Today marks the launch of Eternal Strands (PC; PS5, Xbox Series X/S) and it could satisfy anyone yearning for a magical action-adventure.
When it comes to good fantasy games, one can never have enough. From the former Creative Director behind Dragon Age, Mike Laidlaw, comes a game that could satisfy your hunger for magic for a while. “Eternal Strands” is being released today, slightly under the radar for most, and entices with an interesting magic system, a vast game world, and plenty of possibilities.
The early reviews suggest that this could be a true hidden gem – though it may not convince everyone.
What is Eternal Strands about? In Eternal Strands, you take on the role of Brynn. The mage, referred to as a “Weaver” in this world, lives in a civilization that has been devastated by a terrible magical incident. Brynn is trying to unravel the mysteries behind these incidents while also attempting to restore her people’s ancient homeland to a habitable state.
What does the gameplay look like? Because things in action-adventures can never be straightforward, Brynn must utilize various elements of magic to solve puzzles and defeat numerous foes. The elements impact the game world and allow for combinations to shape the environment while also vanquishing your enemies. For instance, you can hurl shields with kinetic attacks from your enemies’ hands or freeze a dragon’s wings to force it to land.
Especially the boss fights are impressive, as the sometimes massive monsters remind one a bit of “Shadow of the Colossus”.
Mixed Reviews – Praise, but there are also weaknesses
Here’s how the ratings turn out: Some journalists had the opportunity to play Eternal Strands extensively ahead of time and experience more than just the demo. The ratings are indeed mixed – with some positive spikes. Some reviews compiled on Open Critic include:
- Eurogamer gives 4 / 5: “An action RPG with magical powers that actually feel dangerous, combined with a level design that offers scope and beauty.”
- IGN rates it 7 / 10: “Full of ambition and packed with great boss fights, Eternal Strands doesn’t quite excel in every area, but it does enough to be an impressive action RPG.”
- GamesRadar+ gives 3 / 5: “There’s potential in the premise and it has some real highs (especially when you’re launched into the air), but it’s the kind of game that makes you long for what a sequel could create by improving on the things that work – perhaps then we’ll experience something truly magical.”
- God is a Geek gives 8 / 10: “If you’re in the mood for a charming adventure set in an impressive fantasy world, then Eternal Strands is definitely worth checking out.”
- RPG Fan gives only 64 / 100: “Eternal Strands does some really cool things, but it is held back by puzzling design decisions, disappointing writing, and a melee system that never quite works.”
When is Eternal Strands coming out? The action RPG releases today, January 28, 2025, at around 5:00 PM on Steam, as well as on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. However, if you don’t want to buy the “cat in the bag” right away, you can also download a demo to get a more concrete impression of the gameplay and the game.
Will you be checking out Eternal Strands? Or would you rather wait for a few more reviews from players before deciding whether to buy or not? If you prefer something a bit more realistic, you’ll have to wait a few more days for Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.
