Exciting News: Free Demo for *Eternal Strands* Launching Soon
Canadian video game developer Yellow Brick Games has unveiled plans to release a free demo for its much-anticipated debut title, *Eternal Strands*, on January 21. This demo will arrive exactly one week prior to the official launch of the full game. As of now, details regarding the content of the demo remain undisclosed, and it is unclear whether players will be able to transfer their progress from the demo to the full game.
A Brief Introduction to *Eternal Strands*
*Eternal Strands* marks the creative return of former BioWare lead writer Mike Laidlaw, known for his work on the *Dragon Age* series. After his tenure at BioWare, Laidlaw briefly collaborated on an unannounced Arthurian-inspired RPG at Ubisoft; however, that project was ultimately canceled. Subsequently, he founded Yellow Brick Games, focusing on this captivating fantasy third-person action/adventure title.
Gameplay Highlights
During our recent experience at Gamescom 2024, I had the opportunity to play a brief yet impressive demo of *Eternal Strands*, which emphasized the game’s innovative physics engine. Here’s what stood out:
What truly makes Eternal Strands stand out is the well-realized magic system. Every spell, from the simplest elemental shots to the more complex gravity-based ones, interacts not only with the environment and the enemies but also with one another. One gravity spell, for example, can propel Brynn forward and up in the air, but it can also be used to push enemies into chasms or to extend the range of elemental shots. In other cases, another spell can make other spells whose effects go off after a short while activate instantly.
Story Synopsis
The narrative follows Brynn, an ambitious young magical weaver and treasure hunter. Together with her allies, Brynn embarks on a quest to explore the mysteries of the Enclave, a once-thriving center of magic and commerce. Following catastrophic arcane events, the Enclave sealed itself off behind a protective barrier known as the Veil. Brynn and her fellow weavers now find themselves tasked with unlocking the Enclave’s secrets.
What to Expect from *Eternal Strands*
Players can anticipate engaging dialogue options; however, it is important to manage expectations regarding the depth of moral choices, as the game may not feature multiple endings based on player decisions. Nevertheless, early gameplay impressions indicate that the action is highly enjoyable. The duration of *Eternal Strands* is estimated to be between 25 to 35 hours, with plans for additional content to be released after the game’s launch on January 28. Collaborating with Square Enix’s Creative Studio III Lead Artist, Yusuke Mogi—renowned for his work on *FINAL FANTASY XIV Online*—a new Epic creature, weapons, and armor set are set to enhance the game experience.
System Requirements for *Eternal Strands*
Anticipating interest in hardware specifications, here are the minimum and recommended requirements to smoothly run *Eternal Strands*:
Minimum Requirements
- Performance: 60 FPS @ 1080p
- Graphic settings: Low
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super [6GB] / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT [6GB] / Intel Arc A580
- CPU: Intel Core i5-9400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3350G
- RAM: 8GB
- OS: Windows 10 / 11
- Additional Notes: SSD required.
Recommended Requirements
- Performance: 60 FPS @ 1440p
- Graphic settings: High
- GPU: GeForce RTX 3070 [8 GB] / Radeon RX 6800 [16GB] / Intel Arc A770
- CPU: Intel Core i5-11600 / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
- RAM: 16GB
- OS: Windows 10 / 11
- Additional Notes: SSD required.
The game will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X, with Game Pass subscribers granted access on launch day.
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