The Eternal Cylinder (Computer)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): September 30, 2021
- Release Date (EU): September 30, 2021
- Publisher: Good Shepherd Entertainment
- Developer: ACE Team
- Genres: Exploration, Survival, Adventure
Game Features:
A pair of legs, a pair of eyes, a trunk and a rounded body: these are the external anatomical parts of the alien creature known as Trebhum; and we witness this peculiar creature come into being at the beginning of The Eternal Cylinder. But shortly after becoming sentient in the world, our Trebhum quickly becomes aware of the constant threat of a giant rolling cylinder crushing everything on its path. That’s our first encounter with the titular Eternal Cylinder.
As the creature attempts to escape certain death from the unstoppable Cylinder, it discovers that it can activate ancient towers to block the progression of the cylinder. They create a radius of protection within which our Trebhum is free to roam; but venturing beyond that safe zone will re-awaken the Eternal Cylinder. While exploring such a protected zone, the Trebhum realises that it is not the only one of its kind on the planet and sets out to find its siblings.
In doing so, the Trebhums grow in number and learn more about the strange land that they inhabit. They even discover shrines where Elder Trebhums have retreated to. But the latter do impart crucial knowledge to the new generation ranging from their long-lost abilities to the servants of the Cylinder.
Our little creatures feel the weight of their many tasks from finding their fellow siblings to restoring their lost power to stopping the Cylinder. Daunting as these tasks might sound, Trebhums are stubborn and set out on this quest. And as they progress, they gain new knowledge about the Trebhums' origins as well as slowly decrypt the secrets of the menacing Cylinder.
The Eternal Cylinder must not have been an easy game to pitch; but it might have sounded something like “Pikmin meets Spore with a surreal twist” as it incorporates those elements while distinguishing itself. In this game, you control Trebhums, help them survive and evolve, all while keeping an eye out for the perpetually rolling Eternal Cylinder. The survival aspect is really hammered in as you progress and learn more about their anatomy and weaknesses. On top of finding the next tower to pause the Cylinder’s ominous roll, you need to keep your hydration level in check as well as feed your Trebhum to fill the Stomach Meter. Oh, and stay away from yellow light-emitting creatures as it will take away your abilities.
It might sound like a lot to take care of but these survival mechanics are gradually introduced such that they don’t feel overwhelming. Moreover, finding and trying out edibles is also recommended as, in addition to filling your Stomach Meter, some can confer your Trebhum unique skills and abilities. Need to ward off predators? Eat a Taba Tuber to get a new, intimidating battlecry. Need a cuboid-shaped Trebhum to unlock an area? Eat an Organic Cube to alter your Trebhum’s physiognomy so that it can fit in. These evolutionary traits also manifest visually on the Trebums; and with over 50 mutations possible, no two Trebhums will look the same.
You can also switch between the Trebhums that you find to lead the herd, and each can consume edibles and mutate in different ways. In this way, The Eternal Cylinder keeps things creative and original.
What I also found original was the inclusion of a narrator. This compliments the surreal vibe of the game as it feels almost like an interactive documentary. But including a narrator doubles as a neat, discreet way and interesting way to assist players as he helps make sense of what's going on and even provides pointers.
But what you’ll mostly be doing in The Eternal Cylinder is guiding the Trebhum herd from tower to tower, looking for answers and surviving the obstacles that the world throws at them. Since they do not dominate the food chain, Trebums are easy prey but they can hide in low-lying foliage and growing in number and developing new abilities can further help them adapt to their environment.
With its alien world teeming with extraterrestrial fauna and flora, you will be hard pressed to not want to explore them. While you do have a sense of impending doom given that you have to race against the cylinder, you do get some downtime to explore your environment. This happens when you inactivate the cylinder after passing through an ancient tower.
Exploration is done in an open-world fashion, allowing you to harvest food and hydrate your Trebhums, as well as discover shrines that expand on the game’s lore. But even while exploring you have to be on your toes and try not to get eaten by everything that's moving. There is a permadeath feature with members of your herd, so don’t get too attached.
Luckily, there is an RPG-esque levelling-up mechanic to assist your Trebhums. In certain shrines, you can use minerals to boost stats like number of party members and stamina and energy levels.
Sometimes, and this especially holds true during the game’s opening hours, The Eternal Cylinder can feel disorienting, leaving you to wander aimlessly around. I’ve found myself to resort to having my Trebhum suck things in, in the hopes of causing it to mutate and find structures which might seem like they'll unlock something. This feeling became less common as I progressed but was frustratingly common at the outset.
Moreover, as you spend more time with the game, you get to see its set progression pattern. This boils down to travelling from tower to tower to stop the cylinder momentarily and finding glowing structures in between which are often shrines to explore.
But this template is masked well enough with the different types of enemies and the different aims you find that makes it rather easy to overlook.
All in all, The Eternal Cylinder is an originally-crafted story of survival, evolution and, surprisingly, of family and collaboration. It’s the most surreal and original game that I’ve played all year and is worth taking a look if you’re craving for something different.
The Eternal Cylinder - Adapt or Perish Launch Trailer
Verdict
- Original concept for a survival game
- Lots of mutations possible
- Documentary-styled narrator
- Can feel disorienting
- Follows a set progression pattern
