Yahtzee reviews Eternal Strands, a gear grinder with extraction elements and giant monster fights. Explore its strengths and weaknesses in this detailed walkthrough.
Walkthrough
- 1The game features a gear-grinding loop where players mount expeditions from a base camp to open-ended areas.
- 2Players fight monsters, collect crafting materials, and pursue story objectives.
- 3Combat is described as uninspired against standard enemies, with an elemental system that can trivialize encounters.
- 4Crafting recipes are unspecific, allowing for flexible material substitution.
- 5Giant monster fights are a highlight, described as similar to Shadow of the Colossus but more bite-sized, requiring players to learn new spells and upgrade them by defeating the monsters multiple times in specific ways.
- 6The game is compared to a Fisher-Price or theme park version of Monster Hunter, offering a less committal experience.
- 7The first half of the game emphasizes exploration and discovery, while the second half focuses on repetitive story quests.
- 8The developers are praised for understanding game design principles, akin to Picasso's early realistic work, with anticipation for more unique future projects.
Tips
- Focus on exploring and collecting materials, as crafting recipes are flexible.
- Engage with the giant monster fights, as they are a core and well-implemented feature.
- Appreciate the game's strengths in the first half, where exploration and discovery are more prominent.
Eternal Strands is a solid starting point for a new studio, demonstrating a strong understanding of gameplay mechanics, particularly in its giant monster encounters. It offers a promising foundation for future, more ambitious titles.
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