Eternal Strands Review | TheXboxHub

Exploring the Enclave in Eternal Strands

There’s always a little bit of worry that surrounds a debut game from an independant studio, even if that team is made up of industry veterans. Perhaps their past history saw focus on gameplay mechanics and ideas that have long been put to one side. Maybe there’s a bit too much being shoehorned in to their new game, multiple features included as enthusiasm overrides skill. 

But then a game like Eternal Strands pops up, and those worries are laid to rest. You see, Yellow Brick Games may be a new studio made up of those well versed with the gaming scene, but their debut title is one that is well worth playing. 

There’s a bit of Monster Hunter here, some Tears of the Kingdom vibes, Dragon Age history and more than a smattering of – in our opinion, the much-underrated – Immortals Fenyx Rising, Just reeling off those names should mean Yellow Brick are on to a winner with Eternal Strands, but when you chuck in some genre-defining world mechanics, it all gets even more exciting. 

For us, they’ve pretty much nailed it too. 

In Eternal Strands you take on the role of Brynn, the newly appointed, um, point of a group of Weavers; magic users who make the most of both the might of the sword and power of sorcery to get what they want in life. It’s here where you lead this gang through the Enclave, a part of the world previously sealed away, as you uncover mysteries, secrets and a whole ton of trouble. 

A World of Wonder and Lore

With resources to collect, information to understand, and a world full of hope, the tale kicking around in Eternal Strands is a deep one. In fact, with Brynn and every single one of the rest of her band complete with complex backstories and history, it can all get a bit too much, the portrait-playing conversation pieces occasionally dragging, attempting to draw the player in but – at least in this case – pushing them away. It’s not helped that some of those conversations, and the dialogue options that are explorable, take far too long to play through, inane chatter for the sake of it, slowing down the pace of proceedings. 

That’s certainly the case in the early stages at least, but as the Enclave’s secrets are exposed, quest giving, both in terms of main missions, side-objectives and the like, begins to pare down to more manageable levels. Basically, battle through some early stage lore telling, and Eternal Strands becomes a much more open, flowing adventure. 

And open it is. The world found in Eternal Strands is a big one, split into various segments and areas, each with its own secrets and challenges to overcome. Various foes, both big and small, will frequent each land, all requiring a slightly different tactical take to overcome; difficulties rising as Brynn opens up more of the world, destroying structures along the way. 

Combat, Magic, and Thermosphysics in Eternal Strands

Those areas change up massively too, all thanks to Eternal Strands’ day/night cycle, and season changing lands. You may therefore find yourself heading through an early area like Glintwood Hollow, easily navigating its obstacles, taking down anything that may get in your way, only to return at a later date to find frost taking over, winter rolling in. It’s this which is pretty unique to Eternal Strands, and Yellow Brick Games should be commended for the creation of their areas. 

Each is navigable in multiple ways too. Running Brynn around, jumping, dashing, rolling out of trouble is par for the course, but this girl can climb too, scaling pretty much any heights, adding verticality into the exploration. With a stamina bar all important, not just for that climbing, but also for combat, keeping an eye on how Brynn is faring is an essential part of the adventure. To uncover everything though, you’ll find yourself taking in the same old places multiple times, maybe as you hunt secrets, perhaps as you take in side quests for any one of your band of merry folk. Some may find that a grind, but we’ve been enthused by tackling certain areas in different ways, time and time again. 

Eternal Strands also deals with thermophysics in a way that no other game ever has. Brynn, by default, is able to harness the power of her magical cloak – the Mantle – utilising telekinesis, frost and heat like never before. Upgradable as progress is made, this means that a host of strategies and tactics come into play, as you scorch earth, freeze foes in place or just chuck things at their head in order to overcome aggressions. 

Epic Encounters and Resource Gathering

Of course, a sword and shield, a two-handed weapon of mass destruction or a humble bow and arrow can also be used depending on playstyle. With a weapon/skill wheel easily accessible, it’s a cinch to get Brynn working how you wish, combining skills and magic with ease. We’ve mostly settled on running into battle with some frost, pinning enemies in place before going in for the kill with some close-quarters swiping of a blade, retreating to drop area magic in for good measure. But occasionally fire can be used to great effect, as long as you watch out for it spreading to environmental areas, flora igniting, spreading across the land. 

Those powers MUST be used in various ways too, as they dictate how loot is dropped by downed foes. Slam a shield carrier with some fire, and you’ll find a different, rarer piece of resource and loot dropping than would otherwise be found. And that fire comes in extremely handy against Enclave animals, fur burning, dropping health levels. 

But of course, for every hundred standard enemies that you’ll take down, in Eternal Strands it’s all about the Epics. Huge, lumbering beasts that pound the land and take to the skies, the Epics bring Monster Hunter vibes to the fore, as you use all Brynn’s might and upgradable weapons and skills to prove the champion of the world. With health bars aplenty, you’ll need to clamber on their backs, striking at wings, taking out armoured plates as epic fights unfold; clinging for dear life at times. It’s these Epics that are the highlight to Eternal Strands, especially as once a certain creature is taken down once, you’ll soon find yourself going back to ‘harvest’ it in various ways, all to grab the most important of resources to increase the power of your magic. Again, is it a grind to discover the various best ways to tackle a huge flying beast? How would you know that freezing a wing, and tackling barrel rolls, would provide the resources you need? Well, yes, grind. 

Immersing Yourself in the World of Eternal Strand

Making the most of the powers to hand is where Eternal Strands really excels, as a base camp and your Weaverband aid Brynn in understanding everything that the Enclave has to offer. And playing with – and against – the physics system that Yellow Brick have created is an utter joy. 

Eternal Strands is helped by some brilliant visuals, with gorgeous vistas to enjoy. For us, it’s where the Immortals Fenyx Rising feels are mostly found, but that’s a good thing; vibrancy, detail and awe all combine to ensure that this is a world you’ll want to keep diving into, making the most of the power of teleportation and Loomgates. And it all runs nice and smoothly too, with barely a glitch to be found even when the biggest of battles is playing out, multiple foes on screen at once, Brynn diving this way and that, pulling off magic with aplomb. With a tease of a map enticing you in to discover new secrets and weapons, and a codex that is constantly filled, there’s no doubt that once gripped by Eternal Strands, it’ll be hard for the magic to wane in a hurry. 

Accompanying those visuals are some cracking audio drops too. Whilst we’ve already mentioned that the storytelling is a tad on the slow side, the voice acting present is fine and dandy should you be interested in it. And the aural delights that play out whilst traversing the world are equally on point; just listening in to the thumping steps or flapping wings of an Epic as you go hunting is enough to get the bass pounding through your favourite gaming headset. 

A Must-Play Debut with a Few Minor Shortcomings

Eternal Strands tries much, and very nearly all of it comes off. We could do with some faster pace to lore integration, yet if you wish to skip the backstory that attempts to be injected, you can do so. But land in the world created by Yellow Brick Games and you’ll constantly be astounded by what Eternal Strands offers, whether it be during an Epic battle, in the various ways of traversing the land, or with the playing of physics, the thermos and the mechanics at play.  

As a debut game from a new studio, Eternal Strands is one you should not miss. 

Link Strands

Buy Eternal Strands on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/eternal-strands/9NNKJNRKFT0G