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Platform reviewed: PS5
Out there on: PS5, Xbox Sequence X|S, PC
Launch date: January 28, 2025
As a part of a touring band of outcast mages often known as weavers in a time when magic is shunned, you can be forgiven for assuming that Everlasting Strands is a role-playing recreation (RPG) with a celebration of richly drawn characters just like the Dragon Age games. Not least when developer Yellow Brick Video games’ artistic director is ex-BioWare Mike Laidlaw.
Nonetheless, reasonably than dwelling on ethical conundrums or constructing relationships, that is very a lot a capital A motion RPG that has a mixture of fashionable The Legend of Zelda‘s free-climbing and physics-based smashing and titanic encounters like these in Shadow of the Colossus. And whereas it might not attain the identical heights of its inspirations, it nonetheless affords one thing distinctive with the way you have interaction with its magical parts.
Strand recreation
You play as Brynn, a weaver who is aware of her approach round a sword and bow. It is her use of elemental magic powers, strands, that makes her stand out, nonetheless.
Everyone knows that fireside burns, ice freezes, that fireside is efficient in opposition to ice, and vice versa. However reasonably than only a simplistic rock, paper, scissors strategy, the legal guidelines of thermodynamics are rigorously utilized. You do not simply shoot ice to freeze an enemy fully, however in case you can encase a dragon’s ft with ice then it should cease them from taking off within the air. However get too shut your self and you will additionally take injury in case you’re not correctly protected against the chilly.
These strands should be earned by felling the large unhealthy monsters and arks (historical colossal machines) that roam greater than half a dozen of the maps that make up a secluded realm often known as the Enclave. When you may simply preserve thwacking them till their well being bar’s gone – you are additionally inspired to deal injury to all elements of their physique – determining the steps to reveal their weak spot that means that you can harvest their strand.
It feels particularly badass clinging onto these bosses for pricey life then reaching into their glowing weak spot, sending the titan crashing down no matter how a lot well being they nonetheless have.
Finest bit
Whereas there is a robust emphasis on flame and frost, kinetic powers are in all probability my favourite. Weaver’s Grasp is terrific when you possibly can seize and hurl containers or lanterns that set off a series of explosions, whereas a strand that unlocks within the latter half creates a sort of dashing warp tunnel that makes it attainable to launch your self within the air – even cooler in case you use it to seize onto a flying monster!
It could really feel epic if these have been one-offs like in Shadow of the Colossus. Nonetheless, the construction right here is designed so that you will have to struggle them a number of instances Monster Hunter-style to improve your gear, or powers, or to advance the story.
The loop diminishes considerably on repeat as a result of, as soon as you understand how to take down certainly one of them, it turns into very simple and I discovered myself rinsing and repeating the identical techniques. What does preserve you in your toes is a extra lethal enemy sort that seems partway by means of the story that hits more durable and requires flame or frost powers to complete off.
An excellent time, not an everlasting time
A lot of Everlasting Strands is split between a hub the place you spend time together with your weaverband companions and teleporting to completely different elements of the Enclave, made up of impressively massive buildings to scale or underground caverns to delve deeper into. It is value exploring each nook and cranny, as you may discover new details about an space, in addition to recipes for crafting new gear.
The weaverband and different characters you ultimately meet within the Enclave are well-written with their very own arcs and points, tackling subjects like psychological well being and redemption, and there is even a married couple who nearly keep on the appropriate facet of endearing.
Personally, I used to be extra eager about their perform than their chattiness, equivalent to Casmyn’s capability to extend the variety of tonics I can carry or Sola’s forge that does not simply allow you to create new gear, however even reforge one thing you have already got with higher supplies.
That stated, my gripe comes from having to return to the hub extra usually than I would like. There is a stop-start nature to missions the place, after you have discovered one thing, you simply drop what you are doing and should teleport again to the hub to debrief with the gang earlier than you possibly can proceed the story.
You possibly can, after all double, up the mission by preventing a boss too, although as a result of you possibly can’t refill your provides till you are again at camp you are at a drawback, and – in case you die you lose most of your loot. On the identical time, as soon as you have explored these maps, the second half feels a bit padded, as you are simply revisiting the identical areas as initially non-obligatory boss hunts immediately change into obligatory. A day and evening cycle that additionally modifications climate and enemy areas does a minimum of issues up right here.
Nonetheless, these are minor complaints because the story avoids overstaying its welcome. Its mechanics could not maintain a for much longer gameplay loop like Tears of the Kingdom or Monster Hunter World however then this isn’t making an attempt to be an epic timesink.
With its novel use of magic and colossal set items, Everlasting Strands is a enjoyable and breezy journey to kickstart 2025.
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Accessibility
Everlasting Strands‘ choices menu supplies a collection of accessibility options. Subtitles might be toggled on, off, or solely throughout cinematics and voiceovers, with three font sizes and the choice to show on a background. Colorblind choices might be set in keeping with sort and severity.
If you do not have headphones, there’s a evening mode, which raises the amount of ambient sound whereas making explosion sounds much less distinguished. Recreation problem might be adjusted at any time, which solely impacts your most well being and the quantity of well being recovered from vitality tonics. In simple mode, vitality tonics are restored after defeat.
How I reviewed Everlasting Strands
I performed Everlasting Strands for 20 hours on my PS5 Pro, which allowed me to finish the primary story and a few facet quests, though that didn’t embody upgrading each strand to max degree or finishing all companion questlines, which might prolong the sport’s size.
There aren’t any particular graphics modes aside from an choice to activate and off depth of area in-game.
All through, I used an LG C2 OLED TV with the default TV audio system and a DualSense Edge controller.
First reviewed January 2025