Eternal Strands

About

Eternal Strands is the debut fantasy action-adventure title from Yellow Brick Games, a new independent studio founded by industry veterans. THE WORLD IS YOUR WEAPON At the heart of Eternal Strands beats a revolutionary new system for gameplay interactions: heat spreads, cold chills, and real-time destruction allows for unprecedented reactivity in combat. Hurl burning tree trunks at enemies with t…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 461 reviews

story91 positive mentions

grinding33 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging magic system that allows for creative spell combinations and interactions with the environment.
The character design and voice acting are top-notch, making the characters feel relatable and well-developed.
The visuals are stunning, with beautifully crafted environments that enhance the overall experience.

The combat can feel clunky and floaty, especially when climbing on larger enemies, leading to frustrating moments.
The inventory system is limited, forcing players to frequently return to camp to manage resources.
The story, while interesting, can be bogged down by excessive dialogue and fetch quests that detract from the pacing.

story
290 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
6%
The story of "Eternal Strands" is characterized by rich character development and engaging writing, with players appreciating the diverse personalities and emotional arcs of the cast. While the narrative unfolds as a slow-burn mystery intertwined with fetch quests, it is often described as cozy and fun, enhanced by excellent voice acting and a visually appealing presentation reminiscent of visual novels. However, some players find the main plot predictable and the reliance on fetch quests detracts from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its depth and urgency.
- “The writing is top-notch, and the characters in your in-game band each have diverse and rich personalities that become even more interesting as the story progresses.”
- “One of the highlights for me was learning about each character and seeing how they evolve throughout the story.”
- “Eternal Strands is a breathtaking action RPG that masterfully blends intense combat, stunning visuals, and a captivating storyline.”
- “The story is average, but let's say the game gets carried really hard by its gameplay.”
- “The overall story is pretty boring but the characters carried me through with their quirks and little arcs.”
- “I wanted to love the story considering this has some old-school Bioware talent behind it, but the lack of a hook in the plot and some very dull characters made me want to skip dialogue often.”
gameplay
232 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
6%
The gameplay of "Eternal Strands" is generally praised for its engaging mechanics, including a satisfying combat system and a rewarding material collection loop, reminiscent of titles like "Shadow of the Colossus" and "Monster Hunter." However, players note that the climbing mechanics can be clunky and frustrating, particularly during boss encounters, and some aspects of the gameplay feel repetitive or underdeveloped as the game progresses. Overall, while the game offers a fun and inventive experience, it suffers from some technical issues and a lack of polish in certain mechanics.
- “The gameplay has some really good ideas but the overall execution makes it frustrating to the point that the negatives outweigh the positives, by far.”
- “Eternal strands combines systems and mechanics from games in the genre with character and gear progressions that's not too overly complex yet has depth to customize your gear how you see fit.”
- “The gameplay loop is actually really basic, but collecting materials is cool until you start to notice that you're basically just... collecting materials.”
- “The climbing mechanics could use some refinement.”
- “The controls and some of the mechanics can be clunky and could be better, but as a whole the game is very good.”
- “The gameplay loop is fine, but slightly held back by backtracking and some noticeably absent features common to the genre.”
graphics
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beautiful art style, vibrant colors, and atmospheric environments, often compared to popular titles like "Breath of the Wild" and "Shadow of the Colossus." While many players appreciate the distinct visual presentation and character designs, some have noted inconsistencies in art styles between different game elements and occasional graphical bugs. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, enhancing the immersive experience despite some gameplay and structural criticisms.
- “Both the in-game art style as well as the style of the animated scenes are beautiful.”
- “The visuals are gorgeous.”
- “The art style is a gorgeous blend of 'Tears of the Kingdom' and 'World of Warcraft', and the developers have clearly put a lot of heart into this.”
- “The visuals are fine, however the bad guy design left a lot to be desired, pretty much consisted of sword guy, arrow guy, shield guy, all of varying colors with a few animal types thrown in.”
- “Also some of the giants can grab you and when you try to jump away, you get grabbed anyways, sometimes because the character simply does not react to the input and sometimes the grab 'already happened' the graphics just don't follow that in real time.”
- “The option to select which monitor in the graphics settings does nothing.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
29%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall experience, seamlessly blending with the environments to create epic moments during gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as captivating, memorable, and beautifully composed, with some tracks lingering in players' minds long after playing. Overall, the music is considered a significant asset, contributing to the game's immersive atmosphere and emotional depth.
- “The soundtrack is also a piece of art.”
- “The music fleshes out the world with melodies of fantasy, magic, and adventure.”
- “The music is captivating - it does a fantastic job of framing the set pieces of the game, without feeling overpowering.”
- “I've been actually falling asleep to the soundtrack of this game for the past two weeks.”
- “The music is fitting.”
- “In closing, I'd like to say the musical landscape is nothing to scoff at either; I'd be playing the game and suddenly I'd hear some music jingle every now and then and I'd be like 'ok violin guy, I see you'.”
grinding
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game. While some find the resource gathering and crafting enjoyable and well-balanced, others feel it can become tedious, especially due to limited inventory space and mandatory grinding sections in the main story. The crafting system is praised for its flexibility, but the repetitive nature of farming for materials can detract from the overall experience.
- “However, I'm several hours in and it has been a tedious grind with the resource system.”
- “Don't spend the money on this unless you like a tedious grind.”
- “❌ Inventory management challenges: gathering materials became tedious due to non-stacking items of varying qualities and limited inventory space.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
55%
14%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and minimal bugs, others experience significant frame rate drops and performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems. Some users recommend adjusting settings for better performance, and there are calls for future patches to improve optimization further. Despite these concerns, the game is praised for its visual presentation and engaging gameplay mechanics.
- “Great game, good optimization and physics engine!”
- “Otherwise the game was running flawlessly, good performance.”
- “The game runs well and is mostly optimized.”
- “While my game ran well, I still chose to bump down a few settings and turn on DLSS to get it to a comfortable 100-ish FPS. Considering I've got a really strong rig, that's going to be pretty rough for people with lower specs. Definitely wait to pick the game up and see if the optimization gets better in the future.”
- “I had a few times where performance became very sluggish.”
- “The game's performance is pretty terrible as it can't run natively at 1440p on high, with an RTX 3080 & 5700X3D.”
emotional
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its cozy and wholesome atmosphere, with positive dialogue that encourages self-reflection and inclusivity. While some reviewers noted a lack of deep emotional conflict, many found the characters relatable and their stories touching, leading to moments of laughter and tears. Overall, the game is praised for its heartwarming dynamics, well-developed characters, and engaging storytelling that evokes genuine feelings of joy and connection.
- “This game was refreshingly positive and wholesome in its dialogue, even going as far as to make me self-reflect about how I might be more positive, accepting, and inclusive in my own life.”
- “Casmyn's whole story arc made me cry for a bit!”
- “Overall, devs, I just want you to know that this game touched my heart and made me feel good.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
22%
Character development in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the engaging dialogue, strong character designs, and the dynamics between characters. While some players may not prioritize character arcs, those who do find the development and companion quests to be enjoyable and integral to the overall experience. The combination of solid gameplay and character development contributes to a rich world that enhances the storytelling.
- “Something rare is made when you combine a solid gameplay loop containing extraction, Shadow of the Colossus-style monster killing, a good magic system, and some top-notch character development and worldbuilding.”
- “What I really enjoyed: story and campaign, character developments and companion quests, writing and voice acting, environments and art style, giant monster bosses.”
- “However, if character development isn't a priority for some players, they can easily focus on the story without diving deep into individual arcs.”
- “The character designs are straight fire as well.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
89%
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while it runs well with minimal crashes and good optimization, players frequently encounter significant bugs and glitches, particularly with climbing mechanics and boss encounters. These issues can lead to frustrating experiences, such as unintended falls into the void during critical moments. Despite these problems, some players have managed to enjoy the game without major disruptions.
- “This game runs great at launch; optimization is on point!”
- “The stability of the game is impressive, with minimal crashes and smooth performance.”
- “I've experienced no major bugs, which really enhances the overall gameplay experience.”
- “In this game filled with glitchy, buggy, half-assed-coded mechanics, yes, the boss does fly off the edge of the map with you on it, which results in you killing the boss and instantly dropping both of you into the void.”
- “I went through all of this effort, dealing with the buggy climbing to get all of the weak spots, finally got on top of the boss and started channeling the kill, and then we both just fall into the void as a result.”
- “Buggy, glitchy, and punishing, I have had to slog my way through this game.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed. While some players find it lacking due to minimal impact from dialogue choices and limited story variations, others appreciate the potential for replay through co-op modes and the need to farm materials from randomly generated levels and bosses, akin to Monster Hunter.
- “The main goal of the game is to load into a level (which has randomly generated weather that can affect certain spells) with a random boss to hunt. It's very similar to Monster Hunter and has a lot of replayability because you'll need to farm materials from enemies and bosses to upgrade your gear.”
- “Replay value: 0/10. The dialog options have zero effect on the game's story, and it tells you such at the beginning. The only change is whether your character gets with the male draenei, the female half-draenei, or the non-binary human right before the final boss fight.”
- “Co-op mode could work in this game, allowing for new combinations of spells and strategies to be utilized, but there is little replayability at the moment.”
- “The main goal of the game is to load into a level with a random boss to hunt. While it has randomly generated weather that can affect certain spells, the overall replayability is questionable.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a heartwarming and immersive environment, enhanced by a simple yet effective art style. Players appreciate the varied zones that encourage exploration and the blend of challenging combat with a rich, story-driven experience reminiscent of D&D. Overall, the atmosphere contributes significantly to the enjoyable gameplay, allowing for diverse combat approaches.
- “The art style is simple but very atmospheric.”
- “Zones that are, I am happy to say, varied in size, atmosphere, and setting, and offer plenty of opportunity for exploration.”
- “Heartwarming atmosphere, fun gameplay; you can tackle fights in many ways, pure melee, magic approach, or both with good elements interaction.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The humor in the game is hit-or-miss, with some players finding the characters and dialogue uninteresting, yet still enjoying specific comedic moments that elicit genuine laughter. The flexibility of abilities and weapons allows for creative and amusing interactions, enhancing the overall comedic experience.
- “I always look forward to seeing another speech bubble over them, and I am curious what insights or funny banter they provide next.”
- “The abilities and weapons you earn are flexible enough that you can use them across a variety of situations - like using the ice wall as a temporary ledge to rest on when climbing high walls - and combine in hilarious ways.”
- “You can also do funny things like switching good material for mediocre ones to use the good ones in a different equipment piece you want to try out, especially at the beginning when you don't have lots of T2 or T3 materials.”
- “The characters are not funny or interesting, and I find myself skipping 90% of the dialogue.”
- “The humor falls flat and feels forced, making it hard to engage with the story.”
- “I expected more laughs, but the jokes are stale and often miss the mark.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers note that the advertisements for the game are often more engaging than the gameplay itself, suggesting a disconnect between the promotional content and the actual user experience.
- “The advertisements are more exciting than the actual game.”
- “The in-game purchases feel mandatory to progress, making it frustrating.”
- “The monetization model is overly aggressive, constantly pushing for more money.”