Eternal Strands is an action-adventure role-playing game that mixes in a variety of elements, some of which feel like familiar things snatched from other titles. For example, it blends monster tracking and resource extraction, similar to a Monster Hunter game; it’s got climbing and leaping features like Assassin’s Creed; and it’s got the huge boss battles like those encountered in Shadow of the Colossus.
Amid those familiar bits and pieces, Eternal Strands unfolds a story that keeps things interesting. You play as Brynn, a female “weaver” who’s just joined up with a new weaverband. Those folks are all magic users with their own specific sword-and-sorcery strengths. And their initial goal is to explore the outside edges of a sealed-off place of magical wonders called the Enclave to find any artifacts of value.
However, Brynn accidentally stumbles upon a device that allows the group to quickly slip past the Enclave’s believed-to-be impenetrable barrier. They’re the first group to do so in half a century. So now, after establishing a camp, it’s Brynn’s job to explore the exotic land; to hunt beasts and robotic foes; to find rare resources; to improve her powers and gear; and finally to peel back this lost land’s mysteries.
In those pursuits, gamers make their way through a number of vast areas that include dense forests, fiery volcanic landscapes, grassy plains and ancient deserted cities. They wield sword-and-shield, bow-and-arrow weaponry accented by a variety of “strand” magical powers.
Those nine different weaver powers (reaped from bested bosses) are generally divided into ice, fire and kinetic abilities that can be improved as you go. The ice blasts can shield you, freeze enemies, build bridges and help you make your way through burning forests. The fire does, well, the sort of things fire does. And the kinetic magic grabs beasts and objects to toss about, as well as helping Brynn launch herself across great distances.
Eternal Strands is a third-person, single-player-only game. And other than the possible download process, it doesn’t require an online connection to play.
This game focuses on lots of monster battles. However, the world here is large, colorful and wrapped in the light energy of a fantasy adventure. And gamers play a hero who wants to help her crew discover the mysteries on hand, figure out what flaws felled an advanced civilization and find a way to a better future.
A part of the enjoyable side of this adventure is clambering up the side of 40-foot-tall, robot-like magical constructs and holding tight to huge flying dragons and the like while trying to figure out a key to victory. There are also lots of dialogue choices with your crew that help reveal creative details to the textured story.
The game is designed to challenge gamers to find ways to combine their sword and magic skills and figure out how to use the environment around them. Using sword skills alone, for example, may leave players feeling swarmed by foes until they realize both gameplay elements are often needed to keep moving forward. But while those foes can be massive, pounding and fierce, there is nothing gory in the battling mix.
We hear uses of “h—” and “d–mit” in the dialogue. Some conversations reference drinking wine. The weaverband includes adventurers who have coupled up. We hear conversational winks toward relationships and sexual innuendo. (But there’s nothing visual.)
Eternal Strands offers a T-rated blend of fun game mechanics and big-game action adventure without ever feeling too gritty or messy.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
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