Winter Ember

 Xbox Series X
Winter Ember Image
Metascore
57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: You are Arthur Artorias – the sole survivor of a massacre that devastated your family’s legacy and tore them out of the history books. Thought to be dead, you emerge from exile 8 years later, the faceless man kindled by the flame and seeking vengeance. Embark on an adventure unravelling aYou are Arthur Artorias – the sole survivor of a massacre that devastated your family’s legacy and tore them out of the history books. Thought to be dead, you emerge from exile 8 years later, the faceless man kindled by the flame and seeking vengeance. Embark on an adventure unravelling a dark tale filled with twisted characters, centered around a militant religion hell bent on keeping control.
    Key Features:
    A True Stealth Experience
    As Arthur, you must stick to the shadows, infiltrate homes and explore hidden passageways; but, be careful not to be spotted! Choose your playstyle: knocking out enemies may keep them quiet for some time, but they will eventually wake up; a quick slice to the throat may be a more permanent solution, but the bloodstain you leave on the carpet might be a dead giveaway! Keep your wits about you, dispose of bodies, peek through keyholes and pickpocket unsuspecting victims.
    Deep Arrow Crafting System
    Prepare for your mission by planning your loadout. With over 30 arrows to craft, experimentation is key to your success! Do you craft a smoke arrow to blind your opponent, or do you add on a poison element to create poisonious gas? Use your arrows offensively or defensively: break down weak walls with a blunt arrow to surprise your enemy, or use a rope arrow to reach a higher place and take out your enemies from a distance.
    Skill Tree
    Customize your playstyle from 3 distinct skill trees – stealth, combat, and utility. Unlock over 70 unique passive and active skills to choose from and seek vengeance your way.
    Explore A Dark World
    Return home to the cold Victorian town of Anargal, on the verge of technological breakthrough. Infiltrate and explore vast environments brimming with treasure and mystery. From rival gangs to unique characters, approach each scenario in a myriad of ways. Take advantage of the environment, find solutions to every problem, and move past any challenge standing in your way.     … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Xbox Tavern
    Apr 28, 2022
    62
    Some great ideas are hobbled by awkward execution in Winter Ember. For every bright spark there are a handful of quirks and issues that are just too prevalent to overlook. It’s just a shame that the parts don’t form a cohesive whole, and instead we’re left with a game that is stuck in the shadows of the greats.
  2. TheXboxHub
    Jun 27, 2022
    60
    If you have the patience of a saint and are prepared to wait until every guard is in the perfect place, Winter Ember can be a fun challenge to make it through undetected.
  3. Movies Games and Tech
    Apr 19, 2022
    55
    Winter Ember is a bleak and dank isometric stealth game. You must search a vile Victorian world while crafting arrows, killing your enemies, and finding secret paths. Steal everything you find and uncover the truth behind the crimes of the past.
  4. GamingBolt
    Apr 19, 2022
    50
    What works about Winter Ember is almost entirely overshadowed by the frustrating moment-to-moment experience that never settles into a true, precise stealth game.

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Jt0429
    Apr 22, 2022
    5
    Good-
    Great level design and verticality. Interesting visibility gameplay mechanic. Some decent stealth sequences
    Bad- The game is wildly    Good-
    Great level design and verticality. Interesting visibility gameplay mechanic. Some decent stealth sequences

    Bad-
    The game is wildly inconsistent. The inputs on the controller are uneven. The movement feels too weighty. The menus are annoying to navigate. Alot of the game feels unfinished and underbaked.

    Thoughts-
    There’s an interesting idea lying somewhere within Winter Ember, but the final product doesn’t bring out the best parts of it. While stealth games are nothing new, there are a couple mechanics, like the visibility and the exploration, that Winter Ember seemingly could focus on, but for every interesting idea, there are multiple flawed design choices or gameplay inconsistencies that bring the experience down, especially in the cumbersome menus and heavy inputs. I wanted to like Winter Ember far more than I did, because when it comes down to it, this is a stealth game that fails to abide by its own rules.    … Expand