Eternal Strands Review
Release Date: January 28, 2025
Developer: Yellow Brick Games
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S (Reviewed), PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5
Price: $39.99
A topic that eventually makes its way back into conversation over the last few years is the status of AA games and why they've gone away. We either have huge blockbusters that ultimately cause studios to shut down, or indie titles that, while great, leave room for much more potential restricted only by limited resources. The AA market used to be a flourishing one where tons of experimentation happened and created a following that gave the medium more options, which, by proxy, caused a more eclectic taste for those invested in the art form. Now, everyone wants to chase the high of overnight dollar bills and success by following trends instead of making them, and unfortunately this is also affecting newer gamers who are repeatedly getting shooters, Minecraft, or Fortnite shoved in their face as if those are (and have ever been) the only options. Eternal Strands gives that wonderful feeling back of being a game made by veterans that are proud of their accomplishments, but also want to provide a dream scenario in which they wear their inspirations proudly on their sleeves.
Eternal Strands is an incredibly striking game off the bat, with its visuals taking center stage with both its illustrative prowess and colorful assets that come together for a world that is enticing and wondrous. Doing so, players will find themselves in the shoes of Brynn, who travels with her companions - all of them knowns as Weavers - in hopes of bringing an end to the tyranny and corruption that's coming over the land. While the concept may sound all too familiar at a glance, it's incredibly rich and in-depth as the story and world unfolds to provide more and more as you progress. A wide range of abilities that continuously unlock both your arsenal and the world before you create a consistent pace of excitement, and fighting off the enemies while uncovering new areas and treasures is seldom a chore or a bore.
With Eternal Strands, the developers have crafted something that is incredibly accessible despite its inspirations which are known for their challenging natures. Titles like Shadow of the Colossus and Immortals Fenyx Rising, to name just a few, spring to mind when playing Eternal Strands, but Eternal Strands still stands apart from having many former Bioware veterans put in their expertise and design a game that still remains unique and memorable. Utilizing similar tactics to the likes of Breath of the Wild such as elemental interactions, Eternal Strands creates an atmosphere that is inexorably playful as the whole world intertwines with its actions and reactions to everything that takes place. Shooting ice or water into a pit of fire will help cool it down and create a pathway for Brynn to walk through, and shooting bombs can create an inferno that creates a chain reaction of fire that inevitably burns and latches onto trees, bushes, grass, and the like. Add that on top of all the telekinetic abilities Brynn is capable of that bring forth, throw, and destroy debris and stray objects, and the world turns into your playground as you utilize each to fight and traverse. Eternal Strands does a great job at being both playful and fun, and even with its occasional challenges, Brynn's arsenal is at your disposal to do whatever it takes to progress and come out victorious.
One thing I did notice, however, is that Eternal Strands is the type of game that actually gets better the more time you spend with it, solely due to the fact that it becomes more exciting as time goes on - which is great as a lot of other games can tend to have the opposite problem - but it may cause those with a lack of patience to really click with it right away since the beginning can be a little slow despite being introduced immediately to how the mechanics will more or less function and be throughout the game. Players will right away get acquainted with the various weapons, how to use them, and how abilities affect every object, but the real fun comes with all the later unlockables, especially once your camp continues to upgrade and become more robust with items and features that you can customize, forge, and upgrade with everything you'll be collecting while on your adventure. The customizations almost feel endless, and it's absolutely one of my favorite parts of the game as you can use all sorts of different materials in a way that feels virtually infinite to create any sort of armor set you'd like with the stats you're looking for. Like the sword that you're using but wish it had more heat resistance? You can do that. Wish you had a armor that gave Brynn more health than defense, but still a high resistance to cold? That can be done as well. Any which way you decide to craft your items will also change the attributes, leaving no two weapons or pieces of armor the same.
The plethora of options given to the player - as well as the countless blueprints found throughout to create even bigger and better items - are especially useful to not only playing the way you want to play and progressing at your own rate instead of a traditional levelling system, but to prepare yourself for the inevitable battles against the towering giants, of which there are nine total. These battles each feel epic just like they have in other games that present themselves in a David vs Goliath matter, and each attempt for each boss feels just as tremendous as the last. Of course, as previously stated, this will ultimately rely on how you upgrade Brynn, but there's no real wrong way in going about doing it. Utilizing all your abilities in a strategic way will ultimately cause you to come out victorious, but there's also no penalty for running away or dying. The game is forgiving in that aspect, and almost acts as a sort of cheerleader to help propel you to where you want to be as you recoup and try again. It can be challenging in a fun sense, and very rarely is it frustrating.
Despite all its detail, however, the world, while inviting and playful, could be filled with more to do. It's a world that is rich and deep, but a lot of it is ultimately just landmarks you'll be visiting as you go and attain knowledge from. This knowledge is impactful to Brynn's progression, however, so it's worth all the time and effort to reach these places that are more often than not extremely beautiful, but the allure is lost after the first time and there's not much incentive to revisit these places by choice. Instead, you'll find yourself coming back as they'll be locations you pass through or by while making your way to another area of the map, either intentionally or by accident as the HUD is minimal and doesn't supply a map without bringing up the menu, and even then you'll get a broad geographical layout rather than a zoomed-in detailed view.
These faults are extremely minor, though, and it doesn't really impact the game itself rather than the overall comfort level for the player. This will also vary from person to person, though, depending on the types of games they're used to playing, but having the option in the future certainly wouldn't hurt and make things more palatable for people in general.
Overall, Eternal Strands is a fantastic amalgam of some of gaming's great brought together for a new and rich experience that still stands on its own two feet, acting as more of a celebration of its inspirations rather than an imitation. Performance is also solid across the board on both PC and Xbox in which this review is based on thanks to it being an Xbox Play Anywhere title. In addition to being on Xbox Game Pass, there's no reason whatsoever to pass up getting into Eternal Strands if you're a fan of RPGs and adventure games that prioritize character progression but also player freedom. It's a game that plays with you rather than against you, and even with extremely light souls-like influences, it still remains an immensely palatable experience that should be played by all kinds of players. Yellow Brick Games has done a tremendous job for their debut title, and coming out this strong only excites me for what the future holds as these veterans share a vision for a bright creative future unobstructed by higher ups with other intentions.
PROS:
Fantastic art direction that is difficult to look away from
Epic battles from enemies of all sizes keep the game constantly exciting and fresh
It wears its inspirations proudly on its sleeve but still finds a way to remain unique and memorable
CONS:
The beginning can feel lackluster and like a drag as the players get used to the systems in place.
The world, while vibrant, could be filled with more to see and do.
A massive thank you to Yellow Brick Games for providing us a copy of Eternal Strands for the purposes of this review!