EDGE OF ETERNITY "HAD ME AT HELLO"

Being overwhelmed with a massive choice of great games is a problem I didn't have as a child growing up in the 80's. When I hit high school I still had to be careful about reading the back of the boxes and looking through video game magazines to make sure my hard earned money wasn't wasted on a clever marketing plan and ultimatley a lack luster game title. Fast forward to current times and it seems like we have so many to choose from that our biggest problem is which ones to play with our dwindling free time ( I'm speaking from the point of view as an adult )

Thumbing through my Game Pass library one night I decided to take a chance on a JRPG called " Edge of Eternity" and Oh man I am lad I did!

EOE is a throwback to the 80's role playing games that I loved with all its corny dialogue and static NPC's that never move from their spot. Simple menu design and easy to pick up battle system that put the focus on the story unfolding versus the fancy meta within the games battle mechanics( although it does innovate in all the right places when it comes to combat).

The game borrows heavily from the Final Fantasy games with swords, magic and leather all converging with giant robots and deadly technology from beyond the stars. The characters are simple yet complex and the game's dialogue is written with a modern and witty sensibility that didn't make me cringe as much as I thought I would.

While not AAA in quality the graphics shine brilliantly on the Xbox Series X and runs at or near 60fps during most of the game. Load times are super fast and the art style is a calming blend of typical fantasy and sci fi with every environment I have seen so far having its own unique look and feel.

Combat in the game is a turn based system with a battle grid overlay that lends a more strategic element to the ensuing battle. Not having the stress of a countdown timer hanging over my head allowed me to relax and really plan out my attacks like I did back in my SNES AND GENESIS days. Effects and animation is well done just not over the top like you find in games like Final Fantasy and others. The in game cut scenes do a great job of keeping you immersed in the game's story instead of yanking you our for some hyper rendered CGI cut scene and then back to game play.

While I am not too far into the game as of this writing and don't consider this an actual review I more than recommend the game to anyone looking to experience a game that isn't beholden to previous games in a series or for someone who is looking for game inspired by a more simpler time of this genre.

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4,Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC