Assessment data
Platform reviewed: PS5
Out there on: PS5, Xbox Collection X|S, PC
Launch date: January 28, 2025
As a part of a touring band of outcast mages referred to as weavers in a time when magic is shunned, you possibly 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 video games. Not least when developer Yellow Brick Video games’ artistic director is ex-BioWare Mike Laidlaw.
Nonetheless, slightly than dwelling on ethical conundrums or constructing relationships, that is very a lot a capital A motion RPG that has a mixture of trendy 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 presents one thing distinctive with the way you interact with its magical components.
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, nevertheless.
Everyone knows that fireside burns, ice freezes, that fireside is efficient towards ice, and vice versa. However slightly than only a simplistic rock, paper, scissors strategy, the legal guidelines of thermodynamics are fastidiously utilized. You do not simply shoot ice to freeze an enemy fully, however in the event you can encase a dragon’s ft with ice then it is going to cease them from taking off within the air. However get too shut your self and you may additionally take harm in the event you’re not correctly protected against the chilly.
These strands have to be earned by felling the massive dangerous monsters and arks (historical colossal machines) that roam greater than half a dozen of the maps that make up a secluded realm referred to as the Enclave. When you may simply preserve thwacking them till their well being bar’s gone – you are additionally inspired to deal harm to all elements of their physique – determining the steps to show their weak point that means that you can harvest their strand.
It feels particularly badass clinging onto these bosses for expensive life then reaching into their glowing weak spot, sending the titan crashing down no matter how a lot well being they nonetheless have.
Greatest bit
Whereas there is a robust emphasis on flame and frost, kinetic powers are most likely my favourite. Weaver’s Grasp is terrific when you’ll be able to seize and hurl containers or lanterns that set off a sequence of explosions, whereas a strand that unlocks within the latter half creates a sort of rushing warp tunnel that makes it attainable to launch your self within the air – even cooler in the event you use it to seize onto a flying monster!
It might 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 occasions 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 know the way to take down considered one of them, it turns into very simple and I discovered myself rinsing and repeating the identical ways. What does preserve you in your toes is a extra lethal enemy kind that seems partway by way of the story that hits more durable and requires flame or frost powers to complete off.
time, not an everlasting time
A lot of Everlasting Strands is split between a hub the place you spend time along 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 will discover new details about an space, in addition to recipes for crafting new gear.
The weaverband and different characters you finally 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 correct facet of endearing.
Personally, I used to be extra serious about their perform than their chattiness, resembling Casmyn’s skill 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 mentioned, 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’ve got 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’ll be able to proceed the story.
You possibly can, in fact double, up the mission by preventing a boss too, although as a result of you’ll be able to’t refill your provides till you are again at camp you are at a drawback, and – in the event you die you lose most of your loot. On the similar time, as soon as you’ve got explored these maps, the second half feels a bit padded, as you are simply revisiting the identical areas as initially non-obligatory boss hunts all of the sudden turn into obligatory. A day and night time 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 gives 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 line with kind and severity.
If you do not have headphones, there’s a night time mode, which raises the amount of ambient sound whereas making explosion sounds much less distinguished. Recreation issue 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 Professional, which allowed me to finish the principle story and a few facet quests, though that didn’t embody upgrading each strand to max stage or finishing all companion questlines, which might prolong the sport’s size.
There are not any particular graphics modes aside from an choice to activate and off depth of subject 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