The Eternal Threads is the tried-and-true adventure of choice.

Time travel is an exciting mechanic that can transform the simplest of narratives into a whirlwind of possibilities and twists. So, among other things, it is perfect for a first-person adventure at crossroads, which not only uses manipulation of the past to enrich the plot, but makes the temporal mechanics a mainstay of the game.

In fact, he wants us to take on the role of a rookie and explore a house, skipping back and forth in time, analyzing clues and key moments that led to the building’s fire and six deaths within a week. . And while it is precisely by changing these crucial moments, making weighted choices based on the clues obtained, the purpose of the title is implicit: saving as many people as possible.

We tasted all of them in the best possible way. Tried by Eternal Threadsfirst title Cosmonaut Games It will release on Steam on May 20 and on PS4 and Xbox on May 19. The platforms and team size of just 10 people predict a product that is definitely not geared towards using the latest technologies, but the potential for an adventure that could be very interesting should not be underestimated.

A puzzle suspended in time

The beginning of Eternal Threads is hasty and hides nothing but exceptional production values. But as it threw us into the middle of a complex situation, it left us feeling like real novices displaced in front of something bigger than us. However, we were not completely lost, thanks to the voice of the mission control guys who made us one of us. instructive in the early stages, a line in which events are arranged from the first day to the seventh day that lead us to the time map, separating the inhabitants of the house from the evil end.

When one of the numerous active events is started without loading, the house moves in time to the relative temporal junction, allowing us to witness what is happening to the residents of the house at that moment. And in accordance with these events, we find the fateful choices that represent the main mechanism. gameplay. In fact, they pave the way for alternative events with other options and new clues that are very useful for understanding what is going on and making sound decisions.

And here the house, while always remaining the same, grows larger with time, asking us to find and use combinations of locks, smartphone messages, wills, pamphlets, letters, and a multitude of options that turn an Instant game into playing. Classic first-person adventure game that allows us to interact with a single button in a huge puzzle to be deciphered as a whole.

As expected, we can move back and forth. time map, jump to next events or return to the first events to change previously made choices and open new paths or new timelines. In fact, some events are not immediately available, while others may become inaccessible through choices and actions. Thus, we can potentially unlock the specified events or block the initially open events, instead making alternative versions of these transients available.

In these cases, even the relevant options and tips are no longer accessible, which combined with a single rescue allows us to carefully weigh the actions we took while trying to save these six lives, as we were told by senior officials. , they should not have closed so quickly, or rather they should not have opened. In fact, a wrong choice can deter us from a positive outcome, even if there are different ways and different ways to save residents. possible futures for each, in a title that promises lots of endings and lots of satisfaction, as long as you appreciate the formula and put up with the technical humility.

technical sector

Eternal Threads, which consists of options, also promises many variants. countless endingsreleases as a highly replayable title. But in pursuing such a high level of narrative complexity, there is the inevitable risk that everything will not fit together as well as possible because of the rhythm or quality of the narrative. However, interest remained high throughout our testing, even during less stimulating events than others, and also in front of a technical sector that was lacking in several aspects.

We said the main game was about choices and related outcomes, but we couldn’t downplay anything more stimulating from the point of view.discovery. On the contrary, we find ourselves wandering around the house looking for clues, holding an Alien-style radar that allows us to instantly locate the point where something interesting is going on in a particular event. So nothing exciting thanks to an unhelpful visual sector.

Let’s put aside the inevitable bugs and glitches as we’re talking about a version of the game that still needs cleaning up, but we can spend a few words on it. graphics engine and on assets, both can really take us back to the past and not in the way Cosmonaut Studios’ title intended. In fact, we are talking about a graphic design prior to PS4 and Xbox, developed with a general and not particularly inspiring style from an aesthetic point of view.

The narrative side, however, is not overly impressed. The concept is engaging, the soundtrack is limited but functional and keeps the atmosphere. This is also thanks to lots of pretty well-voiced conversations, but only in English, and tons of carefully crafted tips. In fact, they are not lost in miles of unnecessary text, but they still contain all the necessary information to get us involved, and also give us ideas for understanding the characters. However, some effort is required. Between relatives, friends, suitors, and details, the amount of information to sift through is overwhelming, and this combined with so many options can be confusing. However, it also lends depth to a title that, despite its technical humility, can deliver a lot. satisfactions For those who love crossroad adventures.