Winter Ember – Review
It’s possible to call the stealth genre a niche one, but it has a lot of devoted fans and a number of great games within. There will be comparisons to Thief and Dishonored since Winter Ember is a newcomer to the genre. It borrows from these games, but also adds its own twists to make it stand out.
Because the tutorial is so bad and so long, it’s actually true. While in South Arangal, Arthur Artorias discovers a new world of possibilities. Winter Ember’s sidequests are the best part of the game. These let you delve into the city’s gloomy underbelly and get to know its inhabitants and their daily lives.
It also gives Arthur a chance to take on a different type of enemy than the typical vengeance missions. As you search the city for clues and secret entrances, others will provide much-needed comic relief in an otherwise depressing world. Make Arthur a compelling character and show him to be more than just a killer, as they do.
Despite a fantastic world and excellent sneaking mechanics, many of Winter Embers’ mechanics feel inconsistent. When it comes to gameplay, this is most apparent in the controls and how they work. In order to use the cover system, you must be a certain distance away from the enemy and it has no effect on your stealth or your vision. There are many objects and items in the game that cannot be interacted with—or some doors can only be opened with keys, others can be picked, and some are locked.
In some areas, the camera appears to be too closely focused and fails to perform as intended. The result is that spotting enemies or other objects can be difficult. Inconsistent and bad AI also leads to funny moments and makes certain mechanics easy to abuse.
Winter Ember’s combat is one of the game’s weakest points, despite its primary focus on stealth. You fight primarily by parrying and countering your opponents’ attacks. If you engage an enemy head-on, they may be able to attack you through your attacks, leaving a blood trail that they can follow to find you.
It’s nearly impossible to fight multiple enemies at the same time because they’ll surround and attack you, leaving you open to attacks while you parry and counter. If you’re caught by an enemy, just run away and they’ll forget about you. A few moments after they wake up, guards who have been knocked unconscious or whose allies have died do not bother to look for you.
Winter Ember is a great game for those who like to play in the shadows and plan out their strategies for completing quests undetected. Others may be unable to see past the many problems that Winter Ember is currently experiencing, in which case they should wait for a discount. Dishonored and Thief fans will be pleased with Winter Ember, but it doesn’t quite live up to the hype.
