As I sit here having seen the credits just roll from Eternal Strands, I have so many thoughts on how to begin this review. 2025 is shaping up to be an amazing year of gaming and the real question is, does Eternal Strands kick off a golden year of gaming or is this a dud in the dead of winter?
General Premise
You’ll find yourself controlling Brynn, a girl who left home to join a weaverband on their adventures. The first group didn’t work out so well but now she finds herself with a group that feels right. As the game begins, she finds herself as the point for her new weaver family. The point being the member going on the expeditions needed for the crew. What exactly is a weaverband? A group of those who are magically trained so together they are called a weaverband. They won’t go out and join Brynn on the field, but they will make sure you’re ready to go when the time comes.
This particular band of weavers will find themselves in the Enclave, a once magically powerful area that was seemingly quiet. The group was able to travel into the Enclave, what secrets are to be found? Are there others here that might be able to tell them why the Enclave was sealed away? Or will we find nothing but dead ends, deceased weavers, and relics of better days gone by?
Characters
You are Brynn and Brynn is you. So, what does this actually mean? It means you get to make Brynn whoever you want her to be. Throughout the game you’ll be presented with different dialogue options and your choices will shape your version of Brynn. There are no right or wrong answers, just who you envision her to be. Choose wisely.
Oria is the original point of this band who is taking a bit of a step back due to an injury. Oria will be on the scry with you, the method of communication, as you explore the region. Should you get into too much trouble, she’ll also pull you out of a bad situation to keep you safe. No one else needs an injury in this party. Let mama bird take care of you.
Casmyn is currently overseeing all the supplies. That’s because you arrived and took her potential place as the next point. Perhaps you can clear the air with her along the way? In the meantime, she’ll be your quartermaster for this journey. Work with her on keeping the camp stocked and upgrading the workstation of your party members.
Laen will be your codex master. You don’t have to do any deep dives into the lore of the universe within the game but if you want, Laen is your best friend. Anytime you find information scattered around the world and want to take a deeper read, Laen will compile it into a way that makes sense. Laen is a scholar and maybe more importantly, a loyal friend.
Dahm is going to be extremely helpful as he will work those magical strands into useful magic for you. They will weave new magic into your skillset and upgrade these skills when you bring the right weaves. Dahm isn’t the only member of your party who will upgrade things for Brynn, his wife is quite the smith!
Speaking of the smith, Sola will craft, upgrade, and dismantle your armor if you bring her all of the right materials. As you explore the world outside of your camp, you will also find plenty of schematics for new armor and weapon. There will also be times that you may also have Sola craft mission specific items so expect to be friendly with her and her apprentice Sevastyan.
There isn’t too much to say about Sevastyan who we’ll lovingly call Sev throughout the game. Sev is a bit secretive at the start of the game. He’s quite nice, a hard worker, and more importantly, a secret to unravel through the game.
That’s not to say these are the only characters you’ll interact with as you play through the game. As you explore the region, you’ll find others to interact with. What is that strange feeling that you’re being watched?
Each member of your band will have their own stories along the way as companion quests. These quests are optional so you don’t need to complete this to progress the story. However, you’ll soon learn these characters are too interesting to not get to know better. The characters also feel quite real. Are they dealing with anxiety about the work that has to be done? How about trying to forge their own path away from their disgraces family name? Not sure who their father was and hoping to find some connection to their past? It’s all possible if you allow Brynn the time to help them. Some of these quests will also provide you some very helpful items in your travels.
Visuals
The visuals in this game are gorgeous. There’s no two ways about it. The animated cartoon scenes have a very Vox Machina feel to them that fits with the setting. There are not a ton of these moments, but seeing the animated version of them to tell pivotal moments of the story such as the opening feels perfect.
Once you enter game play moments, the scenery surrounding you is stunning. The game play is still smooth and during my play through, never once did the visuals stutter or fall apart. Even as I climbed trees and buildings to get a better vantage point, textures and scenery remained clear. As I’ve watched some people play games where the graphics clip through each other or areas have just disappeared it was great to see how smoothly everything loads in.
Another fun visual aspect was the armor customization. As you choose your materials for your armor, you’ll see how each material changes not only the stats but also the coloring of the armor. While it doesn’t mean there are unlimited coloring for armor, it does allow for a wide variety of customization. In the various ways that I changed up the armor, I never once saw the armor glitch through or revert to the base settings with the exception of the animated cut scenes. In any cut scenes that use the game play graphics, you’ll notice the armor is exactly as you customized. It’s a nice touch for those who want their armor to be not only practical but aesthetically pleasing to match the vibe of the game.
As you explore the world of Eternal Strands, you’ll notice the environment will impact your travels. The environment also brings about graphical impacts of its own. Really hot outside? Check out that warm haze along the world. Cold? Find all the ice in the world. When you’re too cold, you’ll also notice the frost on the sides of your screen to make sure you’ve noticed.
Game play
Many people would say it is no longer hard to make a pretty game with all of today’s modern tech. The harder part is providing a good game play loop that keeps you coming back. The game play loop is simplistic at its core: explore the world around you to complete quests, open up your magic, gather loot and materials, craft recipes, and if you choose to, fill those codex entries. It’s the stories that shape your quests that keep them interesting.
On your quests, you’ll have to be mindful of your stamina as you explore. Running from place to place is great, but keep in mind that Brynn can only run for so long. The same is true as she climbs buildings, trees, and of course, giant enemies. You’ll want to get used to Brynn’s level of stamina which can change based on your armor. Climbing giant enemies will be a must when looking to grow your weaver skills.
Many of Brynn’s quests will feel like fetch quests to get you to the bigger goal. This includes taking down giant monsters and harvesting them for parts. The first time you beat a large monster you’ll automatically get the part you need. Any upgrades will require you to harvest from the monsters and each one will have a different method of harvesting. If you can’t quite figure out how to harvest each monster, Oria will give you some insight upon speaking to her.
Out in the field, be sure to attack anything that sparkles. You can also just swing your sword around to, well, anything. Looking for some wood? That house in the middle of this abandoned swamp should be a good harvesting spot. Need some red cotton for your next armor upgrade? Just destroy those red trees outside of the house. Common materials are everywhere, just note Brynn can only carry so much until she upgrades her carry limit!
While also out on the field, you’ll be seeing lots of magic be it your own or the magic in the area. The magic miasma that floats around is harmful to you, so you’ll want to do your best to avoid it. This doesn’t make your own magic safe. If you stay standing on your own ice wall for too long, you’ll see Brynn start to freeze and eventually take damage. The same is true for any other magic you may unlock during your game. While the weavers have learned to work with magic, it doesn’t quite mean we have that much control over how it impacts us.
When you’re not out in the field, you can also spend time talking to the rest of the weaverband. They will each have personal quests you may want to take part in or you can just get to know them. You’ll also be shaping Brynn’s personality as you respond to them. Is she inquisitive asking every question in the menu before moving forward? Is she straight to the point? Will your Brynn inspire faith in the weavers or will she be a bit anxious and unsure of herself as a leader? Your choices and conversations with them will impact how they view you as a member of the band.
General Overall Pros
The game has a lot of pros that I don’t want to dive into with their own section because some of them will be spoilers. For instance, while the story starts with you trying to find the enclave, it will grow to be so much more than just finding them. There are a few twists to the story that keep the game compelling. You’ll also find that relationships within the band aren’t always as strong as they seem without your own interactions. This makes the characters feel dynamic throughout the game. The characters don’t wait for you to talk to them but when certain events happen, they will talk about those and you can listen in if you choose.
The game also has a morning, afternoon, and night cycle each day. There will be quests that require characters to be a bit sneakier so you may find yourself only allowed to do quests during certain times of the day. If you need to pass time to a certain time of day, Brynn can also rest in her tent, reminding us that even our heroine is only human at the end of the day.
The voice acting in the game is another area that the game excels. Eternal Strands features voice actors who you may recognize from some of the biggest games in the last few years. While I won’t go too deep into details of the voice actors, you’ll be pleasantly surprised hearing the English voice cast really bring these characters to life.
Something to appreciate is the fact that while the universe has so much to it, you don’t have to take it all in to enjoy the game. Eternal Strands could have forced you to learn all about the world we are in. Instead, they leave it up to the player with how much you want to learn. While I read all the codex entries, I know plenty of players will want to just enjoy the exploration, hunting, and crafting. The lore of the world isn’t necessary to your enjoyment, but kudos for creating such a full universe.
General Overall Cons
Crafting as a whole is quite easy with working with Sola. What is not is knowing where to find missing materials in the craft menu.When crafting, if you are missing materials, you’ll have to leave the craft screen for more information. You’ll have to check quests logs or go check your materials information in your tent to know where to find materials.
Finding the harvest points of each ark or monster is not always the easiest as well. Again, this isn’t really a big con, just something to get used to while you’re playing the game. In moments where the world is literally on fire and you’re looking for the sweet spot, patience will be key. Again, talking to Oria is another great option.
If I have any other cons, it’s that I wish I could’ve spent more time exploring the world or diving deeper. It took about 20 hours to complete the main story and you can expect another 10-15 hours if you want to 100% the game. The good news to offset this, we know there will be at least one post-launch update with a new creature to hunt, new weapons, and armor set through a team up with Square Enix Creative Studio III’s Lead Artist Yusuke Mogi.
Overall
It’s early in 2025, but this game is without a doubt, my game of the month. While it’s shaping up to be an amazing year in gaming, Eternal Strands is kicking off the year with a strong start. The game is a self proclaimed labor of love and it shows in every way. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started and at first I was worried this would just be a bit of Monster Hunter and a bit of the latest Zelda games with just a dash of storytelling.
This reviewer is so glad to say she was wrong and the game is so much more than that. It takes the best parts of these games and goes beyond what anyone may have expected for a debut release. This is without a doubt a game that people can find themselves coming back to be it to spend more time with characters, hone their hunting skills, or just to explore to beautiful scenery of the Enclave. Without a doubt, this game is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Action RPGs and wants a little bit of magic in their lives.
Eternal Strands was reviewed on Steam. Gamer Social Club was provided a code by publisher Yellow Brick Games. Eternal Strands is out now on Playstation 5, Xbox, and PC.
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