To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Eriksholm. This game from a Scandinavian studio could just as easily have turned out to be a gem with stunning visuals as it could have been a disappointing let-down. However, both the story and the way it’s told deserve credit in this case. That’s not to say it managed to avoid a few minor and major missteps. There are, however, far more strengths than weaknesses, and the quality of the cutscenes is stunning. Titular Eriksholm is an alternate-history Nordic city inspired by early 20th-century Scandinavia. Come to think of it, although the game is set in a completely fictional city, it tackles all the problems and hardships so typical of a world that is industrializing and leaving some people behind.
Among the positives, I would definitely include visuals, game’s overall artistic direction and cutscenes. In addition, the main storyline, hard-to-categorize main villain, and voice acting all stand out for their quality.
I’m neutral about the quality of the soundtrack – because, unfortunately, although it’s pleasant to listen to, it lacks a real standout track or a strong highlight. Apart from that, I also have mixed feelings about the price. Game offers the quality of a solid AA+ production, but the gameplay itself is quite short (8 -10 hours) and its replay value is low.
Main drawback of this game is that the maps are too linear. Admittedly, they’re well designed, but it would be better if the game offered us a choice between paths A, B and C, rather than forcing us to follow a predetermined route. In addition, game could do with some side quests, which would not only provide a break from main story but could also encourage player to replay the game in a different way.
[b]Would I recommend it? Yes. [/b]
Of course, game isn’t perfect and has certain flaws that affect overall experience, but it has nevertheless been carefully designed and superbly executed, whilst the gameplay itself offers a solid, engaging experience. It’s not bad; it could be better, but all things considered, I can recommend it with a clear conscience.
✅[list]
[*] Game is beautiful. It makes use of a surprisingly vibrant colour palette, considering that this is a stealth-based game. However, combined with other factors and game’s artistic direction (a fictional Scandinavian country in the early XX century), this helps to create a distinct and unique game identity. Furthermore, it is surprisingly well-optimized and virtually bug-free. This is a rarity for games using the UE5 engine.
[*] Cutscenes are so good that they blur the line between film and game.
[*] An excellent choice of voice actors. They rose to the challenge and breathed life into their characters. Characters from different backgrounds and in various professions have their own distinctive ways of speaking and accents, which have been brilliantly captured.
[*] Story is captivating. It’s one of the best stories in this genre; it draws the player in right from the start and keeps them glued to the screen right until the very end. What’s more, statistics speak for themselves: 45% of players made it to the end credits.
[*] Main villain is a brilliantly written, complex character. To be honest, I’m not sure if “villain” is 100% the right word here, as he’s more of an mix of opportunist and a brutal pragmatist. Limited interactions with him paint a picture of a complex character who is difficult to categorize unequivocally, and the overheard conversations complicate this picture even further.
[*] World has been well designed. Locations have been superbly crafted with great attention to detail, making the city feel alive. All the other elements (collectibles, conversations, billboards and environmental storytelling) help to build this world and convince the player that they are in a city that forms part of a larger, living world, rather than simply in a model intended to serve as a background for our actions.
[*] Guards react to a colleague’s disappearance and either start looking for him straight away or raise the alarm. In addition, a change in environmental conditions (e.g. a power cut) may result in a change to patrol routes.
[*] 2 different types of collectables: notes (providing an insight into the current political and socio-economic situation of Eriksholm’s residents) and postcards (which appear to be hand-drawn and simply serve as a symbol of an important event or place).
[*] Game difficulty is well balanced. It is challenging without becoming frustrating.
[*] Save points have been positioned thoughtfully, meaning you rarely need to go back more than a minute.
[*] Players have been given the option to load the game and resume game from a specific checkpoint within a chapter (very useful for achievement collectors).
[*] Achievements are easy to unlock. Seriously – even the collectibles aren’t some mysterious treasure hidden away in an inaccessible spot. They’re simply presented as ordinary objects, so you can find them near living areas, somewhere on a wall, and so on.
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😐
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[*] I’m not entirely sure what to make of this game’s price. On one hand, it’s a well-made, top-quality game offering an engaging storyline and satisfying gameplay, but on the other hand, the price is quite high for a game that takes around 8–10 hours to complete and has little replay value.
[*] Soundtrack doesn’t feature any memorable, stand-alone themes, but it helps player to immerse themselves in the game’s world. It plays a supporting role, heightening emotions and moods, fits in with the Scandinavian-inspired atmosphere, and blends seamlessly into the cinematic presentation. Nevertheless, although it is quite varied, it lacks that “something” that would set it apart from other games.
[*] Font used in the text looks like Arial. It’s a strange choice, given that all in-game documents use their own stylized font inspired by the XIX century.
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❌[list]
[*] Maps seem too linear. It would be better if game offered more than one route leading to the intended objective, or allowed for side exploration unrelated to the main storyline. It’s a shame that the game doesn’t include any deviations from the main storyline – for example, side quests that would have an indirect impact on the main plot, whether positive or negative.
[*] Game makes one serious mistake, which, incidentally, is also made by many similar games. We’re expected to search for a character with whom we’ve been given no chance whatsoever to form any kind of bond. Game would evoke stronger emotions in the player if it included a prologue devoted entirely to this issue. As it stands, we’re searching for this character, but we (as players) don’t really care about them.
[*] Game lacks a mode that allows you to plan/queue up orders and then execute them immediately (something similar to mode found in “Shadow Tactics”).
[*] Characters are a bit too stereotypical.
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