DaRmaZat Billed by some as a mix between Shadow of the Colossus and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Eternal Strands launches on January 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Developed and published by Yellow Brick Games, the project boasts an impressive pedigree, with industry veterans like Jeff Skalski, Frédéric St-Laurent B., and Mike Laidlaw (known for his work on the original Dragon Age trilogy) at the helm. Expectations were understandably high—but does this action-RPG live up to them?
Story, Setting, and Characters: A Confusing Tangle
In Eternal Strands, you play as Brynn, a young warrior recently initiated into the Weaver gang—a group of mages who draw their powers from enchanted cloaks but are simultaneously the outcasts of their world. As a rookie, Brynn receives constant guidance from her team leader, Oria, via an earpiece. Her mission is to become the group’s hero by clearing hostile zones, upgrading the camp, and unraveling the planet’s mysteries. Gameplay largely involves climbing massive enemies to exploit their weak spots, a concept that—while proven in other games—gets off to a painfully slow start here.
Unfortunately, the characters fail to make a meaningful impression. Oria, for instance, resembles a harpy, which detracts from immersion, while dialogue between Brynn and her teammates, despite featuring seemingly significant choices, often feels juvenile and static. The visual novel-style presentation doesn’t help matters, leaving you disconnected from the main cast.
The plot is further hindered by chaotic lore that struggles to carve out a distinct identity. Terminology and creatures seem borrowed from other games in the genre. For instance, there’s The Enclave (a mysterious hub), The Veil (a magical fog that damages you when crossed), and Arkons (enigmatic enemies introduced with minimal explanation).
Gameplay Mechanics: An Asynchronous Mess
The gameplay attempts to integrate numerous systems but struggles to do so effectively. Brynn wields both weapons and magical abilities during combat, but controls often feel clunky. Casting spells requires pressing multiple buttons simultaneously, which is awkward on both keyboard and controller. Aiming and throwing objects is equally cumbersome, and the default button layout feels outdated.
The combat is a sore spot. And unfortunately, not so much for the enemies.
Combat is another major weak point—and not for the enemies’ sake. Their AI is laughable, with foes frequently getting stuck against walls, trees, or rocks. When enemies fall from great heights, they somehow land perfectly upright, and combat lacks satisfying feedback. Target-locking is unreliable, and abilities like Weaver’s Grasp (to hurl objects), Ice Wall (to extinguish fires and freeze foes), and Ensnaring Blast (to trap enemies in a purple dome that explodes) look more impressive than they feel to use. These powers are often unwieldy, leading to situations where you accidentally harm yourself or block your own path.
And the Frustrations Continue: Maybe That’s Why It’s Called Eternal?
Eternal Strands is riddled with odd design choices that exacerbate frustration. Breaking a simple chest, for example, takes multiple hits, which feels tedious—especially since these chests are essential for obtaining loot and crafting materials. The lack of manual saves is another sore spot. While a save option is listed in the pause menu, it isn’t actually selectable, forcing reliance on automatic checkpoints. This becomes problematic during lengthy sections where death means replaying entire levels, as enemies respawn in different locations.
Although Brynn can use Oria’s Scry ability to resurrect, it’s a meaningless gesture, as progress resets regardless. Worse yet, you can initially carry only three items back to camp via the Safety Pouch—a mechanic that feels arbitrarily restrictive.
Despite appearing to be an open-world game, Eternal Strands is actually a collection of smaller zones connected by loading screens. Exploration is limited by invisible walls of The Veil, and straying too far from the intended path results in being automatically teleported back. One of the first areas, Glintwood Hollow, introduces objectives like finding Loomgates (used for fast travel and potion refills) and uncovering the secrets of massive Arks. However, these regions are frequently recycled for other missions, diminishing their sense of wonder.
To make matters worse, the Wisp—a magical guide meant to show you the way out after completing quests—has an inexplicably long cooldown. If you miss the Wisp’s brief glow, you’ll have to wait before summoning it again. Why? A rhetorical question you’ll find yourself asking more and more as you play.
Visuals: Inconsistent, but Decent Performance
As you might have guessed by now, Eternal Strands struggles with consistency even in its visuals. While some cutscenes are stunning, others look cartoonish, resembling something out of Overwatch—a style that won’t appeal to everyone. Though the art style features bold colors and a polished aesthetic, the mix of different visual styles prevents the game from achieving a cohesive look. Volumetric effects are hazy, and animations often feel unnatural.
Performance and Sound as the Bright Spots.
Despite its many flaws, Eternal Strands does have two redeeming qualities: the soundtrack and its technical performance. The music is excellent, delivering memorable tracks that elevate key moments. On the performance side, the game runs surprisingly smoothly, even on higher resolutions and refresh rates. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, it supports Nvidia DLSS, Frame Generation for RTX 40-series GPUs, and AMD FSR, ensuring a solid technical foundation.
Conclusion
At first glance, Eternal Strands promises to be an ambitious mix of elements from hits like Shadow of the Colossus and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. However, what you ultimately get feels like a half-baked amalgamation of borrowed ideas that never fully coalesce into something compelling. The world, story, characters, and gameplay all lack the spark needed to stand out, leading to a frustrating and often monotonous experience. While the game occasionally delivers exciting moments, such as battles against colossal enemies, it’s hard to shake the feeling that it could have been so much better. For fans of light-hearted action-RPGs like Kingdoms of Amalur, Eternal Strands might offer some enjoyment. But compared to other titles in the genre, it struggles to leave a lasting impression.
Additional Information
Release Date: January 28, 2025
Reviewed On: PC. Review copy provided by the publisher and PR agency via BeyondGaming.
Developer: Yellow Brick Games
Publisher: Yellow Brick Games
Official Website:
https://www.eternalstrandsgame.com
Relevant Links:
Eternal Strands on STEAM
