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Survival games have blossomed over recent years, becoming one of the core pillars of gaming. From Rust to DayZ, Sons of the Forest to Subnautica, some of the biggest names right now are survival oriented. You could even say Fortnite has some aspects of survival in it, though it’s the kind of thing you say quietly where no-one can hear you. Many survival games incorporate horror elements into them, but few making scaring you their main reason to exist. Ashes, an upcoming survival horror game, is looking to do precisely that.
Survival games always have an element of pure tension to them. You’re often juggling scarce resources while fending off foes all the time trying to simply make it through the day, or night, or to the next meal. In Ashes, you’re not only trying to do all that, you’re also battling with ghosts and dark truths as you explore an open-world underworld inspired by Chinese folklore.
There’s always one thing I admire in gaming and that’s ambition. Not all ambition pays off, but I do like to see a game aim for the stars, and Ashes is definitely doing that. Not only is this an open-world horror game incorporating stealth elements with a full survival set of mechanics, it also promises a gripping story along with online co-op integration. It’s a lot to chew on and the risks are these different mechanics won’t gel together, but if they do work well this has a strong chance of being the next big survival hit.
Key to that is how it clearly aims to offer something different. Many survival experiences are set on remote islands, which is understandable given humanity’s ever-present desire to be washed up on a desert island. Here you’re exploring an underworld haunted by the souls of the departed, dripping in darkness and with an omnipresent eerie atmosphere. It’s a horror game, after all, and it’d be no good if it were all sunshine and rainbows. I especially appreciate how it’s not aiming for ultra-realism too, this is a game with a defined art style, and I’m curious to see how that plays out with the supernatural horror elements.
If you’re interested in checking it out, Ashes will launch into Steam Early Access on Monday June 24. You can head over to the game’s page to get the full lowdown.
If you can’t wait until then, why not take a look at our guide to the best horror games, as well as our recommendations for the best indie games you can play in 2024.
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