Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream from Nordcurrent and River End Games brings us an isometric narrative-driven stealth experience on PlayStation 5. Learn more about it in our Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream review!
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream from Nordcurrent and River End Games brings us an isometric narrative-driven stealth experience on PlayStation 5. The game takes place in the titular city and initially places you in the role of orphan Hanna. You’re pushed into action when your brother, Herman, suddenly disappears. You know, after he steals a valuable item. With the police hot on his trail, you must do whatever it takes to find him before it’s too late. This leads to working alongside a group of soon-to-be allies, which is how you end up taking control of three different characters, splitting your time between Hanna, Sebastian, and Alva as you make the most of their individual skills and abilities as they work together to solve puzzles and progress onward with their mission.
Members of indie studio River End Games have mentioned that the fictional city of Eriksholm has been inspired by early 1900s Scandinavian cities and architecture, such as Stockholm and Malmö, as well as Gothenburg, which makes sense since that’s the city in which the studio is located. The team definitely did a great job of bringing Eirksholm to life. Everything feels very lived-in and real, with danger lurking around every corner due to the scenario in which the story takes place. I previously had a chance to review turn-based tactical RPG Chains of Freedom from Nordcurrent, so I was definitely up for checking out what Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream has in store for us.
Once the first cutscene in the game is over, you’ll take control of Hanna by using the left analog stick to walk around and survey the area. You can use the right analog stick to move the camera around. Sometimes, you’ll be able to move the camera from your current position to view another scene or to focus on other characters by pressing the L1 button and then using the left analog stick to move the camera. You can then press the L1 button to quickly move the camera back to being centered on your character. Zoom the camera in and out as needed by pressing the Square and Triangle buttons.
You’ll have to be careful as you walk around since your footsteps will make some noise as you move from point A to point B. This can seen thanks to the ear icon that will pop over other characters that can hear you. Walking over some surfaces will end up making more noise than usual, so be sure to pay attention! This is why, when in danger, sneaking around will be the key. Stealth is the main element of this game, so you’ll have to be careful as you move through each area. If you’re spotted by one of your enemies, then you’ll have to redo that segment as you learn from your mistakes. Sometimes, you’ll have to run to make it from one hiding spot to the next one before a person has a chance to turn around. Yes, this will make a lot of noise, which means you won’t be able to do it all the time. Just plan accordingly and run by pressing the R1 button.
Interact with objects or other characters by pressing the X button. You can open your inventory by pressing the Touchpad on the DualSense controller. That way, you’ll be able to re-read the documents you’ve grabbed, check the collectibles you’ve found so far, as well as review the objectives. There are several collectibles and notes to find in each of the game’s story chapters, so if you want to add a new Platinum to your collection – more on this in a bit – then you’ll need to search everywhere to grab all items!
As mentioned before, each of the three characters will have different skills and abilities for you to take advantage of. Do know that you’ll spend roughly a solid couple of huors and change playing only as Hanna. For example, Hanna is small, so she can crawl through vents – she showcases this ability during the intro for the game while escaping from the police who come to question her. Later on, you’ll be able to use darts that can make someone else fall asleep after a couple of seconds. Sebastian is strong enough to swim, which is very important during crucial spots in the game. Alva can quickly climb pipes, and this will help to place her where the other two can’t reach.
The game features a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy waiting for you. The list is split into 36 Bronze trophies, 6 Silver trophies, and 3 Gold trophies for you to work on. What will you need to do in order for you to be able to add this shiny Platinum trophy to your collection? Along with the trophies that will pop as you progress through each of the game’s chapters, some of the objectives to complete for other trophies include finding all notes, locating all collectibles in the game, sedating an enemy, destroying your first light, using Alva’s slingshot to startle some birds, and choking a guard, to name some examples. There are a bunch of miscellaneous objectives for the other trophies, but I won’t be spoiling them here!
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream brings us an isometric narrative-driven stealth experience on PlayStation 5. The game takes place in the titular city and initially places you in the role of orphan Hanna. You’re pushed into action when your brother, Herman, suddenly disappears. You know, after he steals a valuable item. With the police hot on his trail, you must do whatever it takes to find him before it’s too late. This leads to working alongside a group of soon-to-be allies, which is how you end up taking control of three different characters, splitting your time between Hanna, Sebastian, and Alva as you make the most of their individual skills and abilities as they work together to solve puzzles and progress onward with their mission. Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream launches tomorrow on PlayStation 5.
Disclaimer
This Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Nordcurrent.
