Ember Sword entered Early Access on December 2, 2024, and I’ve taken some time to dive into the most recent build to see how far the team at Bright Star Studios has come since I last jumped into the game. Over the past two years, I’ve spent ample time participating in several of their tests—even having the opportunity to visit their studio for a hands-on preview of their first major dungeon, Ultra Deep. Those curated, focused experiences shimmered with promise, showcasing Bright Star’s ambitions for the game. However, Early Access feels like an entirely different beast, and not necessarily for the better.
Upon logging in on launch day, I was initially encouraged by the number of players running about, hunting in groups and testing out the game’s features in the fields surrounding the starter town. I joined in, slaughtering a few random pigs, wolves, and bandits around my level, crafted some tools, harvested resources where I could, and then called it a day. Even at this early stage, it was clear that Ember Sword still has a long way to go in nearly every facet of its gameplay.
For those unfamiliar, Ember Sword is a browser-based MMORPG—and right now, that’s the only way to play it. It’s a unique technical decision, but one that brings its own set of challenges. Even when playing in full-screen mode, the mouse movement often gets lost on-screen. You move with WASD while your character’s facing direction depends on your mouse placement—a system designed to feel MOBA-like. In theory, it’s a neat approach, but in practice, it becomes frustrating. Even while holding the right mouse button to adjust the camera, the mouse doesn’t lock properly. Instead, it slides across the screen, which can turn an intense fight into a desperate scramble just to reposition your character and fire off abilities in the right direction.
Please Let Me Jump to Conclusions
One immediate absence I felt was the jump button. In previous builds, jumping offered a greater sense of freedom and vertical traversal, but that’s now been replaced with a limited dodge roll. While mounts or other traversal options might eventually expand movement, being locked to the ground makes the world feel flat and restrictive for now. If you’re a fan of RuneScape or Albion Online, this grounded style of movement might feel familiar, but personally, I preferred the more robust traversal system of earlier versions.
The core systems of Ember Sword—leveling, crafting, and skill progression—are rudimentary but serviceable. There’s a certain comfort in the simplicity of these mechanics, especially when starting out. The real frustration comes from navigation and questing. Scattered throughout the game’s main towns are quest boards split into PvE and PvP tasks, but the quests themselves are often confusing and directionless.
Maybe modern games have spoiled us with quest markers and guided objectives, but when I picked up a quest to locate a Bandit Hideout and eliminate bandits, I at least expected a hint about where to go. Instead, I wandered aimlessly, killing every bandit I came across without ever stumbling upon the “hideout” in question. Worse still, after completing a few quests, I had no idea where to turn them in, as in, finding my way back to the quest board was confusing with no navigation. You kind of just had to note where you were on the map when you left and find your way back there. Tracking quests only adds to the confusion—sure, you can see a checklist on your screen, but it doesn’t provide meaningful guidance about where you need to go next.
This lack of direction isn’t limited to questing. During one session, I logged into a major city and noticed a bandit cage. Curious, I broke the cage—only to trigger a PvP flag and cause bandits to start spawning around me. There was no explanation for what I was supposed to do beyond “survive for 10 minutes.” Initially, the chaos was novel, but after 15 minutes of slow walking and fighting endlessly respawning enemies, the excitement wore off. I couldn’t figure out how to drop the flag, so I gave up and logged out in frustration.
The loot and crafting systems, while functional, quickly became overwhelming. During my chaotic bandit encounter, my inventory filled up with items I didn’t need. I retreated to a nearby settlement—one that ironically became the most populated area simply because bandits would spawn there but couldn’t attack. I crafted everything I could just to free up space, but the skill-based crafting system felt out of sync with the sheer number of items I was collecting. Despite all my effort, I ended up with duplicates of tools and gear I already owned, leaving the whole experience feeling unfulfilling.
As a Web3 game, Ember Sword places an emphasis on cosmetics, which can be traded and sold for currency that can then be traded for real money. I was lucky enough to obtain a few cosmetic items, though, I believe these common items were gifted to any of the 'founders'. I was excited to equip them and show off to other players, only to find the process entirely opaque. Clicking “equip” did nothing, and I eventually gave up. Seeing screenshots of players wearing their cosmetics in the official Discord only added to my confusion—did I miss something, or is the feature just not fully functional yet? I also wondered whether common cosmetics like mine would even hold value as NFTs, but for now, I’ve decided to stash them and see how things evolve.
Weaving a Web3
In its current Early Access state, Ember Sword feels like it’s taken a step back from the promise of its earlier demos. Web3 games already face an uphill battle to win over the broader gaming community, and Ember Sword isn’t doing itself any favors with a build that feels this rough around the edges, but as far as games go, you have to start somewhere. The MOBA-inspired combat system remains a standout idea, and I still see good bones here—but the basics need to be perfected before anything else. The lack of polish, confusing systems, and restrictive movement make it hard to appreciate what’s working underneath the surface.
There’s potential here, no doubt. With a clearer sense of direction, better polish, and more engaging mechanics, Ember Sword could become something special. But as it stands, this Early Access build feels less like a step forward and more like a prototype in need of serious refinement.
