Ashes: Blackwater is a free post-apocalyptic first-person shooter and a spin-off to one of the best best games made on Doom II engine

The GZDoom engine, created by fans to modernize the first two entries in the Doom series, has become the foundation not only for many mods but also for a number of standalone games. One of the best titles in the latter category is the Ashes project—a superb freeware FPS set in a post-apocalyptic world. It’s developers are currently working on a major update that will add two completely new zones. However, we’ll have to wait a while for that, and to make thet wait more enjoyable, the creators have just released a mini-campaign titled Ashes: Blackwater.

The project acts as a spin-off and takes us to an alternate version of this universe, where two years earlier the protagonist controlled by the player failed and did not stop the General’s gang. Ashes: Blackwater features six large interconnected maps, forming one cohesive location. You play as a scavenger trying to survive in a nuclear war–ravaged America.

1. Ashes: Blackwater – download the game from our FTP (the authors have granted permission to host a mirror)

Like the original, Ashes: Blackwater combines the fast-paced combat typical of Doom II with realistically designed large maps more commonly found in modern FPS games. The gameplay is enriched with RPG elements and weapon upgrade mechanics. All visual and audio assets are entirely new, making it effectively a completely new game.

Overall, the project delivers very high quality, matching what many modern commercial boomer shooters have to offer.

1. Official Ashes website

Doom II: Hell on Earth

June 15, 1994

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• Overview

• Doom (franchise)
• postapocalypse
• free games
• FPP shooters (FPS)