Edge of Eternity is a JRPG set in a beautiful world that mixes high fantasy and sci-fi to create a love letter to fans of the genre.
“If I could choose what to give my life for, it would be for those I love,” and what hero could disagree? It’s in the nature of every hero’s story to protect those they hold close. When embarking into role playing games there is always a story to unfold and a world to discover. Conflicts can take a myriad of forms but always lead us down winding paths of self-realization. The journeys of heroes and villains not only entertain, but uphold virtues held dear to those who enjoy them. A hero’s journey has been told many times, but the values of each story resonate eternally
Edge of Eternity is a turn based role playing game that is beautiful, fun, and immersive. The story takes place amidst the outbreak of an interstellar war where a once peaceful race called the Archelites has decided to end a relationship with humanity. The conflict has unleashed an otherworldly plague known as the corrosion onto the world of Hyur, bringing havoc and destruction in its wake. While on the front lines our protagonist Daryon receives a message confirming his mother has become afflicted with the corrosion. After receiving the news he rejoins his magic wielding sister Selen in their journey to research a cure for their mother and possibly put an end to the ongoing war.
Shortly after the introductory cutscenes is the introduction to turn based combat. Battle encounters take place on a hexagonal grid and use an active time meter to determine which character acts. Movement on the grid only uses half of the meter, and spells being prepared with a red meter can be interrupted by attacks. Maneuvering around enemies can grant bonus damage for attacking from behind and there are a number of environmental interactions in battle like siege weapons, elemental traps and even weather that can alter the flow of battles in any direction. Grinding for experience to level is kept interesting by offering rewards for completing side objectives with conditions like taking out enemies in a specified order, with certain skills, or from different locations on the field. Both gamepad and mouse & keyboard layouts are intuitive for decision making and resemble many familiar online RPGs.
Character abilities are customized through the use of crystal shards slotted into weapons. Each weapon contains an ability web of color coded crystal nodes that can be fitted with crystals to boost stats or grant magic skills for use in battle. There’s a variety of both consumable and craftable items to be discovered, the first of which is a trap for hog like beasts who charge at you on the battle grid.
Exploring the different environments is a feast for the eyes. The graphics are of such quality that it’s hard to believe what you’re seeing was made by a small team of developers utilizing a kickstarter campaign. Backgrounds of warring spacecraft eventually lead into luscious flora and highlight any scenes’ emotional content with a complimentary palette of color. Much time can be spent gathering items while taking in all the sights which Monster Hunter fans may find familiar. The characters, monsters and landscapes all shine with illuminating passionate details that paint an intricate overall landscape. This epic 3D undertaking tells its story with charming and impactful cutscenes as well as powerfully voiced characters similar to watching an all digital anime.
True to any heavily inspired work of role playing fantasy, the soundtrack is beautifully orchestrated. From the opening title to loading screens, the emotionally grabbing melodies surround the gameplay experience with enlightening moods of excitement and discovery. Piano, strings and ethereal choirs create an atmosphere fit for grand adventure.
There’s a variety of ways to customize the gameplay experience as well. Difficulty can not only be changed but also customized through the option of allowing monsters to match your own level progression. Playing on harder difficulties can grant a more rewarding experience as it requires the crafting of more consumables to survive battles. The option of switching between cinematic, or overhead tactical views during battles is useful, and the menu for selecting actions will also adjust fluidly for controller or keyboard input.
The gameplay experience is breathtaking once you become immersed in the story. The role playing game mechanics employed feel familiar to acclimate with yet expanded upon for a modern take on a classic genre. Combat movement using the hegaxonal nexus movement system adds a surprising level of environmental depth to the usual turn based formula and also lends well to experiencing the aesthetic beauty of the graphics while in the middle of combat. Many players will also enjoy climbing atop the large scale feline mount called a Neakroo to explore.
Playing Edge of Eternity far surpasses the technical standards of an indie game. It tells an engaging story by combining fantastic writing, visuals, and role playing combat. Getting to know the characters and their relationships will lead to plenty of hours spent engrossed in the story. Edge of Eternity is a testament to what an intimate team can accomplish, especially when diligently working in collaboration with their audience; a tastefully unique must-play game for JRPG fans.
Pros
– Gorgeous 3-D world.
– Gripping soundtrack and voice over performance.
– Familiar yet innovative combat system.
– Emotionally gripping story.
Cons
– Story and humor may not resonate with everyone.
5 out of 5
Review code provided by Tinsely PR. Edge of Eternity is out now on Steam!
