Eternal Strands Review: A Game of Many Inspirations

I remember when I first heard about Eternal Strands. My buddy Alejandro and I were discussing our most anticipated games of 2025 on a podcast, and he brought it up. As he described it, I pulled up the trailer and immediately got vibes of Breath of the Wild, Shadow of the Colossus, Monster Hunter, and the art style of Immortals Fenyx Rising. It was an intriguing mix, but I wondered whether all those influences could come together cohesively.

Now that the game is out and available on Game Pass, I decided to give it a shot. Is Eternal Strands an indie game of the year contender, or is it a jack of all trades, master of none? Let’s dive in.

Narrative

In Eternal Strands, you take on the role of Brynn, the leader of a “Weaver Band,” a group of freelance magicians in a world where magic has suffered a catastrophic event. Years ago, the Enclave—an isolationist city-state at the heart of magic—exploded in a massive surge and sealed itself off from the world. Your crew breaches the Enclave’s walls, becoming the first to set foot inside since the disaster, and begins unraveling the mystery behind what happened. As your group struggles to survive, they take refuge in a fabled sanctuary, only to discover they are not alone. Their choices could either save this place or doom it entirely.

While the premise is intriguing, the story itself doesn’t feel compelling enough to keep players fully engaged. The pacing is inconsistent, and the dialogue often feels bloated, with a lot of unnecessary exposition. Characters sometimes discuss lighthearted topics even when the story is approaching critical moments, creating a disconnect between the narrative and the gameplay.

Gameplay and Mechanics

At its core, Eternal Strands attempts to blend multiple gameplay mechanics. The climbing system, reminiscent of Breath of the Wild and Immortals Fenyx Rising, allows you to scale most surfaces, limited only by your stamina. Unfortunately, the climbing feels clunky and unreliable, especially during boss encounters where complex geometry can lead to frustrating moments.

The game introduces an elemental system where objects and environments react dynamically to frost and flame. Fire arrows can warm nearby air, ignite grass, or melt ice, while cold weather makes it harder to start fires. This interplay of elements is engaging and adds depth to exploration and combat.

A core combat mechanic involves climbing colossal enemies, akin to Shadow of the Colossus and Dragon’s Dogma. You’ll need to latch onto towering creatures, manage stamina, and exploit their weaknesses. However, the climbing mechanics feel inconsistent—sometimes enemies can grab you even when they clearly miss, and the stamina system can be punishing.

Combat itself is a mixed bag. While you can lock on, parry, and use magic, the overall feel is somewhat floaty and unresponsive. Enemy health values feel unbalanced, making some encounters frustratingly long. The game provides a range of weapons, including swords, shields, two-handed weapons, and bows, each with magical variants, but the melee combat lacks the necessary polish to make it truly satisfying.

Magic and Exploration

Brynn starts with two key magical abilities: a rapid freeze power reminiscent of Prey’s Gloo Gun, which lets you create ice on surfaces, and telekinesis, allowing you to manipulate objects and enemies. These abilities offer creative freedom, but their execution feels weightless and inconsistent. Objects don’t always react as expected, and there’s a slight delay in interactions, making the magic system feel spongy rather than precise.

Exploration is rewarding, with unique environments and hidden blueprints for crafting new gear. However, the game leans heavily on a crafting system that often forces unnecessary grind. Want fireproof armor? You’ll need to find specific materials that only appear at certain times of the day, leading to repetitive resource hunts. The game’s loop of fighting similar enemies and revisiting locations for fetch quests can become monotonous.

Pros and Cons

Visually, Eternal Strands is impressive, with well-crafted environments and strong artistic direction. The game’s use of Unreal Engine 5 allows for detailed landscapes and atmospheric lighting. The soundtrack enhances the sense of adventure, providing an immersive musical backdrop.

Unfortunately, voice acting is underwhelming, with characters delivering lines in an overly uniform and robotic tone. While this may have been an intentional stylistic choice, it ultimately detracts from immersion. Additionally, combat animations and visual feedback feel stiff, making it difficult to gauge whether attacks are connecting properly.

Overall, Should You Play Eternal Strands?

Eternal Strands is a game with ambitious ideas, but it struggles to execute them effectively. It blends mechanics from several beloved titles but doesn’t refine any of them to excellence. The climbing and combat systems feel inconsistent, the story fails to leave a lasting impact, and the pacing drags due to excessive dialogue and fetch quests. While the elemental interactions and open-ended exploration offer some enjoyment, the overall experience lacks polish.

If you enjoy third-person action games that emphasize player freedom and creative combat approaches, Eternal Strands is worth checking out—especially on Game Pass. However, don’t expect a perfectly refined experience. With some post-launch patches, it could become a stronger title, but in its current state, it falls short of its full potential.