One among my favorite video games from the previous few years is Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, a tremendous isometric stealth sport that includes a motley group of pirates with powers. Whereas the manufacturing values had been in step with a small indie undertaking, the gameplay was so mechanically wealthy that I fell in love with it. Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is nearly the other regardless of additionally being an isometric stealth sport: the manufacturing values are spectacular, particularly for such a small title. The cutscenes might give some triple-A video games a run for his or her cash. The degrees are full of particulars, too, and the voice performing is each plentiful and excellent. But it surely isn’t as mechanically wealthy beneath the hood – this can be a simple, linear stealth sport. It’s nicely executed and nonetheless enjoyable to play, however veterans of the shadows would possibly discover it too strict. The important thing to Eriskholm, then, goes in with the appropriate expectations.
Accessible On: Xbox, PC, PlayStation
Reviewed On: PS5
Developed By: River Finish Video games
Revealed By: NordcurrentEvaluate code supplied by the writer.
Our younger heroine Hanna awakens after managing to outlive a case of Heartpox to search out her little brother by her bedside, relieved that his sister has crushed the usually deadly sickness. Whereas she’s been useless to the world, he’s been working exhausting to supply for them, and nearly as quickly as she’s awake, he’s again off to the job. Only a day later, the cops bust down the door, demanding to know the place Herman is. Hanna has about as a lot religion within the justice system as I’ve within the UK cops, so she instantly makes a break for it and escapes. However now she has a thriller on her palms: the place has her little brother gone, and what has he completed, as a result of the Victorian-esque metropolis of Eriksholm is now brimming with officers on the lookout for each of them.
Thus we set the stage for our thriller and supreme objective: rescue Herman, determine what he did, and possibly get out of Eriksholm and chase the siblings’ dream of a brand new life in Apple Gardens, away from their previous and the tough life they stay in a metropolis that appears to be going downhill.
The intro does a strong due of introducing us to the very likeable Hanna by way of a stunning cutscene. Hanna clearly has coronary heart, however one which’s locked up behind strong partitions that may make her come throughout as brash and unwilling to belief others with regards to her and her brother. They’ve each led a tough life, together with as soon as being a part of a thieving gang, although they’ve been attempting to depart that behind. Hanna’s angle would possibly come throughout as bratty at occasions to some, however I preferred her and her spunk.
However the intro does make a mistake by barely having poor Herman on-screen. He’s launched, and simply as rapidly is dispatched to the magical Plot Level Realm to be rediscovered later. That’s a problem for the reason that principal crux of the story is Hanna’s need to search out him, whereas I, because the participant, can barely bear in mind what he even appears like based mostly on the 5 seconds of display screen time he’s had. That is then exacerbated by a degree through the sport when the plot focus shifts and we start to unravel a deeper thriller that’s fascinating, but doesn’t really feel prefer it connects very nicely to the preliminary premise. The emotional coronary heart of the narrative is tossed apart in favour of this grander conspiracy, however somewhat extra work on transitioning these parts would have gone a good distance.
Nonetheless, the story manages to maintain up an pleasant tempo, and I can’t inform you how a lot the superb visuals within the cutscenes assist. The facial animations are significantly beautiful, supporting the superb voice performing. And I loved the themes of studying to just accept assist, to understand you possibly can’t do every little thing your self.
Alongside the way in which, Hanna will get joined by a few different allies, opening up the flexibility to swap between them with a faucet of the D-pad. Once more, going again to Cursed Crew or Desperados 3, my thoughts jumped to having the ability to program actions after which watch the mayhem unfold, however Eriksholm retains it easy – each is managed individually. A tandem takedown means rapidly leaping from one character to the opposite.
Whereas Hanna has a useful blowpipe that sends cop’s for a fast nap, Alva’s skillset lets her throw a rock. Okay, I admit, it’s a bit bizarre that only one character is able to tossing a pebble, however when you get previous that piece of dissonance, she will use them to distract individuals or smash gentle sources. That’s further helpful as a result of the sport’s gentle and darkish system means you’re fully hidden within the shadows until somebody whips out a flashlight. She’s additionally the one character able to clambering up drainpipes, whereas Hanna squeezes via vents.
Then we’ve Sebastian who has two expertise that set him aside: swimming, and having the ability to choke fools out like a UFC champion encountering a Karen/Kevin within the wild.
Describing this as a stealth sport feels unsuitable. Positive, you’re going to be sneaking round behind guards’ backs, timing your actions via patrols and sometimes lurking in shadows like Batman’s Temu cousin twice eliminated, however at its coronary heart, this can be a puzzle sport. There may be precisely one resolution to each part with completely zero room to flex your inventive muscle tissue. Typically that rigidity can really feel claustrophobic, particularly in comparison with different isometric stealth video games. It’s not an particularly difficult stealth sport, both – normally, just a few seconds of spinning the digital camera round will reveal an answer within the degree’s design, and plenty of occasions every character could have a particular path they should take, assembly again up at sure factors to allow them to work collectively. However don’t let all this trick you into considering it isn’t enjoyable, as a result of it’s. The stealth is nicely executed, and there are some actually enjoyable sections. It’s satisfying to distract one guard with a pebble in order that Hanna and Sebastian can work in tandem to take out a Sentry.
There may be an upside to the stealth being so restrictive and single-minded, high, and that’s how the builders can introduce a lot of enjoyable scripted stuff into the combination. By knocking out one policeman, for instance, will trigger a few his buddies to note his absence, in order that they’ll name in some backup and begin attempting to hunt you down, however by doing that they open op a niche so that you can slip via. I additionally appreciated among the different enjoyable concepts the sport employs, like listening in to a few cops speaking about how the third man is lazy, so when he abruptly disappears, they pay it no heed. At one level, I used to be even in a position to knock out a goon on a deckchair as a result of his compatriots had been ready for him to go to sleep so they might sneak off. One of many largest gripes usually levelled at stealth in videogames is a scarcity of reactivity – Eriksholme handles that by taking away some freedom however changing it with scripted occasions.
In fact, it goes with out saying that the scripted, linear model of sneaking round comes at the price of replay worth. Whereas I performed Shadow Gambit time and again, there isn’t a lot cause to telephone up Eriksholm for one more tumble within the hay. You already know the options, and the way every part will play out.
In Conclusion…
Whereas maybe not as wealthy within the sneaky-sneaky division as I had hoped, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream manages to impress with its strong stealth and genuinely spectacular visuals. Go into this one anticipating sturdy vibes in an exquisite world and competent stealth motion, and also you’ll have time lurking within the shadows, knocking out cops and listening in on the myriad little conversations.
I can’t wait to see what else River Finish Video games will get as much as subsequent.
