New developer Yellow Brick Games has revealed its physics-based action-adventure game, Eternal Strands, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Launching in 2025, the third-person fantasy title is being made by a team of industry veterans, including Thomas Giroux (The Crew), Jeff Skalski (Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate), and Mike Laidlaw (Dragon Age).
In Eternal Strands, you play as Brynn, a Weaver who is trying to uncover the mysteries of the Enclave in a bid to restore her home. To do so, you will take on monolithic, climbable enemies known as Arks using a variety of weapons and magical abilities. You’ll also use objects in the environment and extreme weather events to your advantage. Laidlaw, the Chief Creative Officer at Yellow Brick Games, says that players can expect emergent gameplay that rewards experimentation:
“Our hope with Eternal Strands is to deliver an adventure that brings a sense of fun and excitement to fantasy, while encouraging players to experiment with its systems. It’s a very different game to ones I’ve worked on in the past, and it’s been a delight to generally answer the question ‘what if the player does X?’ with ‘Cool!’ It’s also exciting to have a chance to build an all-new world that encourages and reacts to this kind of play.”
Eternal Strands will be rated T for Teen to be accessible to a wide audience, including high skill level players. Check out the reveal trailer below:
QUEBEC CITY, APRIL 2, 2024 - Yellow Brick Games - a new independent studio founded in 2020 by AAA industry veterans Thomas Giroux, Jeff Skalski, Mike Laidlaw and Frédéric St-Laurent B. - just announced its debut title, Eternal Strands, for April’s IGN First. This brand-new, fantasy action-adventure game developed in Unreal 5 and created by a team of 68 is a new emergent gameplay experience. After more than four years of development, the studio unveiled a trailer showing how this vibrant, colorful, and stylized universe is blending innovative physics-based systems with engaging action-combat for revolutionary gameplay interactions in which the world becomes your weapon.
In this third-person action-adventure game, you play as Brynn, a young and fearless Weaver determined to recover her people’s cultural home by uncovering the mysteries of the Enclave - a once powerful nation that now lies dormant. Fight epic, 25-meters-high climbable creatures known as the Arks, while blending magical abilities with an arsenal of powerful weapons to keep the world from crumbling. Use the environment and extreme weather events to your advantage in battles against a big roster of fantastical creatures. Immerse yourself in a vast and rich lore where you will build relationships with a diverse cast of characters.
“Our hope with Eternal Strands is to deliver an adventure that brings a sense of fun and excitement to fantasy, while encouraging players to experiment with its systems. It’s a very different game to ones I’ve worked on in the past, and it’s been a delight to generally answer the question ‘what if the player does X?’ with ‘Cool!’ It’s also exciting to have a chance to build an all-new world that encourages and reacts to this kind of play.” Says Mike Laidlaw, Chief Creative Officer at Yellow Brick Games.
“We kicked off this adventure 4 years ago during the pandemic with nothing more than a dream and an idea to build amazing games with amazing people. To now be here is such an incredible feeling. It’s been a journey and we can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been pouring our hearts and souls into. I’m pumped!” Says Jeff Skalski, COO and Executive Producer at Yellow Brick Games
Key features:
The World is Your Weapon: At the heart of Eternal Strands is a revolutionary new system for gameplay interactions: heat spreads, cold chills, and real-time destruction allows for unprecedented reactivity in combat. Hurl burning tree trunks at enemies with telekinetic, snap nearby trees to block opposing fire, or channel raw telekinetic force to rip boulders from the ground.
Weaver of Magic: Wear the Mantle, a magical cloak that channels raw magic into raging flame, chilling ice, and telekinetic force. Combine your growing array of powers with enchanted weapons and armor crafted from slain enemies to create a custom look and style. Block incoming attacks with a wall of magical ice, lash out waves of flame from a massive two-handed blade or turn a dragon’s fiery breath against ice-covered minions.
Stand Against Giants: Face gigantic adversaries and defeat them through a mix of sword, spell, and mobility. Leap onto and climb their massive forms to attack from different angles. Shatter armor or slice at weak spots to diminish their protection. Use ice to pin limbs of a towering foe, arcane flames to burn their fur, or catch lobbed projectiles and turn their attacks back upon them in battles that will leave scars upon the land.
Unstable Climate to Master: Enhance the effectiveness of your ice abilities during a flash freeze to open up new paths. Use a heatwave to start a wildfire and watch it spread towards enemies as it consumes the tinder-dry trees and grass around it.
A World Rich with Secrets: Explore the wilds, the capital city of Dynevron, and the secrets beneath as every surface is climbable. Magical abilities can create bridges, burn barriers, or launch Brynn across the world. The next-generation physics system encourages and rewards player creativity in exploration as much as combat. As the Enclave’s secrets unfold, return to base camp to consult with a rich cast of characters. Each are keen to discover the mysteries of what happened to this lost bastion of power and knowledge.
A realm of mystery, opportunity, danger, and wonder: the Enclave awaits.
Eternal Strands is set to launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 in 2025. Developed with an 'accessible to anyone' mindset, this Teen-rated game is set to please a wide range of audiences, including the most demanding action-combat players.
