OrangePixel are one of my favourite App Store developers, with Heroes of Loot 2 ($3.99) being a true sleeper hit of 2016. While not without its problems, the arcade-style dungeon crawler was mightily impressive, especially owing to the fact it was from a one-man development team. Back in December, OrangePixel announced their most ambitious effort yet in the form of Ashworld, which was an eclectic mix of driving, shooting, and platforming action into a 2D post-apocalyptic open world, and the initial preview screens the developer revealed were extremely promising. While the game is still a few months away with a tentative Q1 2017 launch window, OrangePixel has released a new teaser trailer showcasing some of the gameplay, as well as setting the scene of the cataclysmic nuclear war that led to Ashworld’s survival setting.
While this trailer for Ashworld is only a teaser – the developer stated on our forums there was still a ‘bunch of weeks’ before its release – what was shown in the trailer is incredibly exciting, and the scope and pure anarchic chaos are tremendously impressive. Ashworld does wear its Max Max influence on its sleeve, but its clever amalgamation with retro 2D Grand Theft Auto type mechanics is an interesting twist that hasn’t been done before on the App Store. Hopefully OrangePixel can make the open world varied, vibrant, and interesting enough to execute such a comical yet ominous premise of the aftermath of a 2017 nuclear war – if their track record is anything to go by, Ashworld should be in safe hands. For more information and further discussion on Ashworld, be sure to check out our forum thread.
