In the collective imagination, the dragon is a legendary creature that can move at high speed and with unparalleled firepower. According to mythologies, the being can take various forms and can be both evil and peaceful. Pop culture has picked up the phenomenon for decades and we can no longer count the works of these sublime and mythical steeds. With Century: Age of Ashes, Bordeaux studio Playwing invites players to battle dragons in an epic and fancy free-to-play. The title was released in early December and the team has lots of ideas on how to develop it further. Light up a multi-shooter like no other!
To say Century: Age of Ashes has come a long way is an understatement. Pascal Barret, former Kalisto (Nightmare Creatures) and experienced creator, surrounded himself with big names in French video games (from Square-Enix, Kalisto, Dontnod …) to breathe life into a work whose beginnings go back to 2014 and ran on Unreal Engine 3 and advocated a ” Hardcore ” In one world Dark imagination. For around 6-8 months, the developers worked on creating a game wrap while waiting for an opportunity. Discussions – sometimes advanced – took place with different publishers and eventually the game was born under the direction of a new studio based in Bordeaux, Playwing. Created by a team of human size (14, 23, and now just over 40 people), Century: Age of Ashes is a work designed by enthusiasts that pervades the dragon as it appears in Western mythology. Fueled by the success of Game of Thrones and inspired by the animated films Dragons of Dreamworks or the Dragons of Harry Potter, Century: Age of Ashes has no shortage of ambition and could surprise in the coming months, starting with its arrival on consoles in the first Half year 2022. But what is it worth now?
WIND AIR
Specifically, it is a competitive multiplayer game that can be played both alone and in a team. In an organic arena (with mountains, rocks, lakes, castles …) the players challenge each other on the back of a dragon. In a way, Playwing’s work is reminiscent of the much maligned hiding place on PlayStation 3, but it’s far more instinctive and immersive. Its great strength lies in the precision of its movements, which makes it possible to race through a rocky fault in seconds, to graze a destroyed building or to make a U-turn in order to surprise the opponent. In terms of action, the developers have imagined different mechanics to ignite the dogfights. After escaping from a pole, the player is in the heart of the arena and the fight begins. Designed for the controller, but accessible for the keyboard / mouse duo (the staff organized play tests with specialists for this type of control), Century: Age of Ashes is based on very simple controls. With the buttons on the edge, the player can accelerate, brake and even stop. Each kite has a boost that is accessible via an endurance that needs to be replenished regularly by flying over the energy layers on the ground. In addition, each arena is made up of columns of air that propel your mount into the air, giving you a strategic advantage over your competition. The rides are really enjoyable and you can do whatever you want with your steed in a few minutes. But of course that’s not enough to win.
FIRE BREATH
As in the Panzer Dragoon series, the dragon is capable of throwing fireballs from a distance to hit its targets. There is a system of ” lock “As in the SEGA game, following the fugitives, but close combat is also allowed. If an enemy dragon passes within your range (or you follow it closely), you can unleash a fiery breath and do serious damage to its health. Suffice it to say, you need to be quick and keep a watchful eye both to hit your opponents and to flee. To help the player in his work of destruction, artifacts (shields, etc.) can be found along the way and skills / powers can come to improve the battles. These skills, both active and passive, can transform a poorly embedded situation. They can be fireballs with a “homing head” or even a poisonous cloud that blocks the pursuer’s view and allows them to escape. Century: Age of Ashes is very addicting, and the games are so fast that we come back to them regularly. There are currently three classes (Specter, Windshield and Marauder) available, each with their own specifics (Healer, Stealth, Warrior) and all of them can be customized by purchasing items in the store. As for the game modes, beginners will appreciate the presence of a beginner mode. It’s a great way to capture the contours of the game before engaging in deathmatch (6v6), capturing the flag, looting (stealing gold from your opponents while protecting your domain), or even in a 3v -3 skirmishes. It is also important to state that Century: Age of Ashes in no way: a pay to win and that it doesn’t force the purchase. The packs available are all cosmetic and allow you to give your frame and character a unique look. With 13 legendary dragons available in late January and the ability to hatch dragon eggs, Playwing’s title does everything it can to bring together an already very active community, and its remarkable plasticity is hard to resist.
Rupture of the retina
Free-to-play games often have the reputation of being games that were created with little money and that have no visual or sonic ambitions. Century of Ashes proves the opposite by showing off beautiful graphics. The game from the Bordeaux studio runs on Unreal Engine 4 and is without a doubt one of the most beautiful free-to-play games of all time. Characters like dragons are breathtaking and the four arenas, despite being medium sized at the moment, command respect. The animations are not neglected, whether in the middle of the game or when our little dragons come out of their egg. Yet this is only the beginning. In addition to the start on consoles planned for June 2022 (in crossplay, which promises good things for games between Xbox, PlayStation and PC players), the developers want to go much further. The paths currently being investigated include, for example, much larger and interactive arenas (destruction of the decor), new classes or even PVE so that players can cooperate to fight against creatures. It will also be a matter of reviewing certain elements that players pointed out, such as a certain imbalance between classes (the ghost is currently dominating in an outrageous way with its camouflage abilities), few arenas and matchmaking with a geographic filter. But right now it’s definitely worth a try!
Conclusion
Points fortresses
- Graphically excellent
- Instinctive movements
- A very active community
- 3 very different classes
- Constant adrenaline
- Turnarounds
- Baby kite
- Big potential
Weak points
- Classes need to be rebalanced
- Only four arenas
- Sometimes unbalanced matchmaking (except at the beginning)
- No communication between the players at the moment
- Lack of content
By focusing on aerial multiplayer dragon combat, Century of Ashes has dusted the genre off the ground and proves that free-to-play can be ambitious. Visually stunning and blessed with excellent artistic direction, he is only at the beginning of his career, but enjoys pleasant fashion, charismatic characters and majestic dragons. Without pushing to buy, the game relies on the development of its community and the future seems so promising that we want to carefully follow its course.
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Through Ayden_, Journalist igamesnews.com
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