Yahtzee Croshaw reviews Eternal Strands, a gear grinder with extraction elements and giant monster fights, comparing it to Monster Hunter and Shadow of the Colossus.
Walkthrough
- 1The game features a gear-grinding loop where players mount expeditions to open-ended areas to fight monsters, collect crafting materials, and complete story objectives.
- 2Combat involves elemental damage, but enemies can be easily frozen and chipped away at.
- 3Crafting recipes are unspecific, allowing for material substitution and reducing the need to grind for specific items.
- 4Exploration and map completion are encouraged, with giant monster fights serving as a rewarding climax to expeditions.
- 5These giant monster fights are compared to Shadow of the Colossus, requiring players to climb and attack weak points, but are less time-consuming.
- 6Players learn new spells by defeating giant monsters once, and upgrade them by defeating them again in specific ways.
- 7The game is described as a "Fisher-Price Monster Hunter," a more accessible version of the genre.
- 8The second half of the game features repetitive story quests that involve returning to previous areas.
- 9Despite its derivative nature, the game is praised as a strong demonstration of the developers' understanding of game design principles, akin to Picasso's early realistic work.
Tips
- Focus on exploring and collecting materials, as crafting recipes are flexible.
- Embrace the giant monster fights as a highlight of the gameplay.
- Don't expect deep originality, but appreciate the solid execution of familiar mechanics.
- The first half of the game offers more exploration and discovery than the second.
100% Human-Written. AI Fact-Checked. Community Verified. Learn how AntMag verifies content