Edge Of Eternity

Edge of Eternity has not only met, but surpassed my expectations in every way imaginable. It goes beyond simply being a "love letter to the classics" and has the potential to eventually become one itself someday, given that it gets a little bit of polish here and there (which I've already heard that it will be receiving, at least in part). In a gaming landscape that seems to have largely given up on many of the more traditional JRPGs, it's nice to see that there are others out there who insist on keeping it alive—and it's encouraging to see that they have the means to see things through.

Edge of Eternity is a quite entertaining fantasy rpg, albeit having an almost sterile presentation, while feeling unfinished here and there.

All in all, Edge of Eternity is a fun game. Aside from some weird facial animations, and some other jank I really enjoyed my time in the world. As I said before the world itself is quite beautiful and inviting; it really goes to show just how good Unreal 4 engine can be. I know we are all hyped to see the new U5 games, but the old version still looks great. If you are a fan of the JRPGs from the 90’s and early 00’s then Edge of Eternity is for you. It has just enough nostalgia to make you smile when thinking about those old memories, but enough current systems and features that make it really feel like a product that is the best of both worlds.

Ambitious in size, scale, and scope, Edge of Eternity offers a somewhat enjoyable romp that could last you over 40 hours. Sadly, it's also very rough around the edges, and poor pacing can be detrimental to your experience.

The strongest point of this fantasy/sci-fi jRPG is definitely its very good turn-based combat capable of surprising you with creative encounters. The narrative has some memorable moments, but be aware that it is entirely linear. However, I do not condemn that decision, because it does suit the road movie-like story. What Edge of Eternity lacks the most is its own identity and the developers’ courage to do things their way instead of copying Final Fantasy and other Square titles. It could also use a better engine, more suitable for such a complex game. [08/2021, p.62]

Yes, the technical shortcomings are felt, especially in the animations and the expressions of the characters. But the Nîmes team, undoubtedly driven by the love of Japanese RPGs that shines through every pixel, has overcome some of the difficulties encountered. The studio aptly bet on artistic direction, music and dialogue, in addition to a host of elements that add substance to the gameplay, for a pleasant and complete video game experience, albeit of mixed quality.

Entertaining indie JRPG with a great combat system, adorable characters and some immature game mechanics.

Edge of Eternity is a love letter to classic Final Fantasy and Xenoblade games. It doesn’t live up to the level of its influences, but given the small team and limited resources, it’s an impressive attempt. The story does rely on tropes and the characters aren’t all that likeable, and while the game comes close to reaching its ambitious goals, it never reaches its full potential. It does scratch the JRPG itch and fans of the games that influenced it will likely get a lot of enjoyment from Edge of Eternity, but ultimately it’s a good but not great JRPG.

Edge of Eternity is definitely a welcome addition to the JRPG pantheon, and while it clearly doesn’t have the budget of the genre giants, it is full of heart and character. I certainly enjoyed my time exploring Heryon, despite a few niggles and a crafting system that adds little. If you go into this with an open mind and have an affection for the genre, then you’ll find much to like.

Edge of Eternity aims for the stars and manages to reach a few of them, delivering a compelling plot and an expansive, varied, and often-beautiful world. Sadly, clunky dialogue, issues with exploration and combat, and a pervasive level of jankiness hold the game back. You have to admire Midgar Studio for pushing themselves, but as is, the Edge of Eternity may be too jagged for some.

Edge of Eternity is almost brilliant. The writing is great, but the graphics, gameplay, and especially the camera angles drag it down. If you crave some dark JRPG action and are willing to put with questionable combat mechanics, by all means, check it out. However, if you hate the idea of trying to plan out a strategy when you can’t see half the enemy forces or you get motion sick easily, maybe give this one a pass.

Edge of Eternity is a beautiful game that is held back by the ambition of the developers. There are just too many moving parts here, and nothing seems to be fully executed. It’s by no means a waste of time, though, and provides hours of fantasy adventures in a new world, but it lacks focus and implementation due to the numerous features and broken narrative.

The first impression remains for the duration of the game, and it is that the developers have wanted to take the longest step of the leg. The result is a decent Japanese role-playing game with obvious budget limits.

Once you get past the surface, the environments are lacking in engaging activities, largely consisting of requests to hunt a certain amount of monsters with gradually diminishing returns. [Issue#361, p.108]