Eternal Strands review

pcgamer.com:

I have just clambered to the top of a beautiful ivy-covered tower so I can get a better look at my surroundings, a stunning vista bathed in the warm light of a perfect summer's day. Fiery monsters have torched a patch of earth in the distance, setting off a few volatile plants nearby. I should investigate that. Treasure glints on a rocky outcrop, goading me to try and reach it. I should go grab that, too. As I take in this gorgeous scene a huge bird flies overhead, casting its shadow across battered stone and ruined architecture. I bet I could take it on if I tried.

What is it? An athletic ARPG set in a gorgeous playground of a world
Release date: January 28, 2025
Expect to pay: $40 / £33.50
Developer: Yellow Brick Games
Publisher: Yellow Brick Games
Reviewed on: Intel i9-13900HX, RTX 4090 (laptop), 32GB RAM
Steam Deck: Unknown
Multiplayer? No
Link: Official website

In Eternal Strands everything I can see is part of a new challenge: Something to be scaled, scouted, or slashed at.

I don't even have to waste my time trekking across boring expanses of open field to reach the things that have caught my eye, as this compact game is broken up into a series of carefully crafted areas attached to a homely hub. It reminds me of Monster Hunter more than a seamless but flabby open world sprawl of #content. Some regions invite me to run across rooftops, while others want me to dive into the bowels of the earth. Along the way I stumble upon fragments of stories in these abandoned places, told through lingering magical mishaps, forgotten statues, and dusty meeting rooms.

Oria, my group's leader, is constantly watching over me via a magical video link, and her voice in my ear spins the details I stumble upon into meaningful quests; Eternal Strand's story covers everything from sweet personal relationships to deadly hordes of sealed horrors. Her vast experience in the scouting role I'm currently occupying makes her a little intimidating—and also makes her softer, slightly awkward