Of Ash and Steel Preview

Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost

‘Of Ash and Steel’ is an immersive third-person RPG set in a dangerous medieval fantasy open world, developed by a passionate team that values the essence of classic old-school RPGs and modern designs.
Explore the lands of a once-prosperous island, hone your combat skills, and survive in the unforgiving realm of the Kingdom of the Seven.

Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost
Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost

Rewarding World Exploration

‘Of Ash and Steel’ world is full of hidden treasures, underwater caves, side quests and bosses, and valuable loot. Some of these can be found with a treasure map, while others with pure luck. The game has no marker system, and quests won’t lead you by the hand. Rediscover the joy of exploration and let curiosity be your guide; the world promises rich rewards for those who dare to uncover its secrets.

Deep Character Progression and World Evolution

Build your characters as you like with three different skill branches: Survival, Craftsmanship and War. Allocate your character’s attribute points and unlock passive bonuses by exploring the world. The social system makes your progression even more noticeable: As the hero’s skills grow, the world around him reacts differently. If at the beginning of the game you were treated like a ragamuffin, by the end of the game the characters will literally bow to your feet.

Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost
Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost

Rich Storytelling

‘Of Ash and Steel’ is set in the low-fantasy cruel medieval world. Make your path from abandoned lowlife to a marshal of fortunes, choose your side and forge alliances on your journey to discover the truth of who you really are.

Methodical Action RPG Combat

The combat system in ‘Of Ash and Steel’ allows players to use 3 different combat stances with unique combat styles for different weapons. You are not a legendary, powerful Hero by default in ‘Of Ash and Steel’. You need to learn the ropes of becoming one! Learn to stand up for yourself by timing your attacks, using environments, and active skills. Invest in the War branch to become more skilled not just in numbers: attacks become more accurate and stronger, and you’ll learn more tricks. For example, you’ll be able to throw bottles from the ground to stun your opponents!

Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost
Of Ash and Steel. Pic: Fire Frost

Immersive Atmosphere

Players are encouraged to slow down and fully embrace the world around them. The richly detailed environment comes alive with a dynamic day-night cycle, shifting weather, and natural elements like wind that sways the trees. Ambient sounds—from the soft rustle of leaves to distant birdsong—enhance the immersion, while NPCs follow their own daily routines, adding to the sense of a living, breathing world. The result is an experience that wraps players in a comforting, tranquil atmosphere, inviting them to linger and explore at their own pace.

When Classic Meets Modern

‘Of Ash and Steel’ is a game for everyone from hardcore RPG fans to casual players. It is inspired by classic old-school RPGs and combines the convenience of modern gaming while paying homage to the legendary classic role-playing games. There are no quest markers or enemy auto-levelling, but there’s modern UI, environment markers, tutorials, and much more.

  • Genre: Open-world RPG
  • Platforms: PC
  • Engine: Unreal Engine 4
  • Release Date: 2025

Yale: A Smart Security System for a Smart Home

Over the past week, I’ve had the opportunity to try out several products from Yale, a leading provider of home security solutions. The products I used were:

  1. Yale Smart Video Doorbell: A smart doorbell with an integrated camera.
  2. Yale Smart Indoor Camera: A smart indoor security camera.
  3. Yale Smart Outdoor Camera: A smart outdoor security camera.

The key advantage of the Yale system is the seamless connectivity between all the products. You can view a live feed from all cameras in one app, and receive real-time notifications for any motion detected or when the doorbell rings.

But here’s the best part: You can unlock your front door with a single tap in the app, while simultaneously watching a live feed from the camera!

Continue reading “Yale: A Smart Security System for a Smart Home”

Ecovacs Deebot X5 Pro Omni: The King of Robot Vacuums?

A Special Review After Two Months of Use: The robot vacuum market in Israel is fiercely competitive, with new and advanced models arriving constantly. But after two months of intensive use of the Ecovacs Deebot X5 Pro Omni, I can confidently declare: this is the best robot vacuum I have encountered so far.

The Ecovacs Deebot X5 Pro Omni is a premium robot vacuum and mop combo from Ecovacs, marketed in Israel by Ronlight. It comes with a comprehensive set of advanced features designed to provide a completely automated, hands-free cleaning experience.

Continue reading “Ecovacs Deebot X5 Pro Omni: The King of Robot Vacuums?”

Pinball FX: Camp Bloodbrook – A Terrifyingly Fun Halloween Treat

Zen Studios has once again raised the bar for pinball enthusiasts with their latest addition to the Pinball FX series, Camp Bloodbrook. This horror-themed DLC is a must-play for fans of both pinball and ’80s slasher flicks, offering a thrilling and nostalgic experience.

As someone who grew up playing classic arcade pinball machines, I can confidently say that Pinball FX perfectly captures the feel of those beloved games. The physics are spot on, and the various tables, including Camp Bloodbrook, offer a challenging yet rewarding gameplay experience. For those unfamiliar with pinball, the game does an excellent job of introducing the basics, making it accessible to players of all ages and skill levels.

Continue reading “Pinball FX: Camp Bloodbrook – A Terrifyingly Fun Halloween Treat”

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Coming to Mac

CD Projekt Red brings Night City to Apple Silicon

Oct 31st, 2024 – In a surprise announcement, CD Projekt Red revealed that Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is coming to Macs with Apple silicon. This includes the new iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro powered by the M4 family of chips. The game will be optimized to take full advantage of Apple’s Metal graphics API, promising impressive performance and stunning visuals.

Continue reading “Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Coming to Mac”

Deadly Days: Roadtrip Playtest #2 Hits the Gas! (And We Got an Early Look)

Cologne, Germany – Remember that awesome zombie-slaying, inventory-juggling roguelite I stumbled upon at Gamescom 2024? Well, get ready to hit the road again because Pixelsplit just launched the second public playtest for Deadly Days: Roadtrip, and it’s jam-packed with new features, improvements, and enough zombie guts to paint the highway red.

For those who missed the memo, Deadly Days: Roadtrip throws you into the driver’s seat of a zombie apocalypse road trip. Imagine a chaotic blend of reverse bullet hell and Tetris, where you’re dodging hordes of undead while frantically managing an inventory bursting with bizarre weapons and items.

Continue reading “Deadly Days: Roadtrip Playtest #2 Hits the Gas! (And We Got an Early Look)”

Shokz OpenFit Air Review: Freedom for Your Ears

Shokz has been making waves in the audio world with their unique open-ear technology, and the OpenFit Air are their latest and most accessible offering yet. These earbuds ditch the bone conduction of their predecessors for a more traditional air conduction approach, but keep the signature open-ear design that lets you enjoy your music while staying aware of your surroundings. But do they live up to the hype? Let’s dive in.

Continue reading “Shokz OpenFit Air Review: Freedom for Your Ears”

Intel Unleashes Core Ultra 200S: The AI Revolution Comes to Desktop PCs!

As Intel’s guest in Berlin this past September, I got a first look at the future of computing. There, within the walls of the company’s main launch event for Lunar Lake, the new Intel Core Ultra 200S processor series was revealed to me – a significant leap forward that will change the game for gamers, content creators, and tech enthusiasts worldwide.

These new processors, developed in part in Israel, offer an unprecedented combination of performance, energy efficiency, and advanced AI capabilities. Leading the pack is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, a powerful flagship processor with 24 cores, promising to break new records and set a new standard for desktop PC performance.

Continue reading “Intel Unleashes Core Ultra 200S: The AI Revolution Comes to Desktop PCs!”