There have not been many notable stealth video games prior to now few years, so after I heard about Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, I used to be stoked to offer it a shot.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is an isometric, narrative-driven sport targeted on stealth, in the identical style as the unique Steel Gear Strong. It comes from an indie developer known as River Finish Video games, and it is the studio’s first sport since forming in 2020.
Associated
10 Non-Stealth Video games With Nice Stealth Mechanics
When infiltration is an possibility, there isn’t any higher various.
To be the developer’s first sport and to focus on a style that’s so difficult to get proper, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream had rather a lot using on it. So, the burning query is that if it succeeds at being a top-tier stealth sport, or does it fall flat?
The reply to that query is, sure to the previous; it’s a success. Nevertheless, I can not assist however really feel it additionally falls flat in some regards. Let’s focus on why on each accounts on this evaluation.
A Story of Political Corruption and Relationships
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream takes place within the early 1900s within the metropolis of Eriksholm. We do not know a lot concerning the metropolis from the beginning, however as gamers enterprise by its completely different areas, we start to get a greater image of how issues are run.
The sport focuses on Hanna, our primary protagonist, who units off on a journey to search out her brother, Herman. He’s on the run from police, and although Hanna has no clue as to why that is the case, she understands there should be a superb purpose.
Hanna has all the time had hassle with the police, which is proven to the participant by the way in which different characters converse to her, and it is clear that she would not consider in her authorities. She has a sense the Mayor would not have Eriksholm’s greatest curiosity at coronary heart.
All through the sport’s eight chapters, gamers unravel political corruption and disturbing secrets and techniques behind the Heartpox, a illness that has been making the folks of Eriksholm sick. The folks have been informed there isn’t any treatment to this illness, leaving these contaminated simply ready to succumb to the sickness.
The story is informed by minimal cutscenes between ranges, interactions between characters throughout ranges, and collectibles that may be discovered and skim by the participant. Every collectible additional explains the historical past of Eriksholm and its folks.
The story’s greatest moments are by lifelike cutscenes which are so nice that they’ll rival some triple-A builders. Sadly, there aren’t many of those cutscenes and solely about 4 in whole. This was actually disappointing, as I discovered myself ready for the following nice cutscene, and it not often got here.
When there is not a full-on cutscene between ranges, then we’re met with a lower-tier cutscene that reveals our characters from a chicken’s-eye view. It does a superb job at progressing the story, however removes the opportunity of seeing our character’s facial expressions, which makes it much less emotional than it might have been.
General, the story of Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is properly paced and has a stable that means behind all of it relating to each relationships and authorities leaders. Anybody who performs by it and has a sibling or somebody they care about will really feel the sport tugging at their heartstrings.
With out going into spoiler territory, be ready to have the sport power you to consider the nation you reside in. It’s going to have you ever questioning if all the things is because it appears, as a result of in actuality, it often is not.
Unbelievable Stealth Gameplay With Restricted Decisions
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream excels in its stealth gameplay all through its eight chapters. Every stage looks like a board sport come to life, the place you are the Sport Grasp controlling the items and deciding the following greatest transfer to keep away from getting caught by the guards.
One in all my favourite features of the gameplay is how typically checkpoints happen, making it much less irritating while you get caught. This lets you run trials and errors rapidly, with out having to redo complete areas to get again the place you have been.
Teamwork is fixed in Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream and it feels super-satisfying when executed correctly.
Whereas gamers initially begin with solely Hanna, they quickly unlock two different characters, Alva and Sebastian. Every character has a singular means, and it is as much as the participant to make use of them on the right time to stop getting caught by the guards.
For instance, Hanna can shoot sleep darts and crawl by tight areas, Alva can throw pebbles to distract guards and destroy mild bulbs, and Sebastian can swim and sneak behind guards to choke them out.
Switching between every character is as simple as urgent their directional button on the D-Pad. Realizing when to make use of these characters’ distinctive talents is important to creating it to the waypoint, and most of the time, there’s just one option to progress by every stage.
Since there’s usually just one resolution, and every character has to make it to the waypoint, gamers will spend most of their time planning forward and strategizing. Not arising with a plan will most definitely lead to getting caught by the guards.
For instance, possibly you will have Alva throw a pebble so the guard turns round, opening up a window for Hanna to sneak previous and attain a crawl house. However what if there’s one other guard proper outdoors that crawl house? Then you should use Sebastian to swim behind the guard, climb a ladder, and choke him out from behind.
Associated
10 Greatest Distinctive Mechanics In Stealth Video games
Between devices, powers, and particular talents, these titles are distinctive due to their gameplay.
The sort of teamwork is fixed in Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, and it feels super-satisfying when executed correctly. It is particularly satisfying when there are teams of guards and gamers should act quick, having to rapidly swap between every character to allow them to play their position.
It might have been good to have extra options to every stage, giving the participant extra of a way of accomplishment, however that is simply not the case in most encounters. There have been even occasions after I did discover an alternate that made sense, however the sport merely would not permit me to do it.
Some Points Stop the Sport From Reaching Its Full Potential
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is an effective sport that’s too brief for its price ticket. Priced at $40, the sport solely has eight chapters, every solely lasting round an hour. Generally, chapters may be accomplished in beneath 45 minutes.
Because of this a talented stealth participant can beat Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream in beneath 8 hours. Nevertheless, completionists who attempt to discover all of the collectibles and totally full every chapter, that quantity may be stretched to round 12 hours. That’s nonetheless actually brief.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is an effective sport and one that’s worthy of stealth followers’ consideration.
Even worse is the truth that there’s usually just one resolution to every stage. This fully removes replayability from the expertise, because you’d have seen all the things in your preliminary playthrough. Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a one-and-done expertise due to this.
In different phrases, you are not likely getting your cash’s price in the meanwhile, as the sport can be higher priced 10 bucks cheaper. That is very true contemplating it solely has a couple of cutscenes which are actually price watching once more.
Think about how superior it could be in the event you might resolve a chapter in an uncommon approach. And picture how cool it could be if it led to a unique end result within the story or a singular cutscene since you solved it in another way than the usual technique.
Do not get me incorrect, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is an effective sport and one that’s worthy of stealth followers’ consideration. It simply might have been a lot extra by way of participant company for missions and extra cutscenes to attract the participant additional into the world and story.
Fortunately, the sport has virtually zero bugs and runs completely all through. There have been a few occasions after I needed to restart a checkpoint resulting from my character getting caught, however it was so uncommon that it would not hinder the expertise in any respect.
Closing Ideas:
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is an effective sport that might have been a lot extra if some adjustments have been made. The sport is approach too brief, and the truth that there’s often just one resolution in every stage removes replayability, making it a one-and-done expertise with virtually zero purpose to return. Until, nonetheless, you are a completionist trying to discover all of the collectibles. Nonetheless, I am completely satisfied I performed it resulting from its improbable stealth mechanics and heartfelt “stick it to the person” story of political corruption.
