So, what do you get when you combine a dating visual novelish style game with hack ‘n slash? Well, probably something like Eternights. And it was nothing I expected when I booted it up for the first time. But what a wild ride this one is. So, let’s dive in!
Ethernights
Our thrilling story commences with the protagonist, alongside his friend Chani, creating dating app profiles with the utmost conviction to score a date. In the background, there’s news of a revolutionary anti-aging drug called Eternights and a sensational pop star named Yuna preparing for a concert. However, the minutia fades from memory as Chani invites you to take a personality test on a new dating app. After completing the test, an enigmatic woman contacts you and invites you on a yacht date. But before meeting her, the world undergoes a violent and unexpected transformation, turning most of the population into vicious monsters. You and Chani are trapped in a city shelter, where things worsen, and you lose your right arm. You must join forces with your companions, form bonds, and fight for the world’s survival with unwavering determination.
Gameplay Elements
Eternights is an action-packed RPG where you progress through dungeon areas and fight monsters in spine-chilling environments. You can easily evade enemy attacks and string combos through simple button presses. Some enemy types, especially bosses, have robust barriers that require multiple elemental Quick Time Events (QTE) attacks to destroy before you can deal significant damage. Successfully attacking and evading fills up an elemental gauge, allowing you to unleash a devastating special attack in the form of QTEs, easily breaking through boss barriers. While it may take some time to master, you can become an unstoppable force later on as you unlock more abilities.
You aren’t alone either, as comrades join throughout your dungeon adventures. The main three ally characters are pop star Yuna, hapless Min, and science-loving Sia. Yuna is the most valuable party member, possessing vital healing powers. However, all three provide beneficial elemental attacks that are helpful in barrier-breaking when used with the elemental gauge, with Yuna representing fire, Min lightning, and Sia ice. You can call upon their unique abilities and attacks to help you in fights so long as you have enough SP, which I often conserved just for healing. Yohan is a fourth comrade who joins the group, though he remains outside direct combat, playing a support role. He also provides special attacks you can unlock via the abilities menu, provided you reach sufficient bond ranks with him.
Game Mechanics
In Eternights, every party member has a social/relationship rank attached to them, including Chani, who acts more as a supportive wingman by helping you raise social stats needed to advance bonds with other characters. Spending time with the characters allows you to strengthen this rank. You can collect White Essence to bolster stats associated with the party members by training with them or scavenging for items they require. These stats range from increasing health and SP to strengthening their abilities. Black Essence is collected in dungeons and through battling enemies, helping you maintain your existing sword skills while unlocking new ones. At first, you’re limited in how much SP is at your disposal, encouraging you to do a dungeon run in multiple phases to replenish your strength. However, you can power through later dungeons more quickly if you efficiently utilize your skills.
Dungeons in Eternights are designed to be short, so they don’t overstay their welcome, and the action-oriented combat helps keep things from getting too monotonous. There are also many different puzzles and minigames spliced into dungeons, ranging from memory games to rearranging picture tiles or changing all of a set of colored tiles at the same time. Additionally, there are stealth segments and a motorcycle racing minigame to conquer. The puzzles are short, don’t drag on, and help break up any potential monotony. They don’t show up enough to ever feel like they’re getting repetitive.
Love Mechanics & Character Development
Eternights is a game that offers a unique bond system with four potential love interests: Yuna, Min, Sia, and Yohan. To uncover the “true” final act, increasing your bond with one of them to Rank Six before reaching the final segment is recommended. To raise their affection, you can engage in specialized minigames with them that involve timed button pressing or finding items they need during a timed event. Spending time with them and choosing favorable responses during story scenes can also help to increase their affection. However, the prerequisite social stat must be raised to continue seeing the character’s story. For example, Yohan requires that you keep your courage social status at an appropriate level to view his “time together” scenes. In addition, you can develop your friendship with Chani, who can train you in one of the social stats that helps increase your rapport with the other characters. It’s possible to raise the affection of at least one character to Rank Six before the game indicates, which helps to see Eternights through in its entirety. The bonding scenes in Eternights are well done, and the game conveys the romance elements surprisingly well throughout the gameplay.
It’s with the characters that Eternights’ heart truly lies, and they’re easily the most substantial facet of its storytelling. The cast is small, which helps them all be written believably and stand out on their own. I love how stereotypical they all appear on the surface, yet how surprisingly complex and multi-faceted all party members become as you advance through the narrative. Yuna is a likable character struggling to find herself and make up for her past mistakes. Min is understandably scared and runs from her problems, suffering tremendous regret as a result, yet she constantly pulls herself through thanks to encouragement and support. Sia prides herself on her passion for science but tries to cover up how much fun she has with it so that she is taken seriously. Yohan suffers from immense survivor’s guilt following tragic past events, yet he starts learning to appreciate life again if he bonds with you. His teasing side is a delight once it starts poking through his mysterious demeanor. All of the characters evolve and find wells of hidden strength through their experiences together. Even the main character, often just a silent blank slate in games of a similar ilk, has a well-defined personality and a “voice” that shines through the game’s storytelling the more you play.
Tropes
Chani, one of the game’s characters, was initially difficult to understand. He seemed to embody the “perverted best friend” trope and was also envious of the protagonist’s powers. However, he eventually outgrew this initial characterization and became a supportive and compassionate figure. When Chani’s romantic interest revealed herself to be asexual, he was understanding and respectful of her decision. Chani’s story is about his journey of self-discovery, and the game does an excellent job of portraying it.
Conclusion
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed playing Eternights, especially after reaching its true ending. Eternights has been one of the most enjoyable games I got to review this year. It’s a delight for action RPG fans who don’t mind romance and dating sim elements, especially if you’re part of its target audience. In some ways, it’s more substantial than the games it gets compared to, and I can’t wait to see what Studio Sai will develop next. Stick to the course with this game, as Eternights proves that even a difficult path to true love can ultimately be worth it.
