There was a time when the only open world games you could play outside of the Nintendo family were Skyrim and a few other small releases that didn’t come along very often. Since then, this type of game has become all the rage and now we even see big AAA titles bringing open world elements to any kind of game they are working on. For experienced open world players, this is probably a refreshing problem to have. For new players, it can be a daunting task to figure out where to start and harder still to tell the difference in all the new titles. That’s where The Eternal Cylinder by Ace Team and Good Shepperd can really shine and build the audience that a game with so much attention to detail deserves.
Like many open world games, The Eternal Cylinder comes with a rich backstory that builds the lore of the game itself. Here, you are trying to maintain the survival of the Trebhum when a mysterious cylinder appears on their planet and begins consuming the planet. The cylinder has taken the livelihood of plenty of planets before, but you can delay it’s rath and ensure the survival of your population. On your journey, you will pick up other Trebhums with distinct powers to add to your team and help out along your journey to slow down the Eternal Cylinder.
The gameplay itself is what you would expect from an open world game with XP, power ups, and additional team members scattered throughout the dying planet. However, the fight and movement mechanics have been built well for your Trebhum team to take on the invaders. My favorite movement was the fast travel through the map by rolling at high speed when you come across a time sensitive objective or when you’re outgunned in a fight. Unfortunately, your Trebhum won’t be great at fighting in the beginning of the game so learning how to escape well is a must. Eventually, you will find enough abilities and upgrades to take your enemies head on but don’t expect that to come early in the game.
Before I get to the couple things I could’ve liked more about The Eternal Cylinder, I want to call out the attention to detail paid to this game. Whenever your Trebhum collects an ability, it not only changes what you can do but it changes the actual appearance of your character to match the ability. For instance, my Trebhum grew longer legs when I collected the item to upgrade jumping ability. This shows a level of caring and thought that resonates throughout every aspect of the game and you will only be more impressed with it the more you play.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Eternal Cylinder despite not being much of an open world player myself. The movements were fun, the dialogue was just whacky enough for aliens that look the way the Trebhums do, and it was easy to get into the swing of the controls. However, there is a lack of direction assistance when you are looking for the next objective. This caused me to spend quite a bit of time aimlessly rolling around on the map instead of progressing in the game. It was also a little frustrating that it took so long to be able to do effective damage to the enemies I faced until I was able to upgrade my character’s abilities.
The Eternal Cylinder is an entertaining game to play and I found myself charmed with the strangeness of the Trebhums. Whether you are looking for an entry to open world games or if you are a veteran of the genre, there’s something for you to love about The Eternal Cylinder and it is definitely worth adding to your collection.
7/10
For more information, visit: https://www.eternalcylinder.com/
My first console was the original Playstation and I would play Twisted Metal every now and then but games didn't hook me until I played the original Halo at my friend's house. As soon as I picked up that controller, I knew I needed an Xbox and I had to have that game. Since those early Halo days, I've branched out and played any game I could find with a great story and memorable characters but Master Chief is still my favorite. @thenotoriousTGT on Twitter
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