During the Future Game Show Summer Showcase, Mike Laidlaw and Fred St-Laurent from Yellow Brick Games presented an in-depth look at their upcoming physics-based fantasy RPG, Eternal Strands. The highlight of their overview was a boss fight, showcasing the game's innovative mechanics and gameplay.
Eternal Strands is a third-person action-adventure game set in a rich fantasy world. Players step into the shoes of Bryn, a young woman from a magical tribe known as the Weavers. This group has been marginalized since a catastrophic event known as the Surge, which left them without a homeland. As Bryn, players will combine traditional weaponry—bows, swords, dual swords, and shields—with evolving magical abilities to face massive creatures in a dynamic sandbox environment.
Laidlaw, the project's creative director, emphasized in the trailer that the goal was to design a game where players confront titanic creatures, merging physics with action elements. St-Laurent, the game director, added that they aimed to push the boundaries of physical gameplay within this genre, making each power and ability physical and tangible, not just a visual effect.
The design philosophy of Eternal Strands centers around creating powers that interact with the environment in unique ways. For instance, if a Drake breathes fire on a pot of water, it generates a massive wall of vapor, providing a tactical advantage for players to hide from the creature. This interaction between elements creates a dynamic and unpredictable combat experience, as highlighted by Laidlaw and St-Laurent.
The showcased boss fight was with a massive Drake. Rather than a typical boss battle within an enclosed space, these creatures roam through the levels and act differently each time depending on where they encounter players. Such an approach to designing boss battles strongly focuses on unpredictability and variety in an attempt to extend the game's replayability. Combat skills and environmental awareness will be vital in fighting the Drake, as you need to adjust your strategies according to the Drake's behavior and the surrounding conditions.
Eternal Strands will be available for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2025.
English (UK) 
Hrvatski