I’m a sucker for a good platforming game so I was beyond excited that I could play The Eternal Life of Goldman, a gorgeously hand-drawn game that caught my attention from the moment it was first revealed. Take out your cane, it’s platforming time!
A labor of love
The first thing that I noticed was of course how beautiful the game really is. Every frame is a hand-drawn masterpiece, filled with detail and care. It’s built on the same principles as the classic Disney animations, with each movement painstakingly crafted frame by frame. This isn’t just an aesthetic choice; it’s a commitment to the art form that sets this game apart from its competition.
One of the most overwhelming aspects of The Eternal Life of Goldman is the amount of detail packed into every scene. It’s the kind of game where you could spend hours just standing still, soaking in the world around you. The backgrounds are alive with activity while the foreground, is where the action unfolds, but don’t be surprised if your eyes keep wandering off to explore the landscapes and environments that stretch far into the distance. Playing this game, I often found myself unsure of where to look. There’s so much happening on the screen at any given moment that it’s easy to get lost in the details.
A unique hero
At the heart of The Eternal Life of Goldman lies folklore, drawn from different cultures. This isn’t just a game that borrows lightly from myth and legend; it’s a game that combines these stories into something unique, creating a unique story that follows traditional gameplay.
And then there’s Goldman himself, our unlikely hero. An elderly man with a walking stick might not sound like your typical platforming protagonist, but that’s exactly what makes him so charming. Throughout the demo, I encountered several upgrades for my cane, transforming it into a pogo stick, a grappling hook, and more. It’s a clever mechanic that keeps the gameplay fresh and adds a layer of strategy to your movements. I even defeated a boss… With my cane… Simply fantastic!
Early conclusion:
The Eternal Life of Goldman is shaping up to be something truly special. It’s a game that combines old-school animation techniques with modern gameplay mechanics, wrapped up in a world that is as detailed as it is challenging. The folklore-inspired story, combined with the unique protagonist and his trusty walking cane, offers a refreshing twist on the platforming genre. And while the demo I played was just a small taste of what’s to come, I want to play a lot more.
