Eternal Strands REVIEW
The fantasy Eternal Strands, the first game from Yellow Brick Games with Mike Laidlaw at the helm, one of the key creators of the original Dragon Age, has reached release. And this time, unlike most big-budget projects, there is something to talk about. Let’s say right away – not everything went smoothly, but for some this game will become an outlet in the world of modern games. Now, let’s talk about everything in order.
The Eternal Strands universe is not very friendly – the world is full of conflicts, and dangerous creatures are scurrying around everywhere. And the filth has penetrated – there is almost nowhere to hide from the dangerous “fog”. A team of brave heroes sets off in search of the Enclave, a unique mythical place untouched by general cataclysms. Players will have to take control of a girl named Brynn and personally break into a unique zone.
But even the desired Enclave after achieving the goal was not free from external threats – it was already filled with monsters, and only the filth miraculously did not creep into it everywhere. Now the brave warrior must find out about the events taking place, explore the place hidden from the eyes of an ordinary person and stop the approaching evil.
And at first this “suspense” is quite enough – gradually the heroine learns a lot of useful information, so the text codex is constantly expanding. Studying it is quite fascinating – the developers really tried to introduce the player to a new universe, provided a “truck” of lore and explained even the simplest and most basic things. But, unfortunately, due to the overabundance “on the market” of such similar fantasy games, the basic scenario of the main line may not work for everyone. It is cool to dig into the details, but such a process of studying the world will definitely not suit everyone. And the swing takes a very long time …
They did not skimp on dialogues either. Brynn often communicates with her companions, discusses the simplest problems with them and sincerely tries to help. Sometimes there is an opportunity to make a choice and note the heroine’s personal attitude to the situation, but I did not notice much difference, except for the subsequent coloring of the dialogues.
If we note the similarities of the project with other games, then Shadow of the Colossus and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom immediately come to mind. And this is not without reason. From the first game, we got huge bosses that you can skillfully climb, simultaneously looking for weak points and effectively destroying them, and from the second – technical interaction with the world – you can climb onto any surface and use magic and skills without restrictions, throwing everything and everyone to the sides. The physics turned out to be very thoughtful and well-developed. There is a cliff nearby, but you can’t get over it? We create an ice platform and calmly cross to the other side. Enemies everywhere? We throw a fireball into the nearby forest and burn the entire area. The enemy has covered himself with a powerful shield? We tear the object out of his hands with telepathy and calmly kill the opponent in close combat. There are plenty of variations in the use of magic – everything is limited only by the player’s imagination.
In Eternal Strands, each boss is a huge giant with a unique set of skills and a certain gimmick. To destroy the giants, it is enough to hit their weak spots and reduce their health bar to zero. But after victory, the player’s confrontation with them does not end. These special opponents store unique magic inside themselves, with the help of which it will be possible to improve Brynn’s current spells.
To get such improvements, you need to carefully study the codex after the first kill and find weak points. For example, the very first giant is protected by armor, so you need to knock down the rivets on the chest part of the armor and only then “suck out” its life energy. You can do this at any time, for example, move through the portal to the base and immediately re-enter the location with the boss. The giants move from one location to another and return back, all useful information on the map can be found when activating the portal.
The developers have provided for a full restoration of locations upon re-visiting, even the time of day plays a role, and some resources are easier to find only at a certain time of day. And there are a lot of secrets – chests with rare loot and blueprints for new equipment items are hidden everywhere. And markers are completely absent and appear only when the heroine is very close to the task target. And all these mechanics are actively used and manifested when completing quests.
At first, all this is fascinating, but by the next task, in which they will again ask to find a certain type of items, the fascination with what is happening gradually decreases. Remembering the location of each rare curiosity is incredibly difficult, and searching through the numerous codex is excruciatingly long. Perhaps, fans of endless collection of items will find this whole process interesting, but at some point I lost the desire to go to the same locations five times. I just ran into the monotony and uniformity of actions – I want to chop down giants left and right, and not run through the bushes and look for flowers and mushrooms.
In addition to spells, the player is free to improve blades, bows and armor. To do this, it is enough to bring the amount of resources of one type specified in the description and increase the efficiency of the equipment without spending any additional resources. You can also change the bonuses to attributes by using rarer components – in this case, previously spent items will return to the heroine’s inventory. And you can change the characteristics back and forth at any time in the camp of the blacksmith master.
The player’s “shelter” or “base” is also gradually improved for resources. The player can give unnecessary artifacts to the general storage and increase the level of the tent of this or that companion. Nothing complicated – everything is clear and lies in front of the player.
The world of Eternal Strands feels alive, it is worked out in detail and looks very colorful. Magic effects also add atmosphere – being in this universe and watching what is happening is very exciting. There are no questions about the detailing, since the chosen style is perfect for gamers of any age – there is no cruelty, blood, and therefore it will suit even young players. And in addition, pleasant melodies are constantly playing in the background.
But in terms of optimization, you should hope for the power of the hardware. With an abundance of effects on the screen, noticeable drawdowns may occur – battles with opponents will not spoil, but the general impression of optimization will be distorted.
Eternal Strands is a good game that will definitely find its audience. The project pleased us with many aspects, such as unique interaction with the world, and provided an unusual experience.
Not all components of the game can be praised, but it is original enough to captivate for several evenings. It is interesting to explore locations, collect resources and use magic, which does not work like in other similar projects. In other words, it is fun to spend time here, and a rather sluggish narrative does not interfere with this. You just need to give the game a chance if it does not drag you in at first.
