Eternal Strands, a brand-new, fantasy action-adventure game developed in Unreal Engine 5 and created by a team of 68, including BioWare veteran Mike Laidlaw (Dragon Age, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, et al.), is set to launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 in 2025, developer Yellow Brick Games has announced. Yellow Brick Games is a new independent studio that Laidlaw co-founded in 2020 with a number of Ubisoft veterans, including Thomas Giroux, Jeff Skalski, and Frédéric St-Laurent B, all of whom have worked on one or more Assassin’s Creed games.
Platform links:
Official trailer and description:
Eternal Strands is a new third-person action-adventure draws inspiration from the likes of Shadow of the Colossus and Monster Hunter, where you’re doing battle with massive creatures hellbent on destroying you, and combines that with Tears of the Kingdom-like physics-manipulating powers to turn you into the ultimate sorcerer supreme badass. It’s in development from Yellow Brick Games, which is led by Mike Laidlaw, the longtime creative director on the Dragon Age series.
Key features include:
- 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.
Yellowbrick on its new game:
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.