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Eternal Strands Review

Every now and then, a game will be released that reminds you why you love playing big, well-produced games in the first place. Ones that go beyond simple concepts or entertainment, and really deliver on the satisfaction of feeling like you’re playing something that could only be polished and produced at the time of gaming that we’re living in. Eternal Strands is one of those experiences. You play as Brynn, a Weaver of magic that leads an eclectic group of determined fellow Weavers on a mission of discovery and salvation. Throughout your time in the “Enclave” and beyond, you’ll face element-enhanced minions, towering & thunderous constructs, and scaly & feathered beasts in abundance, as you piece together what happened while the denizens outside of your home city were locked beyond “The Veil” that none can cross because of the “tangles” that are fatal to try and pass through. At your disposal will be a bevy of magical abilities and attacks, including ones based on fire, ice, and kinetic energies, along with weapons. All of these, along with the ability to pick up and throw just about anything (including enemies), are combined for some of the coolest and most hectic combat situations I’ve played in a while. Eternal Strands combines an engaging storyline with an impeccably chosen cast of characters and voice actors and an inventive magic casting combat system to pull you into a world you won’t want to escape from.

Thrust onto Point

In Eternal Strands, every design decision seems to lean towards benefiting the player and allowing them to play the game how they want to. This comes into play with the story and dialogue, as Brynn herself is thrust into the role of “Acting Point” when her Weaverband’s previous leader is disabled during the exhilarating starting scenes that catapult our traveling group’s story into a place they never thought they’d venture. You’re the one sent out to explore “The Enclave” as it’s called, and figure out what happened to the surrounding lands and the, at first, seemingly abandoned colossal cities, which were previously occupied by other magic weavers like yourself, along with giant Arks. Alongside you are a very talkative bunch of cohorts, including lorekeepers, material managers, crafters, and a few other surprises along the way. You get to discover so much about each of them throughout the game, and much of the time in camp is spent getting to know just about every detail you could want to know about how they joined the weaverband, their thoughts on the current state of your progress in the story, or about the interpersonal relationships between them all (and you!) The character design, in archetype and backstory, along with development that coordinated with the happenings out in the world of The Enclave, made for some truly captivating storytelling without huge events or twists having to be the driving force behind it all. It was intimate, and managed to feel genuine even in its most dramatic. Casting for the voice actors was spot on as well, as the beautifully unique, yet still relatable characters were brought to life wonderfully. The “Role Playing” part of this Action-Adventure RPG is truly a highlight, even with all of the high-flying combat and exploration.

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You're Hot then You're Cold

As Brynn the Weaver, you are enabled throughout the game with a growing arsenal of ways to take on the many enemies and giant titans that roam the lands. Through ample use of magic, paired with a trusty combination of sword, shield, even bigger sword, and bow & arrow, there are a multitude of ways to take on combat. If that wasn’t enough to work with, the game employs a “Hot” and “Cold” system for everything in the game that can be attacked or attacked with. This includes your magic, weapons, enemies, bosses, and even the environments themselves. You’ll shoot fire like a dragon in close combat to melt a chilled surgeborn, or spray ice walls that can latch onto a feisty fire wolf to dose some of that heat. 

01.NEW EternalStrands Brynn Fire

Your armor is also equipped with fire and cold resistances, which can be switched interchangeably with the right materials. Throughout your battles and exploration you’ll be picking up various materials, either by breaking things in the environment, defeating enemies, or breaking off pieces of the bosses that roam each area. Each material has a quality grade, and is able to affect the potency of your main stats, including things like attack power, armor, resistances, magic power, and more, by being used to craft new weapons and armor pieces. The crafting system is expertly optimized,  allowing for experimentation with colors, buffs, and more without having to worry about wasting materials or any other type of currency. You can freely interchange your materials and upgrade your gear, and if you decide you want to upgrade or try something else, you can dismantle anything and get all of what you put in back, no problems. The ingredients also change the colors of the gear, which has the added perk of making it so at a glance I knew what kind of elements I could resist when facing the chaotic (at times) battle environments.

React and Repel...or Run

Speaking of actual combat, Eternal Strands is a spicy mix of “just hard enough” enemy variety and enjoyable exploration, which had me constantly calculating how I would explore an area while also not dying to its inhabitants, including the added variable of overbearing weather that is introduced during the story. More than a few times I found myself starting a fight that I definitely couldn’t just bash my way through. Whether this was because the dry grass around me started bursting into flames rapidly because of the sweltering heat wave affecting the area, or an invisible reptile creature crept into the fray and started clawing at me from the side, I had to stay on my toes and use my rationed health potions very deliberately. This isn’t even to mention the always present big beasties that patrol most areas. There aren’t enough games where, while fighting a mob of smaller baddies, a crystal dragon may come stomping by. Oh and may God help you if you aggro one of them, as that fight you’re trying to navigate suddenly becomes a rush to survive as said massive creature starts wanting a piece of the action. I did sometimes feel a bit underpowered compared to some of the attackers I was facing, but never did I feel it was unfair and I couldn't work to make it easier on myself.

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To Harvest an Ark

Fighting the apex bosses on each level is a highlight of Eternal Strands, and the visuals produced by these towering challenges as they maneuver around the landscapes (designed for them by the inhabitants, in some cases) is goosebump inspiring. “Wow” came out of my mouth throughout my time completing the game. Seeing each one for the first time as the levels were introduced upon your first steps into the area was like laying your eyes on a Shadow of the Colossus boss, and showed off the sheer scale and dynamic choices available for exploring and tackling the boss and area ahead. Deducing how to best “harvest” the necessary “weave strands” that can be pulled out of each colossal enemy was not always obvious, but was always fulfilling, and each time you defeat a boss multiple times, you get an upgrade to their respective magical ability that is unlocked upon your first time beating them. To beat a boss, you have to first make them vulnerable, finding the right armor to knock off, or specific parts of them to break. Then, you either reduce their HP to 0 or rip their weave strand out of them to instantly disable them. This is the challenge, as each one has their own weakness and soft spot to uncover, all the while having to dodge and maneuver away from their attacks and attempts to grab you off of them as you scurry around on their body like an annoying insect. The rewards for defeating each one, even multiple times, felt worth it, and I’d integrate taking out these bosses during my various “runs” into the areas sometimes for the rewards, and sometimes just so they’d be out of my hair as I searched for the many hidden lore books and schematics placed around the maps. Picking these up allowed for more intel for each area to be seen before you decided to travel there, allowing for more purposeful gathering sessions if you wanted a specific ingredient. Later in the game, you can even trade for specific materials, which is awesome. 

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In Conclusion

I’m about 23 hours into Eternal Strands and I’ve still yet to finish everything I want to finish within the lands I can explore. I’m just too busy hanging onto every word my party confides in me at camp, or taking down a fiery dragon as he does a barrel roll with me hanging onto his back, or crossing a large ravine by using ice walls to walk deftly across in search of that last weapon blueprint that completes my set. Yellow Brick Games has crafted an engaging game that delivers on action, excels at adventure, and the role you get to play as a budding leader is dynamic and mature, in a pragmatically compassionate way.


EternalStrands Scores

Daxel
About Author:
Hey I’m Joshua Hyles! Owner and Editor of Gaming Furever. Lover of cruises, travel, flavors, my wife and my family.
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