Poison

Yahtzee Croshaw reviews Eternal Strands, a gear grinder with extraction elements and giant monster fights. Explore its gameplay, combat, and crafting.

This is a review of the game Eternal Strands by Yahtzee Croshaw, originally featured on Fully Ramblomatic. The review discusses the game's title, visual design, plot, characters, and gameplay mechanics, comparing it to other titles like World of Warcraft, Metal Gear Solid, Shadow of the Colossus, and Monster Hunter.

Walkthrough

1. 1
   The game features a gear-grinding loop with extraction elements, where players mount expeditions from a base camp to fight monsters, gather materials, and complete objectives.
2. 2
   Combat is described as serviceable but uninspired against standard enemies, with an elemental system that can trivialize encounters.
3. 3
   Crafting recipes are unspecific, allowing for flexible material substitution and reducing the need for obsessive grinding.
4. 4
   Giant monster fights are a highlight, offering a more engaging experience akin to Shadow of the Colossus but on a smaller, more accessible scale.
5. 5
   Players learn new spells by defeating giant monsters once and upgrade them by defeating them again in specific ways.
6. 6
   The game is compared to a "Fisher-Price Monster Hunter" or a theme park version, emphasizing its accessibility.
7. 7
   The first half of the game offers a sense of exploration and discovery, while the second half becomes more repetitive with story quests leading back to previously visited areas.
8. 8
   The review concludes that Eternal Strands is a strong foundation for the developers, demonstrating their understanding of game design principles, much like Picasso's early realistic works before his more experimental phase.

Tips

• Focus on exploring and collecting materials, as the crafting system is forgiving.
• Engage with the giant monster fights, as they are a core and enjoyable part of the experience.
• Appreciate the game as a strong starting point for a new studio, with potential for more unique titles in the future.

The primary reward is the satisfaction of completing the game and seeing the developers' potential, with the hope that they will create more unique and artistic games in the future. The game itself offers new spells and upgrades as rewards for defeating giant monsters.