Of Ash and Steel Preview
The inspirations behind the game are fairly clear, but Of Ash and Steel has plenty to differentiate it from those inspirations.
Developer Fire & Frost Studios has revealed its debut title Of Ash and Steel. A third-person action RPG that is inspired by classic fantasy RPGs, it looks to blend old-school adventure with modern design. With the game set to launch for PC via Steam in 2025, published by tinyBuild, RPGamer was given an early look at what awaits players.
Of Ash of Steel is set in an unforgiving low-fantasy world and takes place in the formerly prosperous Kingdom of the Seven, named after the islands that make it up. 2000s RPG are very much the driving inspiration for the game, with titles like Gothic and The Witcher specifically mentioned as providing significant influence. The low fantasy setting means players won’t encounter other races, but there will be various monsters; and while magic exists, it is only used by a select few, which does include the player character in ways such as being able to transport next to an enemy. There will be a range of biomes from dense forests to snow-covered peaks, though the developer has looked to ensure the world is not just big for the sake of it and strikes a balance between some of its old-school adventure elements and a desire to keep its locations vibrant.
Players control a young man named Tristan, who rises from being an abandoned lowlife to a renowned hero through the course of the game. While the character’s past is set, players can customise both his appearance and character build. Players will also be able to customise the appearance of another character, but no details have been given to their identity, which is a relatively big spoiler. The game will feature two main factions for players to choose between as they rise from obscurity: the Knights of the Seven religious order and the Free Hunters that have made their own community away from the traditions of the kingdom. While the two factions are not directly at odds in their goals, they take somewhat different approaches in how they handle problems. Players will have various choices throughout the game that lead to differing outcomes throughout the world, including leading to entire settlements thriving or decaying. There are also a number of other smaller factions with their own goals and conflicts between themselves to whom players can lend their support.
Character progression sees players earning points at level ups and investing into base attributes and three skill branches — Survival, Craftsmanship, and War — as well as being able to find skill trainers and unlocking passive perkss. Along with the various combat skills and bonuses available in the War path, players will be able to utilise three main combat stances, each with their own set of weapons and allowing players to build a character that suits their play style. The action combat is deliberately-paced; timing attacks and investing points wisely to ensure that attacks are more powerful and more accurate will be important. Players can also use the environment, such as bringing down unstable structures upon enemies or kicking junk at them, as well as unlocking new tricks through skills. There is a clear desire from the developers to show increased prowess in combat as the game goes along; the main character will start off struggling to make best use of their weapons, but become noticeably more adept as they progress.
The developer promises that the game’s open world will gradually recognise and react to the player’s change in status across the game, as well as showing its own progression that makes it worthwhile for players to revisit old places and see how the people are doing. Other ways the developer plans to immerse players in the world include a day-night cycle with shifting weather, daily routines for its various NPCs, and ambient visual and audio effects. There are plenty of ways for players to interact with the world, including their own systems or mini-games, such as harvesting ingredients from wildlife and monsters, blacksmithing and other crafting options, camping, fishing, and even pickpocketing. Players will eventually be able to buy their own house. Skill progression plays a huge part in the game, not just making players more effective at combat, but also aiding their survival abilities by providing better options at camp among other things.
As part of the game’s old-school approach to adventuring, it is eschewing quest markers in favour of players needing to put together where to go themselves. Players will instead need to follow maps, examine the environment, and pay attention to clues given by NPCs to figure out where find and advance quests, though players will be able to explore at their own pace. Bulletin boards will help keep players informed on events around the islands, as well as providing simple requests that act as easy ways to earn money and clues toward possible points of interest. Certain quests or objectives will have multiple ways of progressing them; for example, getting into a city can potentially be done by simply bribing the guard, discovering that certain people or professions are given free entry, or finding a possible gap in its walls. The game will also not auto-level enemies to match the player, but it will keep various modern conveniences including environmental markers, tutorials, and modern UI elements.
The inspirations behind the game are fairly clear, but Of Ash and Steel has plenty to differentiate it from those inspirations. Combat and exploration leans into the simulation side of things with deliberate pacing and the general hostility of the world. If Fire & Frost Studios can deliver on its promises of deep narrative and gameplay systems, then there will be a lot for RPGamers to enjoy here.
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