If you’ve got Ashes of Creation targeted in your gaming news and social feeds, then you probably woke up to a deluge of information about the game’s most recent pre-alpha testing round. That’s because Intrepid Studios has lifted the verbal and written NDAs covering the test and players are more than eager to share their initial impressions.
Generally speaking, many of the impressions shared by testers appear to be favorable, particularly in the case of the game’s tab-target combat model, while there were at least a couple of players on Reddit who expressed disappointment that the stated hybrid model wasn’t really functional. Many others pointed out some bugs and stability issues but also expressed surprise at the speed with which the studio was issuing patches to address most problems.
Another thread full of impressions refer to barebones crafting, reasonable visual polish, and at least a sound foundation, though there are a few folks who express disappointment in the game’s systems and missing visuals, argue that the NDA should not have been lifted, or theorize that AOC is between two years away from being complete. Still other testers advise players should temper their expectations. “It’s just the bones of what Intrepid has marketed the game to be,” writes Redditor Darvillia. “If you have listened to [Intrepid Studios boss] Steven [Sharif] and not projected what you wanted AOC to be then I think you will be pleased.”
There are a couple of videos full of impressions as well, including a collection of Discord chat snippets shared by Narc and some first-hand impressions from Ritchie SH. Both of those can be found below.
