Review: ‘Ashes of Oahu’ on Steam/PC

Ashes of Oahu is a new post-apocalyptic survival RPG in a Polynesian setting designed by Wyrmbyte.

Background

I have been playing post-apocalyptic RPGs on the PC since the 1990s, and even though the games have changed in look and quality, for the most part they were all set in burnt-out worlds without much color or flair. So when I first saw images of Ashes of Oahu, I was intrigued to see what the game had to offer. I have always been a big fan of Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. Visiting the islands several times myself, they have always been one of my favorite settings. In all of those visits, the one thing that never came to my mind was what would happen if they were a post-apocalyptic setting.

Features (From the Developer)

• • Four distinct factions to work for… or against!
  • Over 75,000 lines create a massive and engaging narrative
  • Choices truly matter and can lead to anyone of over 100 different endings!
  • Guns take on new and amazing powers thanks to the Magical Weapon Mod System
  • Play your way by unlocking 50+ skills and abilities
  • Inspired by native Hawaiian stories, traditions, and beliefs but with a unique fictional twist that brings in ghosts, raiders, and gods
  • 25 sq/km of beautiful locations throughout Oahu, Hawaii

Thoughts and Recommendation

Ashes of Oahu offers something both very familiar and quite different. Many of the basic concepts are there, but all of the variations in power and skill make it seem like a very new experience. To the untrained eye, you will think you are playing another incarnation of Far Cry but with magical weapons and skills. The four factions available allow the player to have a wide breadth of options before them and make replayability very appealing. The location is huge at 25km of land, allowing for some great exploration and side adventuring. It is so beautiful that I often find myself just looking around the island… until I am attacked by something.

There are a few bugs in the game but nothing that I found to be detrimental to the gameplay. It is a pretty solid build, especially for the size and scope of the game relative to the size of the development team at Wyrmbyte.

For a non-AAA game Ashes of Oahu offers an enormous amount of gameplay and options and an amazingly affordable price at just $19.99. It is absolutely worth taking a look at.

In total, I give Ashes of Oahu a 7/10 rating.

A copy of Ashes of Oahu was made available by the developer Wyrmbyte.

You can purchase Ashes of Oahu on Steam for $19.99.

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