do is befriend the Roamers and once they allow you to walk in their Junkyard THEN you can do the quest. Wish that was made more obvious
my ass when discovering a new youtube guy: please have a bearable voice! please have a bearable voice! please have a bearable voice! you good bro have a sub
Ashes should be more recognisable - it's one of best games iv'e played in last years. It deserves to be payed for. 5:38 Where I can find that golden rocket? I finished all three episodes but I didn't saw it. 37:08 Fallout like special encounter - did you mean Anomaly 210? Does anyone know what is the reward for all collectibles?
Agreed. I genuinely tried to talk Vos and the team into accepting some form of donations. Hope they reconsider eventually. The golden rocket is in the segment in the subway level. There's an irradiated cave with the gasbags. You get the card there. If you platform over the pillars, there's a passage in one of the walls. And yeah, I meant Anomaly. Such a cool place! As for the collectibles, I don't know. Me myself only found the NMA hat and cacodemon plushie.
The golden rocket is in 2063 map 5, "The Sub-Caverns". It's near where you find the yellow keycard. As for collectibles, there's no real reward for getting them all other than the junk money they net you.
@@KeyboardGecko I had asked on NMA about making a small donation after playing FO Nevada. Maybe with the current paranoia and anti Russian sentiments this may be seen as money laundering and swelling the coffers of the Kremlin.If forced to chose I will not buy any models from ICM and only buy from Zvezda.
This game is just incredibly fun to play, i love how satisfying the combat is with the crunchy sounds effects and cool weapon animations. The environments are all very interesting and i got so immersed in the universe. Also music is fantastic it got a few Deus Exy kind of atmospheric songs. Actually the best shooter i've played in years, and it's completely free!
Found about that mod by an old boomer shooter fan channel named (bigmacdavis) I try it and its mind blowing like the only mod with this level of detail and content i found is wolfenstein blade of agony
I'm still amused by people claiming there is not enough ammo. I have no idea how is it even possible to chew through all those bullets, outside of the first level.
I agree with your sentiment. The key is to not use any firearm at all against hordes of melee enemies, and instead smack them to death with the best weapon in the game: the Crowbar! That's what I did, and it's a life-saver before tricky fights.
I love the mods and im happy everytime they get (well deserved!) attention but man, you dont do them any favours spoiling the story. Besides the gameplay and presentation discovering the story even if its no "it will change your life" stuff is part of fun and I would strongly recommend going blind. Ive played the Ashes multiple times but first time was most fun ive had in a videogame for a long long time...
well... with all the respect i have and give to "eternal" I got to say this ....Even "Turbo Overkill" beat it this days! I mean it 's a lore problem. Eternal's story telling is often confused and full con contraddiction, maybe too much heads work on it. In 2063 story is clear and direct. And that's a good starting point.
@@czarnakoza9697 I think the problem is that developers has put too much "lore things" in it. So it is gettin to far by the originalconcepts. They need a reset.
Holy shit. I can see this review is done with quite a lot of love - but it is clearly all deserved. Can this be set up on mobile? FreeDoom or somesuch?
@@magnolerriccardo6840 apocalyptic vibes problem has to do with the unbalanced weappns, your revolver sucks, their mausers dont but you cant use them, the shotgun is super accurate and powerfull and the game keeps throwing enemies at you that you cant avoid but pretends to have stealth mechanics. It also pretends to be survival based but it takes away your resources all the time and its a buggy broken mess with garbage campaign.
@@arkgaharandan5881 yes agree. all in all "AV" points a lot on ost and a certain "poetry". Duration is another missing. Developers has maybe opened a good new way but now it needs to be expanded.
The sterilized versions of Ashes are great and let you use other mods. I've tried it with LiTDoom and it's great. I just started it with Hideous Destructor and it's challenging and sequence breaking is easier, but it's fun
1St Episode is really cool. It feels like something fresh and incredible and made with love for the Doom and the project itself. It is a really great idea to add the bike as a usable item as well as to add weapon variations. I walked through the game on the one-breath and recommend it to all! Really great cool work that I could recommend to everybody!. 2nd Episode looks weird. It is a try to combine Doom with Fallout and Stalker, and the most problematic things are that a) I need to read some dialogs instead of walking and killing monsters and b) the Levels are HUGE and often you have no clear guidance of the next step. Like - I killed all the monsters, opened the doors and.. have no idea of where to go. After several wasted hours I was forced to watch walkthrough videos to define what I have done wrong but then decided to stop playing.
@vostyok confirmed it, but it's still in early stages, so no estimate dates yet. As for the updates, he and @ReformedJoe both refer to moddb page as the main source of news.
@@DinnerForkTongueyes, in this universe common pepole and laste generations are conviced a big war between nations has been fought. At second episode ending palyer start to understand that is not the way the story was. I think we'll see some provocated ifection by "corpos" and AI reactions in third chapter. wich is pretty cool!
my biggest complaint about ashes afterglow: the fact that after you go to the raiders sewers, you're just supposed to... guess to go the the prosperity sewers to go to a door that looks like every other door. absolutely idiocy.
I admit it...thought it's bullshit and you're just a cheap baitclicker. I don't know your channel so what the hell i know. Then I hear "with some inspirations from fallout". OK pause the video and look for the game. Soooo it's 2:00am and stumblefd on your video late afternoon. You weren't lying and it is objectively top 3 boomer shooters, I mean this is only second time this year when a game kept me this engaged. apologies and respect
once i met a weird crazy old dude who talked like a flat earthist. that guy said that games like Ashes should be these games everyone should play. he talked about stereotypes he wants to see again in the today games until criticizing the blockbusters. that dude have a problem. he forced himself to answer me and imposing his ego. we have the right to enjoy COD Battlefield as well as games lIke this one. Crazy how the nostalgia factor can push the others to be toxic. if you're agree with that weirdo , don't reply me please. i like Ashes , even if that kind of graphics looks old , it isn't so actually and i just love games with powerful gunplay. as well as enjoy playing some blockbusters games.
Dude, what is up with the enemy count? This game is not balanced at all. I have on several occasions soft locked myself because I've ran out of ammo. I understand being low on ammo but completely out?! My god, imagine running into 20 enemies in Fallout. You would toss the controller rage quit the game to never return.
Skill issues Just kidding What you suppose to do is treat the ammo situation like resident evil (the old ones) where you dont have to kill all enemy , taking advantage of stealth as much as possible, and also taking advantage of infighting ( also dont forget to explore the map and find the secrets its will help a lot
I haven't played and am gonna grab it right now. It looks so much fucking fun. I love how the Cannibals look very old Fallout and I love their dialogue very cool.
@@KeyboardGecko I legit love how the game looks. It looks so good in the Doom Engine. I wish other game engines released their source Codes so we can get even cooler games and shit.
It's amazing to me that they develop this all for free in an era where we have games like Supplice and Hedon made on the gzdoom engine. They could definitely make money with this but chose not to.
For those that play with mods and know how to add them, I have a few recommendations for enhancing the Ashes experience.
> Zh2s's _Intelligent Supplies_ - because a true-blooded and experienced scav would know to take just what he or she needs without trashing the rest of the package. This mod changes pickups to restore just the amount you need from ammo and health items lying around, and leave the rest for later. (Though it doesn't work for Ashes's weapons due to coding conflicts, be warned.)
> _Use to Pick Up_ - This mod makes it so you have to stand close to what you want to nab and press 'Use' to collect it. It really adds to the pacing of the game, trust me. (NOTE: load this mod *BEFORE* Intelligent Supplies on your priority list or it'll get wonky.)
> ZikShadow's _Extended Markers_ - Find a medicine stash while healthy? Is there an interesting door you can't open yet? Found an armor you don't need for the moment? Jot it down on the map! This one is _stupid_ useful, especially for Afterglow, thanks to its hub system allowing (and demanding) for backtracks.
@@czarnakoza9697
Oh, right, I forgot to mention a gore mod! My personal pick is _Nash's Gore Mod_ both because of the looks and sounds and because Bolognese makes my PC lag for whatever reason.
I would add that GZDoom (no idea about the other ones) allow you to drop off a item from you inventory (just choose a button for that) so you could reunite them in one place and come back when you need them.
It is also great to register those medic packs into level account pickups even when you are on full heath because you could just drop one medic pack from your inventory and get the new one from the level without the need to consume any.
@@neto5928
That is GENIUS. How didn't I think of that? Especially when you go back and forth within hubs in Afterglow, always coming back places like Prosperity or Rigs' tent, you can easily make a stalker stash.
Although with recent updates, medkits no longer make part of the items tally, so the score bit is irrelevant. Thankfully.
Try mk_crits for working headshots. It’s really cool on high difficulties
Maybe I'm just misunderstanding here, but... "Though it doesn't work for Ashes's weapons due to coding conflicts..." is confusing me, because earlier in that same sentence, it's mentioned that ammo is one of the things that the "Intelligent Supplies" mod works for... and ammo goes into weapons, so... how does it not work with Ashes's weapons?
I described it once on one of the full OST vids that this game is pretty much the "John Carpenter's : Mad Max" movie that we never got. The desolate feeling, the constant sense of dread and having to be more "tactical" in how you approach places, even the choice of weapons is all but missing the "Snake Plisskin stamp of approval" on 'em xD it captures the feeling of a post apocalypse better than . . . Literally anything else. Even with the motorcycle you get, it has that sense of "Road Warrior" but with a different more grimey lens. Especially when it comes to some of the subtleties with how the military is used. The fact that there is a third one in the works has me more than excited!
I also loved little bits of world building with the magazines, scattered around the world in afterglow. About the virus, mutating bug dogs and other little things. So neat!
And I believe it was Vostyok himself who confirmed the sequel to Afterglow is already in the works!
Can you survive... the DEATH ZONE?
@@DinnerForkTongue Oh goody we'll be going to Detroit!
@@lkotro21
Nah, Detroit is a lost cause. We're prolly going to Chicago.
@@DinnerForkTongue But Detroit at least has Robocop. Who does Chicago has? Scarlet Spider? I mean we can't go to Moscow because it's a US of A based Apocalypse.
@@DinnerForkTongue Another site in Nashville was mentioned as being close-by at the end of Afterglow. Makes sense too, there’s a replica of the Parthenon in there that is dedicated to Athena and has a statue inside similar to the one in game.
I was 100% sure this was the build engine. That's crazy this is a Doom II mod.
Nope, it's all Doom. GZDoom has taken the engine ridiculously far.
You got me into the game and it is absolutely great - the firefights against bandits are actually insanely good, it feels super tactical and tense without being a hardcore tactical shooter. You have to play on apocalypse difficulty to get the proper experience.
Very happy to hear that! Thanks!
I agree, the Apocalypse difficulty is the definitive option. The fact that every dropped shotgun has a single bullet in it makes every shot count. And it goes even harder in afterglow, with first aid kits. Wait for it!
Idk, I'm playing it on the difficulty equivalent to Ultra-Violence, and it is absolutely still a fantastuc experience with plenty of challenge
To make a standalone mod (let's call it what it is a free full game) that is so awesome in the time when amazing boomer shooters are being released all the time, to make it soo good it really stands out from the crowd is an incredible achivement. Becasue Ashes is easly compareable to the best of them!
The fact that Ashes wtfbbq-d a lot of AAA shooters in 2021 is both amazing but also very sad.
i went from this to metro exodus, what a downgrade.
everything days gone should have been
@@arkgaharandan5881
Ouch.
And it's _still_ wtfbbq-ing AAA shooters to this very year. I seriously, SERIOUSLY doubt it'll be topped in the foreseeable future. Companies have lost touch with what it truly is to make *_games._*
Not enough love for 2063. Good You've made this review.
Ok.. this game deserves a physical big box.. seriously
agree
I’m right there with you brother! The music is such a good OST. One of the only one I actually listen to on its own.
❤
I feel compelled to write a review like never before.
Ashes Afterglow is crazy awesome. I switched from playing Elden Ring mid game after giving this a thing a try. Couldn't stop until I beat all 3 episodes (2063, dead man walking and Afterglow) in a row, such a captivating experience. Ashes scratches a very special kind of itch no other post-apocalyptic game can. While the game borrows some ideas from Fallout 1/2, Metro, Stalker, and a bit of Half Life, the experience itself is surprisingly unique and really comes of as quite original.
Pros:
-Absolutely TOP tier level design and environmental story telling. Loved EVERY SINGLE map, a ton of memorable moments with heaps of stuff going on, from betting on pit fights to dog racing from lazer tag to exploring old soviet submarines. You are still collecting keys and pressing switches most of the time but the true art here is how it is contextualized in the story and it never stops being fun.
-Greatly realized atmosphere and world setting. Heaps of interesting characters to meet and places to visit. It is properly spooky at times and you just get to feel what its like to be a Scav for a day.
-Secrets are satisfying, got a ton of unique content. You get to talk to Larry the meat trader, find an atari cartrage and knock some sense in a to gang leader. All very amusing and consistent with the world of the game. Feels a bit like those random encounters in Fallout.
-Legendary soundtrack, its so good you'd want to listen to it on its your own.
-Addictive gameplay loop, very punchy combat and excellent arsenal. I used most of my guns (maybe not the lazer) throughout most of the game. And then there are upgrads that significantly change the balance in your favor.
-The BEST damn Glock in gaming.
-Great writing and surprisingly decent voice acting, even if it's only a few lines per level at times.
-Solid enemy variety, cool enemy design and surprisingly detailed sprites.
-The game somehow encourages you to want to 100% it.
-Excellent sound design, from guns to monsters, from footsteps to the sound of the v twin chopper.
-2063, Dead man walking and the fist half of Afterglow give an excellent challenge on max difficulty. You have to count each shot and avoid getting hit entirely. The balance is just right, and it makes getting through very satisfying.
-There are multiple endings in the Afterglow, where we get to see what happens in the areas after we pass through them.
-Mad respect for mind bending tricks and black magic that was used against Doom's engine limitations to pull of these levels. There is a moving train here, yes in Doom engine.
-Despite running on the doom engine the game looks much better than one would expect. Very strong artstyle.
-Extremely good lighting even by todays standards, I wonder what this would look like with RayTracing with all those explosions and particle effects.
Now there are a few small suggestions I could make after 30+hours with Ashes:
-That one song at The Wall gets a bit tedious once you hear it loop around a few times.
-The second half of Ashes Afterglow could use more enemies placed at the map.
I mean the maps surrounding the bad lands, the outcast side, biodome, pipeworks and badlands itself. This is where we start getting some excellent enemy variety yet there are not many instances spawned on the map. Please add a bunch more Marangos, Gasbag Nurseries, Laughing Toms and a ton more Overlods, Hunts, Anomalies and Destroyers. I feel like the missle gap and the stadium get enemy saturation just right.
-Not enough radiation hotspots. The gap gets this right, but the outcast side, biodome, and a few other maps could use a lot more radiation spots.
-A few to many bugdogs. It makes sence that both raiders and mutants get along with dogs, but maybe we could have another special dog variety or something. I just felt that I fought the dog pack a bit too much.
-On max difficulty I ended the game with ~1800 unused scrap, maybe ++upgrades for rifles and heavy weapons should be increased to 300 to prevent the player from going a bit OP towards the end.
-Too many health items are available in the last few levels. Had to leave 10+ medkits behind.
-I feel like we could use more dialog with the Water Baron, feels like there is an opportunity to get more out if this character given his place in the story.
-If more enemies would be added to the later stages, an ability to make ammunition would be handy late in the game.
-Does buying food from vendors change anything? Opportunity for a buff?
-Add ray tracing???
I'd give this a 10/10. Cant imagine what Vostyok and his team would be capable of if they were given a modern game engine.
Can't wait for the next episode.
A dlc is on the way and ep3 is still in the planning progress and not abandoned
I just got into this mod yesterday and I can confidently say that it's my favourite Doom total conversion mod ever
Play Total chaos!!
@@QuantumTelephoneTotal Chaos is technically impressive, but gameplay wise I like Ashes more
@@nondayz593 there are for sure better games in that regard. But Total Chaos is so ambiently horrifying and intriguing with the story and sound design that I could not put it down until I beat it. It was soooo immersive
My top 3 favorite Doom TC, Ashes 1&2, Alien Breed3D Project, Hedon Bloodrite. All 3 play at hard difficulty.
I absolutely loved those ghost enemies. Creepy and mysterious as hell, great sounds from them. Their attacks was also a reversal of what you expect graphics wise: Normally energy projectiles illuminate the immediate area, but theirs darkens the area it travels making it much more ominous.
this mod is absolutely amazing for something free, and is an awesome window into the world of doom mods and wads. I played this months ago and now I can't stop playing doom lol
Basically the same story)
funny I thought of it more as 'a doom mod done right' but yeah come to think of it, it's also the best the postapocalypse genre has gotten in ages.
Oh god that Ashes leitmotif is like a lullaby. But it's not makes you sleepy, instead it drives you, scavenger, insane. I can't have enough of it.
This is a special game. Legendary music, cool enemies, god-tier level design, great tension-building, truly oppressive radioactive post-apocalyptic world.
and an aprropriate lore too!
@@magnolerriccardo6840 i love how they mixed paranormal stuff with Post apo
@@jonny6616 yeah right. and also etical and geopolitical. stay tuned 'cause the Afterglow dlc/expansion will be released right this month!
Something about that design of the AI, I don't know how they made it so good - it's like it resembles an area in Doom 1 or 2, but it's unique because all other environments don't look like that in Ashes.
Now it's time for Ashes Hard Reset, hell yeahhhh
About the Dead Man Walking cannon issue, this event is actually acknowledged in AfterGlow Roamers ammo warehouse by a former Ripper who sell you ammo and Armor etc. He admit he does not know who got his Ripper clan rekt but do know it was an nuclear overload that got them in the end.
Since Scav Stalker GreenHood here has no official name, either he is been subtle or another Scavenger was behind the incident. I do think DMW does take place either between Ashes2063 Prologue and Stage1, where your lack of gear suggest you sold them for living/medical expanses. Because other than that event there is no part in the after story can we fit in the DMW details in.
Dead Man Walking is actually a "what if" universe parallel to 2063 and that Ripper NPC is more a nod of acknowledgement from Vostyok than an actual canon connection.
Hey, Garavitos VA here, banger video mate. Keep scavving. Also I literally just saw this
Heyyy mate! Thanks! (Also, great job with Garavito, you know that)
Wow thanks to your video i played the two games and it was a blast. I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was amazing. Wish we had an option to support the developers. Again thank you for bringing attention to these two games.
Super glad you liked it!
Found out about this game from a different random youtube video and decided to give it a shot
Next to Cultic, this has got to be one of my absolute favorite shooters! I'm still going through Afterglow, and I didn't even know about the secret mall level or SMG upgrade in the first game!
The 1st ep Has a shotgun upgrade too
@@czarnakoza9697 I actually did manage to find the shotgun upgrade
Absolutely loved this game. An underground classic. The attention to detail for a mod is unreal.
Just finished both of these and i had more playing these than all of the latest "shooters" they have now. Great review and subscribed :)
Oh jeez I was worried you were going to absolutely roast my voice acting for the scav. It was definitely not my best work but it was still an absolute blast being part of this game.
"oh shit. It's a nuke" is forever ingrained in my memory. That was extremely good.
Thanks for your work!
the voice is perfect for his character
Fantastic review. Thank you. I'd have never known about this if you hadn't made this video.
Awesome thumbnail and intro!
Thanks! I'll be honest, I stalled the production of this video because of your "turning doom into a roguelike". Took me a couple of weeks to get out of it)
@@KeyboardGecko Haha! It's a very addicting way to play.
This game is amazing. It is mix between Mad Max, Escape from New York, Strife and Doom. Good shit. Much love from Finland
/
all of 80s & 90s good staff in it!
Love Ashes! loved Afterglow even more and just got around to going through Dead Man Walking. One part of Afterglow genuinely scared to the point where I was on edge for the rest of the game, they do such a good job building tension by taking away music in certain sections. Really excited to see what Vostyok and the band of misfits do for episode 3!
Yo I'm always happy to see this awesome mod get some more attention, it feels like a disservice to just call it a mod, it's basically it's own game at this point. Anyways great video bro you've got yourself a sub from me!
I played it all weekend and what a blast! But this video also made me realize how much I screwed up lol. I started with Afterglow because I thought that it was the first episode...well :-D And I also started shooting at the first settlement (I didn't know there even were friendly NPCs in this so I saw some "enemies" and started shooting, then they started shooting back at me so I killed everyone). It was weird when some of the NPCs kept mentioning some guard captain and there was nobody like that to be found...he was probably one of the people I killed lol. I really feel like an idiot now :-D
Hah) I completely missed the possibility to talk to Roamers, wiping them out, then had to load a VERY old save, because of a curiosity)
Yep. The same. I just wrote a comment about a similar issue above. Thank god I found that bar-lady to talk. On the next level (when you go to the ground to the shopping mall) I spent appr 1h till I used cheats and found that one of the leverages didn't work. So you can't pass the water gate without cheat-codes to fly and to open the gate in the 2nd floor (( I played 2 more levels and just stuck to look for all that directions on where to go ((
amazing review. I'm surprised this game doesn't have more attention.
I do hope they consider turning the ashes series into a commercial released later down the line.
Solid review and it's nice you're bringing attention to this amazing doom mod it certainly deserves. Could you review the Golden Souls 2 it's also amazing but it feels like it has been under the radar for alot of people.
I wonder if the recurring number "1221" is an homage to Dirty Harry's badge number (2211).
5:09 Moose kinda looks like Dusk Dude.
5:54 At least one track sounds like it's paying homage to Rammstein's 'Du Hast'.
5:56 The ambient buildup sounds like John Carpenter.
6:34 The shotgun even has a chamber-load animation!
13:02 Hawg wild!
17:45 Jojo's gotta be a reference to 'Blood'.
22:22 Not only does it have a chamber-load animation, but it also throws fairly realistic patterns!
26:29 Possibly an homage to one of the bad endings from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl.
26:46 "Its," not "it's."
28:06 That's not how you do a McMillan Tilt.
28:07 Napalm globs should be more devastating.
29:40 Rifle looks like an FAL. The sight's not actually a scope. Looks more like an old-timey peep sight like what you might see mounted on the tang of a levergun. Fallout: New Vegas has one like that, but it's hard to aim with. When you put one of those on a rifle that already has the usual type of adjustable leaf sight, yer 'sposed ta take the leaf sight off. Plus, that type of peep sight (tang-mounted or otherwise) is meant to be aimed with both eyes open, otherwise yer sight picture looks obscured. In this case, maybe it's an FAL with a magnifying lens mounted in the style of one of those old-timey sights. Kinda like sight1 for combat rifles in Borderlands 1. Btw, imagine Ashes with ADS.
31:00 There's that Rammstein homage!
35:52 Hey, kids! It's Breeki Man! (applause)
"Ashes 2063 Part 1&2" are one of the best games i have played in a long time. For a free standalone mod, the value is immeasurable and the games are amazing for design and atmosphere.
I love and hate the level design equally. On one hand, some levels are huge, look amazing and generally well designed. And the on the other, they are designed this convoluted way of early doom/quake games, where you don't know where to go way too many times. And the levels are full of secrets i can never hope to find, its insane. In a good and a bad way.
10:14 you don't have to fight that. Save yourself some ammo and use the Switch and go. Which is good game design, because they don't force this on you. You could very well be out of ammo at that point anyways. Because the gad damn mutants don't drop ammo, so they are always a waste of resources.
25:25 who had thought the boss can destroy your cover over time. When you hide behind pilars or the windows where the Boss Switch was, it or they/them will destory the window frames to expose your naked arse. Genius.
I was not a fan of Dead Man Walking. For a one time play, its fine. But its constantly dark in basically all the levels. Combine this with the 5 second Solar Lantern you have and it will get on your nerves. Even if you brighten up the game, the all dark gets annoying.
14:00 as a Motorcycle rider I can confirm part of riding a motorcycle is crashing into walls
Banger
Thanks man!
16:34 sees the closest thing the setting has to a literal ghost.
first response is an unimpressed "Really?"
pulls out a jackhammer and puts it to use
10/10 aint-afraid-of-no-ghosts
Bruh I didn’t know there was a bonus mission after the third level!
Excellent video dude; I've been using it to get my friends into this bloody outstanding game. 10/10, amico. Molto bella. This is the first game to have my genuine full-attention interest in literally years, let alone it being made with love and being absolutely free. These guys are masterpiece-makers.
Only part I didn’t like in Afterglow is the Baron’s quest, since it feels really odd. You’re told to sneak into the base which is actually impossible. What you need to ACTUALLY do is befriend the Roamers and once they allow you to walk in their Junkyard THEN you can do the quest. Wish that was made more obvious
my ass when discovering a new youtube guy: please have a bearable voice! please have a bearable voice! please have a bearable voice!
you good bro have a sub
Great video man! Subbed.
Thank you for all the great mapping, looking forward to more of your work!
Ashes should be more recognisable - it's one of best games iv'e played in last years. It deserves to be payed for.
5:38 Where I can find that golden rocket? I finished all three episodes but I didn't saw it.
37:08 Fallout like special encounter - did you mean Anomaly 210?
Does anyone know what is the reward for all collectibles?
Agreed. I genuinely tried to talk Vos and the team into accepting some form of donations. Hope they reconsider eventually.
The golden rocket is in the segment in the subway level. There's an irradiated cave with the gasbags. You get the card there. If you platform over the pillars, there's a passage in one of the walls.
And yeah, I meant Anomaly. Such a cool place!
As for the collectibles, I don't know. Me myself only found the NMA hat and cacodemon plushie.
The golden rocket is in 2063 map 5, "The Sub-Caverns". It's near where you find the yellow keycard.
As for collectibles, there's no real reward for getting them all other than the junk money they net you.
@@KeyboardGecko I had asked on NMA about making a small donation after playing FO Nevada. Maybe with the current paranoia and anti Russian sentiments this may be seen as money laundering and swelling the coffers of the Kremlin.If forced to chose I will not buy any models from ICM and only buy from Zvezda.
Loved both installments of this mod, your channel is far too small for editing this good!
I don’t know if this is accurate, but I found this game to be far more entertaining than ion fury
Definitely accurate.
agree
Why don't you have more subs? This is awesome! You're doing great, especially with your commentary and editing
Excellent video, thank you very much for covering, subbed!
This game is just incredibly fun to play, i love how satisfying the combat is with the crunchy sounds effects and cool weapon animations. The environments are all very interesting and i got so immersed in the universe. Also music is fantastic it got a few Deus Exy kind of atmospheric songs. Actually the best shooter i've played in years, and it's completely free!
it IS the best doom TC I've ever played
❤❤❤
13:04 thats why you use the wasd to drive it, the mouse controls are fucked
10/10 video. You deserve subs
Good to see you back!
Found about that mod by an old boomer shooter fan channel named (bigmacdavis)
I try it and its mind blowing like the only mod with this level of detail and content i found is wolfenstein blade of agony
21:12 wow I just assumed it was Atlanta I didn’t know I was right
i love this game so much.
I'm here a little late so I'll just say what a cool game and thanks to the author of the game and channel reviewer!
I'm still amused by people claiming there is not enough ammo. I have no idea how is it even possible to chew through all those bullets, outside of the first level.
Me neither, and I've played Survival multiple times.
I agree with your sentiment. The key is to not use any firearm at all against hordes of melee enemies, and instead smack them to death with the best weapon in the game: the Crowbar! That's what I did, and it's a life-saver before tricky fights.
Big fan of bayonet upgrade for shotgun here. It's so satisfying to stab cannibal one time and then one shot with a shotgun.
i used to be one of these people, once you get used to using your crowbar 99% of the time ammo is never a problem
BEST Doom MOD EVER!
I love the mods and im happy everytime they get (well deserved!) attention but man, you dont do them any favours spoiling the story. Besides the gameplay and presentation discovering the story even if its no "it will change your life" stuff is part of fun and I would strongly recommend going blind. Ive played the Ashes multiple times but first time was most fun ive had in a videogame for a long long time...
I got more entertained from this than Doom Eternal. This game is a 9.5
well... with all the respect i have and give to "eternal" I got to say this ....Even "Turbo Overkill" beat it this days!
I mean it 's a lore problem. Eternal's story telling is often confused and full con contraddiction, maybe too much heads work on it.
In 2063 story is clear and direct. And that's a good starting point.
Eternal is overrated
@@czarnakoza9697 I think the problem is that developers has put too much "lore things" in it. So it is gettin to far by the originalconcepts. They need a reset.
@@magnolerriccardo6840 the gameplay is made to cater to patience lacking zoomers with adhd
Pretty fucking noice mate!
Your reviews are awesome. I would like to see you do Fallout Sonora.
Thanks! I'm going to revisit it in some time, want to have a fresh look on it.
Holy shit. I can see this review is done with quite a lot of love - but it is clearly all deserved. Can this be set up on mobile? FreeDoom or somesuch?
Their moddb page has comments about Delta touch, I think it can be done using freedoom
honestly this game is the best post apocalyptic game ever made, better than new vegas and metro exodus.
agree. apocaliptyc Vibes is good too, but just another philosophy.
@@magnolerriccardo6840 apocalyptic vibes problem has to do with the unbalanced weappns, your revolver sucks, their mausers dont but you cant use them, the shotgun is super accurate and powerfull and the game keeps throwing enemies at you that you cant avoid but pretends to have stealth mechanics. It also pretends to be survival based but it takes away your resources all the time and its a buggy broken mess with garbage campaign.
@@arkgaharandan5881 yes agree. all in all "AV" points a lot on ost and a certain "poetry". Duration is another missing. Developers has maybe opened a good new way but now it needs to be expanded.
GREAT NEWS : 3rd chapter out in JULY 2023!!!
HOLY FUCK LETS GO
@@czarnakoza9697 just few weeks
@@magnolerriccardo6840 hype fr
@@czarnakoza9697 I have no idea what he's talking about. Episode 3 is barely in the planning stages right now.
@@reformedjoe4907 it seems that i have either encountered a time traveler or have been bamboozled
The sterilized versions of Ashes are great and let you use other mods. I've tried it with LiTDoom and it's great. I just started it with Hideous Destructor and it's challenging and sequence breaking is easier, but it's fun
😒👍 Thanks for the headsup, I'll download it
dead man walking is canon i think, one of the devs said its set before 63
No it's not, it's a "parallel universes" thing. ReformedJoe and Vostyok both have said it in the ZDoom thread.
1St Episode is really cool. It feels like something fresh and incredible and made with love for the Doom and the project itself. It is a really great idea to add the bike as a usable item as well as to add weapon variations. I walked through the game on the one-breath and recommend it to all! Really great cool work that I could recommend to everybody!. 2nd Episode looks weird. It is a try to combine Doom with Fallout and Stalker, and the most problematic things are that a) I need to read some dialogs instead of walking and killing monsters and b) the Levels are HUGE and often you have no clear guidance of the next step. Like - I killed all the monsters, opened the doors and.. have no idea of where to go. After several wasted hours I was forced to watch walkthrough videos to define what I have done wrong but then decided to stop playing.
Can this be played online with friends? I see in the settings theres multiplayer options but no idea how it functions.
I haven't tried it, but I think it should work like any classic doom mod. Coop, dm, all that stuff
Played this on android with a controller. Not as good obviously but still cool to have it on the go.
Until you drive the bike 💀
I liked Blood. This is cool as well. It never made it to germany that days..
Where did u hear the 3rd episodes in development? And how can I keep up with its development?
@vostyok confirmed it, but it's still in early stages, so no estimate dates yet. As for the updates, he and @ReformedJoe both refer to moddb page as the main source of news.
Death Zone is not a secret anymore
This is like fallout 2 but first person shooter lmao
Kinda but not really. It goes in a lot of different themes.
@@DinnerForkTongueyes, in this universe common pepole and laste generations are conviced a big war between nations has been fought. At second episode ending palyer start to understand that is not the way the story was. I think we'll see some provocated ifection by "corpos" and AI reactions in third chapter. wich is pretty cool!
my biggest complaint about ashes afterglow:
the fact that after you go to the raiders sewers, you're just supposed to... guess to go the the prosperity sewers to go to a door that looks like every other door. absolutely idiocy.
im having trouble downlaoding this game, do I need to install something to open .pk3 files?
You should probably go for "ashes standalone version", after unpacking just launch episode 1 or episode 2.bat
I admit it...thought it's bullshit and you're just a cheap baitclicker. I don't know your channel so what the hell i know. Then I hear "with some inspirations from fallout". OK pause the video and look for the game.
Soooo it's 2:00am and stumblefd on your video late afternoon.
You weren't lying and it is objectively top 3 boomer shooters, I mean this is only second time this year when a game kept me this engaged. apologies and respect
Damn you are bad at driving
So true
SECOND
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
once i met a weird crazy old dude who talked like a flat earthist. that guy said that games like Ashes should be these games everyone should play. he talked about stereotypes he wants to see again in the today games until criticizing the blockbusters. that dude have a problem. he forced himself to answer me and imposing his ego. we have the right to enjoy COD Battlefield as well as games lIke this one. Crazy how the nostalgia factor can push the others to be toxic. if you're agree with that weirdo , don't reply me please. i like Ashes , even if that kind of graphics looks old , it isn't so actually and i just love games with powerful gunplay. as well as enjoy playing some blockbusters games.
Doom war wohl ein schlechter Witz dagegen.
Dude, what is up with the enemy count? This game is not balanced at all. I have on several occasions soft locked myself because I've ran out of ammo. I understand being low on ammo but completely out?! My god, imagine running into 20 enemies in Fallout. You would toss the controller rage quit the game to never return.
Skill issues
Just kidding
What you suppose to do is treat the ammo situation like resident evil (the old ones) where you dont have to kill all enemy , taking advantage of stealth as much as possible, and also taking advantage of infighting ( also dont forget to explore the map and find the secrets its will help a lot
literally gitgud, this game is perfectly balanced
I haven't played and am gonna grab it right now. It looks so much fucking fun. I love how the Cannibals look very old Fallout and I love their dialogue very cool.
It has its own face, yet the feeling I got when playing afterglow is exactly the one I had with fallout
@@KeyboardGecko I legit love how the game looks. It looks so good in the Doom Engine. I wish other game engines released their source Codes so we can get even cooler games and shit.
@@MordredSimp talking about good old lost traditions)
It's amazing to me that they develop this all for free in an era where we have games like Supplice and Hedon made on the gzdoom engine. They could definitely make money with this but chose not to.