Eternal Strands Review (PC) – Make Way for a New Challenger

Yellow Brick Games is a new studio filled with talented developers who have worked on both AA and AAA titles in the gaming industry. With such a talent pool, you’d think that for its first game, Yellow Brick Games would do something out of the ordinary. instead, what genre did it choose to tackle? An action RPG—a genre that’s already brimming with fierce competition, especially in recent years. Despite that, after playing Eternal Strands, I feel that the game manages to bring fresh air to the genre with several innovative ideas that should help the game stand out.

Game Name: Eternal Strands
Platform(s): PC (reviewed), PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Developer(s): Yellow Brick Games
Publisher(s): Yellow Brick Games
Release Date: January 28, 2025
Plays Similar To:  Fable, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

At its core, Eternal Strands follows Brynn the Weaver and her band of adventurers on a mission to uncover the mystery behind the world’s hatred of magic. The disappearance of the central city of magic users, the Enclave, serves as the narrative’s catalyst—a catastrophic event that left the city in despair and isolated from the world. For Brynn, a magic user herself, solving the mystery of the Enclave is a personal journey of self-discovery in a society that shuns her kind.

Eternal Strands is all about Magic and Choice

Magic takes center stage in Eternal Strands, as you might expect, and it’s woven seamlessly into both the gameplay and world design. At the start, your arsenal consists of a handful of basic spells that let you grab and toss objects, freeze things in place, or prevent items from catching fire. However, after a few hours, you’ll unlock a variety of new magical abilities that, while appearing simple at first, open up a vast range of possibilities.

Take the fire spell, for instance. Sure, it can set objects ablaze, but it’s far more versatile than that. Experimentation is key: immobilize enemies with a kinetic spell, then follow up with fire for extra damage over time. Spot an unreachable ledge? Create your own bridge with a frost spell. Facing a shielded opponent? Use your kinetic spell to yank that shield from their grasp—and then turn it into your own makeshift weapon. Or even better, use that kinetic spell to grab and toss the enemy off a cliff or into a wall to stagger them and get the drop on them. Or combine those magics to create something that is both damaging and a spectacle.

This system encourages creativity, empowering you to tackle challenges in ways that suit your playstyle. Whether you’re overcoming enemies or solving environmental puzzles, the mechanics that Yellow Brick Games has designed are endlessly engaging. It’s a system that practically begs to be experimented with, rewarding ingenuity at every turn.

The interplay between magic and the game’s dynamic weather system adds yet another layer of depth. On a sunny day, you’re free to explore with little worry. But when a freezing storm rolls in, you’ll need cold-resistant gear—or a fire spell to melt the ice and keep yourself warm. Or using that frost spell to chill things down and walk right over that blaze. Conversely, using frost magic in already frigid conditions can harm you, forcing you to think twice about how and when to wield your abilities. This thoughtful integration of weather and magic creates a unique, ever-changing gameplay experience that feels fresh and exciting.

Death Isn’t the End, but it is Different

Ah yes, death in action RPGs often goes hand in hand with the experience. However, you don’t die in this game, which is a refreshing change of pace for those who dread the “You Died” screen and are forced to restart after an untimely demise. That’s not to say there’s no penalty for dying—it’s just a different kind of penalty.

Early in the game, you’re informed that your team can monitor your status while you’re out in the world. Should you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, they can pull you back from the brink of death—with a catch. Instead of losing your life, you’ll lose a significant portion of the precious resources you’ve been collecting. Rather than forfeiting everything, though, you’ll be given a choice: select a small amount of resources to keep while the rest are lost to the ether. It’s an interesting system that forces you to weigh the risks of staying out in the world against the safety of heading back to your camp to deposit your haul.

It’s almost a worthwhile penalty, except for one major issue: the limited bag space. Even though you’ll eventually be able to increase your bag space, it never seems like it’s enough and you’ll quickly find yourself running out of storage. This means frequent trips back to camp are inevitable anyway. On the rare occasion that you manage to avoid returning to camp, dying can still put a damper on your experience.

Resources and Crafting, It’s a Bit Different Here

Not wanting to be outdone by other games with resource and crafting systems, Eternal Strands introduces even more mechanics that will make you think, “Wow, that’s really cool.” In this pseudo-open world, resources are everywhere, ripe for the taking. You’ll gather materials to bring back to camp and craft new gear and weapons—but it’s not as straightforward as it might seem.

For starters, yes, you can chop down a tree, smash a rock, or hunt a creature for resources. But what if you set that enemy on fire or ignite that rock? Suddenly, you’re rewarded with completely new resource types. That freshly cooked enemy drops unique materials, and the tempered rock yields an entirely different resource when broken. These mechanics encourage experimentation, leaving you to figure out which resources come from where and whether you’ll need them for your next project.

Back at camp, you’ll visit the forge master, who can either craft new gear or upgrade your existing equipment. But even this system has layers. Sure, you can use your current materials to improve your gear—but with different materials, you unlock even more options. Now, you can not only boost attack power or increase resistance to cold and heat but also adjust the weight of items to lower stamina usage or add unique perks. It’s like stepping into a kitchen where creativity thrives, even while crafting. I absolutely love how Eternal Strands spices up its crafting system in such an inventive way.

The Combat is a Mixed Bag

While I’ve been smitten with what I’ve experienced with Eternal Strands, I do have some concerns with the melee combat, as it leaves much to be desired. It’s not outright bad, but there are some fundamental flaws that make it feel awkward during gameplay. One of the most frustrating issues is how combo strings often cause your character to overshoot their intended target. This problem becomes especially aggravating during fights, as you can unintentionally step onto or behind an enemy, leaving yourself open to counterattacks. These moments disrupt the flow of combat and make encounters feel clumsier than they should be.

Another notable shortcoming is the lack of impactful feedback when using weapons or spells. There’s no satisfying sense of weight or connection—landing a hit feels more like checking off a box than delivering a blow. This absence of visceral impact robs combat of the intensity and gratification that you’d expect from an action RPG.

The charge attack mechanics are also poorly executed. There’s no clear wind-up animation to indicate that your attack is charging, leaving your character frozen in a single frame. It’s unclear whether the attack is being prepared or if something is amiss. In a genre where games routinely nail this fundamental element, it’s disappointing to see Eternal Strands stumble here.

While the automatic cling ability doesn’t directly tie into combat, it can be used strategically during boss fights. However, it’s primarily a tool for navigating environments, and sometimes you’ll randomly stick to walls or other structures even when you didn’t mean to. The ability is automatic, which can cause some frustration, especially during fast-paced moments.

While Eternal Strands has a lot going for it, these combat missteps hold it back from reaching its full potential.

Who’s the Boss? That Giant Guy Is!

While I’d normally lump boss combat into the general combat section of my review, doing so for Eternal Strands would be a massive disservice. The boss fights are on a completely different level compared to the regular combat—offering some of the most exhilarating and engaging moments in the game. Bosses come in all shapes and sizes, acting as significant roadblocks that test your skills and creativity. They feel like a blend of Monster Hunter and Shadow of the Colossus, requiring strategy and precision to overcome.

Each boss presents a unique challenge, often requiring you to climb onto them and target specific weak points to strip away armor or expose vulnerable areas. It’s easier said than done, though, as these bosses won’t just stand around waiting for you to dismantle them. Some will grab at you mid-climb, while others—like the airborne ones—will take to the skies, trying to shake you off or knock you out of position. These dynamic encounters force you to adapt on the fly, keeping the fights tense and exciting.What makes these battles even more interesting is the variety they bring to the table. After clearing an area, returning later might reveal a different boss has taken up residence. This adds an element of unpredictability and encourages revisiting older zones to face new challenges and farm materials unique to the replacement boss. These rewards can be pivotal for crafting and upgrading, giving you a tangible reason to engage with these battles beyond the thrill of the fight.

While the regular combat has its shortcomings, the boss fights are a highlight that stands out in Eternal Strands. They’re challenging, dynamic, and, most importantly, fun—offering a real sense of accomplishment when you finally bring one of these colossal foes down. Besides, there’s no better feeling than watching one of these bosses toss something at you, only to grab it with your magic and hurl it right back at them.

Performs Great on PC, but Even Better with Upscaling

Of course, I have to talk about Eternal Strands PC performance and without wasting much time I can just come out and say that the game runs great on the PC. High frame rates, non-existent stuttering, and regardless of whether you are playing on a beefy or a medium-ranged PC. I’ve tested this on my main PC with an AMD Ryzen 9 98003XD and RTX 4090, and secondary on a Ryzen 5 3600 with a GTX 3060, and the game ran decently on both. Of course, I had to lower some settings on the lower-end PC, but the overall experience was the same.

It’s worth mentioning and while I can already hear the groans, after doing some testing, Eternal Strands does play better if you’re using some sort of upscaling technology, meaning Nvidia’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR. While playing natively at 4K on an RTX 4090, there were noticeable frame rate drops, that went away after DLSS was enabled. I won’t go into why I have frustrations about this in the PC gaming space, but it is what it is at this point.

If you have the hardware, the game runs like a dream and visually is a stunner. It’s one of those games where you just want to crank the settings as high as you can and enjoy the visual representation that Yellow Bricks Games intended for the game.

And sadly, no… the game does not run well on the Steam Deck, at least not right now.

This game has been played/tested on a computer with the following specs:

Operating System: Windows 11 Pro 24H2
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 98003XD
RAM: 64GB DDR5 6000Mhz
Hard Drive: M.2 NVMe Samsung 990 Pro 1TB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4090

Verdict

Eternal Strands is an ambitious debut title from Yellow Brick Games, and while it doesn’t entirely avoid stumbling along the way, it’s a bold first step into the action RPG genre. The magic system, weather integration, and crafting mechanics are standout features that add depth and creativity, setting the game apart from its peers. Boss battles deliver thrilling and memorable moments, but unfortunately, regular combat feels underwhelming due to clunky mechanics and lackluster feedback.

The narrative and world-building are compelling, providing a unique backdrop for the action, and the game’s technical performance on PC is commendable, though the Steam Deck experience leaves room for improvement. Despite its flaws, Eternal Strands offers a fresh take on the genre, and I’m excited to see how Yellow Brick Games builds on this strong foundation in future projects.

Eternal Strands will be released on January 28, 2025, for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).