So, we are already two months into 2022 and the game line-up is huge, to say the least. I have the new Pokémon, waiting on Horizon and Elden Ring but I still felt like I want to be playing my PlayStation 5 more seeing as there aren’t many games on it that are new releases. That’s when I came across Edge of Eternity. I watched the trailer on YouTube and it looked like a game I would enjoy. I managed to get a hold of a copy with enough time on my hands to drill into it and embarked into the wonderful world of Heryon.
Edge of Eternity is a brilliant JRPG with a turn-based battle system. You follow Daryon and Selene on their journey to find a cure for the all-consuming Corrosion that is plaguing the world of Heryon. Using the power of ancient crystals and exploring this gorgeous alien world, you get to see what’s in store for these two protagonists. Heryon has been torn apart, the arrival of alien forces many years ago has plunged the planet into an endless war where both magic and technology were unleashed upon the world. If this wasn’t bad enough the alien invaders released the deadly plague called the Corrosion in a despicable act of war upon the world. This fatal disease is turning living forms of all kinds into misshapen abominations. That’s where your story begins with Daryon and Selene. This tale is both filled with hope and sacrifices but I struggle to stay engaged with it at times as Daryon is just your average edge lord who you struggle to connect with and Selene is trying to solve every problem, she comes across which is virtually possible. Between the two they bounce off each other very well but I just don’t know if I’m fully engaged with the story as much as I like the combat system and the world of Heryon.
The exploration is fun in Edge of Eternity. In the early hours of the game, it can be long and tedious as you’re travelling by foot but once you get your furry companion, the Nekaroo, travelling becomes faster and a lot more enjoyable. The Nekaroo is so cutie and amazing, it has a special ability to sniff out items in the wild and once you find them you can dig them up, it also helps out in a few missions too but I won’t spoil too much.
The combat for me is the whole reason I find myself enjoying this game, it features hex grids and active-time battles that form the turn-based style of combat. In your turn, you have a load of options that your characters can do and you have to try and choose the best strategy that you think will get your party through the fight. There are plenty of spells, abilities and weapons that you can choose from for your party that all come with their perks or penalties. Some fights are harder than others and in the early stages of the game when there is only two of you in the party, combat can be difficult. Especially when you come against bigger groups of enemies these battles can be hard and frustrating but bear with it until you start meeting other party members. Then combat becomes more manageable and a lot more enjoyable.
It comes with everything you would expect out of a JRPG, levelling your party up, unlocking new abilities through magical gems that you find to give your party buffs and powers. I love the crafting system in Edge of Eternity, you can craft weapons for your party and each one is different and unique. The weapons also have levels that when you max out gives you access to putting gems on them to unlock new features and skills. You are even able to craft armour, gems and other useful items that you can use on your journey. Gems can be crafted into better versions and give you stronger gems with better stats and powers, the armour can be crafted by farming the resources in the wild that adds to the grind and farming certain creatures and you can also craft things like potions and bombs similar way. You can buy them from vendors in towns and cities but it’s more fun to get the blueprints and craft them yourself.
Edge of Eternity is a whole lot of fun and covers all the basic needs for a player to get sucked in. The crafting system is easy and fun, the environments are colourful and vast and the combat is where the game shines. Not to mention how adorable your cute furry friend is and how much better it makes travelling around when you unlock it as the mount.
Graphically the game looks beautiful, I love the different environments that you come across and the level of detail that has gone into making Heryon I like that it is science fiction yet heavily fantasy it’s a well-balanced mix. The NPC lack detail though compared to the main characters that you come across, if you look at the level of detail that has gone into Daryon and Selene you can see a Final Fantasy style look to them and they have an amazing attention to detail but the townsfolk and general NPC look like they have been plucked out of a dated PS4 game. They just don’t look as nice and detailed as the main characters do. The monsters and enemies you come across in the wild look awesome and a few of them have cool designs which I really enjoyed but sadly I did come across some rendering issues and a few bugs when it comes to visuals and overall fluent frame rates when in combat or exploring the different zones that you get to explore. Audio in Edge of Eternity is very fantasy and most of the music is very relaxing and calm, the battle music can get annoying as it’s pretty much the same tune over and over again and seeing as you will be in a lot of fights your kind of just shut off from it after the first 50 battles. I’m a massive weeb so of course I played the game with Japanese audio and have to say I wouldn’t have played it any other way. Love Japanese voice acting in these types of games as I feel like it adds to the experience and the style of the game. Don’t worry there is also the option for English audio it just wasn’t my first choice.
With Edge of Eternity being an RPG there are hours of content for the player to sink their teeth into, there is plenty of side quests and collectables to find in the world. The main storyline is only a fraction of the overall experience you get from this game, I would highly recommend the grind to enjoy the side quests and what the world of Heryon has to offer. One of my favourite features was the puzzle you come across and if you manage to solve them you get a few chests as a reward which can be very helpful and rewarding. Not to mention that you would want to grind the side quests and kill enemies so that you are levelling up your party so that you aren’t getting left behind. I started by just streamlining the main story and hit a brick wall when the enemies I was facing just annihilated me. Then I took a step back, picked up some side quests and started the grind to level up so that I wasn’t getting one-shot by the enemies and it worked.
Closing Statement
Edge of Eternity was a game that I feel would go under the radar as it is against heavy hitters this month. I honestly would say that I probably wouldn’t have seen it or picked it up unless I saw a trailer for it on YouTube in the first place. On the PlayStation 5, it ran smoothly at times but I did come across visually bugs and glitches. The combat is engaging, the world of Heryon is beautiful and drags you into it perfectly and the crafting system and different abilities and weapons you can get for party members adds a whole different element to the way you play. Though with lacklustre characters and a story that personally isn’t too engaging it misses the mark. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy playing the game just maybe not for the story and characters. Daryon is starting to grow on me but I wouldn’t say he’s the best of the best and Selene is just part of the package but Edge of Eternity does a good enough job with its other features to keep you playing and progressing through the story. For those reasons, I’m happy to give this game a 7 out of 10.
- Developer: Midgar Studio
- Designer: Jeremy Zeler-Maury
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, MORE
- Publishers: Dear Villagers, Plug In Digital, and Maple Whispering
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