Eternal Strands Review

Yellow Brick Games' first title, Eternal Strands, drops players in a deep, high-fantasy environment full of sorcery, powerful enemies, and magical questing. In comparison with stalwart titles such as Shadow of the Colossus, Breath of the Wild, and Immortals Fenyx Rising, Eternal Strands seeks out its own place in a crowded field as a stand-out action-adventure title in its own right.

With its rich universe, interconnected systems, and individualistic gaming philosophies, the title sets an ambitious benchmark for itself. Did it, however, deliver? Since we got the review copy very early and after a long stint of gameplay—beating out its main campaign, questlines, and full character development optimizations—it's apparent that Eternal Strands is a title full of both highs and lows.

The soul and heart of Eternal Strands is a deep and involved narrative full of sorcery and intrigue. Living in a universe in which The Surge, a planet-shattering disaster, reduces a planet to rubble and still being protected by a barrier, the Veil, protecting an elusive group, the secretive Enclave, a source of magical knowhow and technology, an Enclave fall sets off a secondary series of arcane catastrophes, plunging a planet into anarchy. As a Weaver, a sorcerous and deadly weapon manipulator, and a group of companions search a fractured universe for information, lore astray, and, in the long-term, salvation.

What makes Eternal Strands stand out, in particular, is its devotion to its worldbuilding. We are plunged into its universe in a single go with a mix of key objectives, secondary questing, and trinkets. Having codex fragments both in narrative and gaming use is a mechanism that proves to work marvelously well. Spread out over regions in a game, these codex chunks convey information about a world's dynamics and timeline and, at times, new information and tools for one's expansion of awareness in an environment.

The narrative format in Eternal Strands engages high player participation by offering dialogue options and branching dialogue trees. Despite little direct contribution in altering narrative direction, players feel involved and in charge of their choices. The narrative isn't flawless, nevertheless. Cutscenes for key events occur in a sequence of static-panel illustrations, whose lack of full motion, even with powerful voice acting, robs them of a level of cinematics one feels in full-motion events. That budget-saving move, most probably, reduces the impact one feels towards events in a narrative.

For all of that, even with such constraint, a universe in a game continues to radiate vibrancy and an urge to explore it. All regions in the game serve a living, changing environment, with changing weather, changing times of daylight, and changing magical auras. All such tweaks have a real bearing on gaming, with changing adversary behavior, availability of assets, and even access to specific locations.

Still, one of the game's impressive parts is its dynamic world design. Unlike many games, where returning locations feel repetitive, Eternal Strands makes each return trip to a region feel unique and unpredictable. Weather and magical forces can cause drastic changes in the game's locations, such as Glintwood Hollow's lush woodlands.

A tranquil woodland, for example, could transform into an arid wasteland during a drought or a frozen tundra after a flash frost. These shifts are more than simply cosmetic; they also present new difficulties and possibilities, forcing players to adjust their methods and gear.

This dynamic method applies to both enemy encounters and boss battles. Each zone contains distinct bosses linked to the game's progression mechanisms. These enormous structures, reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus, are not only formidable enemies but also essential for character growth. Defeating these bosses allows you to collect loci, which may be utilized to improve magical powers. The act of exposing and harvesting these loci frequently includes solving contextual riddles or achieving certain fighting conditions, which adds a layer of strategy to the encounters.

The game's emphasis on exploration is reinforced by its interwoven systems. Expedition resources can be salvaged to improve camp infrastructure, construct powerful equipment, and unlock new skills. This interaction of exploration, resource management, and progression results in a rewarding gameplay cycle that motivates players to dive further into the universe of Eternal Strands.

The combat in Eternal Strands is a combination of elemental magic, physics-based interactions, and traditional combat mechanics. You can use fire, frost, and kinetic magic to control the environment and foes in unique ways. Fire spells, for example, can set adversaries and terrain on fire, whilst freezing magic might freeze foes or form improvised bridges. Kinetic magic offers an extra dimension of innovation by allowing players to fling objects—or even enemies—at their targets.

The game's weapon system complements its magical features by providing a variety of tools with distinct characteristics. The kinetic two-hander, for example, allows you to propel your enemies into the air, providing unique navigation and combat possibilities. Similarly, the flame bow and ice bow have unique effects that can alter the tide of combat. The interconnectedness of various systems promotes exploration and rewards players who think outside the box.

Despite its unique mechanics, Eternal Strands' combat system does have some drawbacks. Movement and attacks sometimes feel floaty, and the timing of dodge rolls and parries is not as precise as in other action games. Furthermore, enemy AI periodically degrades the experience, with some enemies displaying near-perfect tracking, making dodging difficult. While the towering bosses are impressive, the game's limited selection of common enemies—only eleven in total—can make ordinary battles feel tedious after a while.

Nonetheless, the combat system in Eternal Strands stands out because of its originality and freedom. The game's openness to chaotic, physics-driven interactions provides players with a sense of agency and enjoyment that few other games in the genre provide.

Progress is inescapably tied to its crafting and discovery system. In-game, its economy for items and materials is strong, with items fallen enemies, nodes, and environment being utilized in many of its crafting and upgrade processes. You can modify gear by experimenting with mixed techniques and tailoring it for specific jobs.

The camping system is a progression hub, with room for improvement in structures, inventories, and crafting options discovered. Lane's file record and Dom's atelier have the opportunity for files of resistances and weaving new spells, and codices discovered in voyages reveal significant information about planet and planet secrets. That synergy mechanism for growth ensures any activity in Eternal Strands is meaningful and in harmony with its discovery and exploration theme.

The incorporation of bosses in its progression mechanism stands out particularly. All bosses in Eternal Strands have a specific locus that corresponds with a specific magical skill. Forging such loci involves attaining a specific state during its encounters, and that brings in an additional level of complexity and strategy in such encounters. Not only does such an incorporation integrate narrative and activity, but it keeps encounters with a boss meaningful. The strong in-game economy for items and materials brings a significant level of realism to the crafting and upgrade processes, and the crafting and discovery mechanism seems no exception.

In terms of visuals, Eternal Strands is a picture-beautiful title. In-game stylized looks work well with its high-fantasy environment, providing vibrant settings that glimpse living and real. Environmental and changing lights and weather conditions contribute to the atmosphere, and each region feels personalized and memorable.

Eternal Strands' audio work is no less impressive. The soundtracks complement the journey, and voice acting, infusing life and personality into characters, stands strong in its presentation. As a letdown, the lack of full, animated cutscenes is an opportunity squandered, but overall, the game's presentation holds its head high, and Yellow Brick Games' potential begins to reveal.

In the end, Eternal Strands is a bold title that challenges you to dream big. With its changing environment, new gaming methodologies, and mixed systems, it stands out in a sea of crowded action-adventure titles. For all its weaknesses, such as floaty fighting and shallow variety in its enemies, its strengths dominate its faults. For high-fantasy dreamers and investigation and creation games, the game is a thrill.

A first title and yet a fine achievement, Eternal Strands proves Yellow Brick Games' determination and imagination. Perhaps not with high refinement, but in its inventiveness, complexity, and ambition, it is an unforgettable, satisfying journey. With its rich world creation, arduous battles with bosses, and new approaches to battle, Eternal Strands has at least one feature for everyone.