Eternal Strand's physics system makes its world your best weapon

Yellow Brick Games' Eternal strings is a bit of a love letter to some of the most beloved action-adventure games of all time, mixing elements of Breath of the Wild, Shadow of the Colossus, The Dragon's Dogmaand even Monster Hunter to a promising concoction. It may be Yellow Brick Games' debut title, but the team is made up of several industry veterans with decades of combined experience. This experience is utilized in everything from level design to resources, but perhaps the biggest focus of this title is the physics systems in Eternal strings.

Eternal strings' the game focuses on the three types of powers that protagonist Brynn wields as she ventures into the enclave. She can burn or freeze enemies with Flame and Frost powers, respectively, as well as move enemies and objects around the environment with Telekinesis. Making all of these powers feel satisfying while doing so Eternal strings' world's reactive, Yellow Brick Games created an ambitious set of systems that govern the game from moment to moment. Directors Mike Laidlaw and Frederic St-Laurent spoke to Game Rant in detail about turning the open-world sandbox into the ultimate weapon in Eternal strings' arsenal.

eternal strand's demo release date confirmed

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Players will have the chance to play Eternal Strands before its release date

Yellow Brick Games announces that Eternal Strands is available to play ahead of the official release date of the highly anticipated debut game.

Eternal Strands uses complex physics-based thermodynamics

By Eternal strings' physics system, Brynn can wield her powers to manipulate the world and creatures around her. She can use Telekinesis to grab and throw objects (and even enemies), but it's the thermodynamic powers of Frost and Flame that give players a greater feel for Brynn's toolbox. Directors Mike Laidlaw and Frederic St-Laurent were quick to point out that the systems governing these thermodynamic forces affect every part of the game. They shouldn't necessarily be seen as the “fireball” or “winter blast” for this IP, but as the ability to tap into and influence the sandbox. For example, Brynn can build a bridge of ice, burn barriers, or otherwise ignite or freeze over enemies.

Laidlaw notes that the “big challenge” is to make these powers feel good while having them Eternal strings' the world and enemies react accordingly was “to develop a thermodynamic system where heat will not only exist in the world as…fire damage, but it's actually this amount of heat that crosses a threshold.” Frederic St-Laurent then develops this system:

“Instead of going for more of the classic recipe, which would be: you have this power. How does this power interact with this object, this object, this object, this object, etc.? We go with ” Here's the force, here's the simulation, physics-based and thermodynamics-based, so heat and cold how does this force speak to this, and how does the object in the world speak to the simulation?'”

Designing an open world that could be used as a weapon presented some challenges for Yellow Brick Games

Of course, designing a semi-open world where thermodynamic formulas play out and all environmental assets are reactive presented some major challenges for Yellow Brick Games. Laidlaw notes that going “hard into destruction”, where Brynn can “rip out pillars” or use her thermodynamic Frost and Flame powers to burn or freeze the environment, meant that all environmental assets would “have to have weight, they have to have properties ” to be properly reactive.

Similarly, St-Laurent points out that “finding these parameters for everything in the game, for every material” was undoubtedly the “main challenge” for Eternal strings' development. But, as Laidlaw notes, “the systemic approach has helped us a lot,” with St-Laurent adding that these systems allow players to “create their own fun with the tools we provide.”

The end result is, of course Eternal strings where the world is the player's weapon.