For this week's Mobile Friday i tried Etheria: Restart from developer XD Entertainment on my iPhone 14 Pro.
Etheria: Restart had been on my phone for a while but it was after it's big 1.0 update in September that i was reminded about it. maybe i missed it, but i don't remember seeing it high in the charts when i'm looking for mobile games.
The title of this video is not quite accurate. the first thing the game does when you start it is download a 2.49GB update to the game. there was no prompt, no warning about doing this over mobile networks, and there was no cinematic or artwork shown to make the time pass quicker. the screen the game starts with, and it's music, is kept whilst the update is downloaded. So the very first impression of the game isn't a good one.
But the remaining hour and a half does help redeem Etheria: Restart. I quite enjoyed the art style of the game. it's futuristic, but not full Cyberpunk. the game does a lot with color, probably because fine textures would push phones too hard, and pulls it off well. each of the characters we meet and use in this video are all distinct from each other not just in terms of their design but also their personalities and voice acting.
The world they inhabit is split into two. there's the real world, and then there the computer world Etheria. they look very different from each other, too. the real world was ravaged by nature whilst Etheria has a more clean future look. But then there's Genesis, a virus plaguing Etheria and those who inhabit it and turning them into monsters if they're not saved quick enough. these three styles do work together. coupled with the story i've had so far, the world mostly ties together and feels cohesive.
With combat being somewhat simple, i found the controls to be easier than some other mobile games i've played. a problem with a phone screen is it's size. some games may have cool cinematic set pieces and insane combat, but as soon as you try to move the camera you end up hitting buttons and doing things you don't want to. at this point in the game, it wasn't an issue for me.
In this video i played the Prologue and first part of the first chapter. the pace may look slow, but it didn't feel it. i was enjoying the world, the story, and i did want to know more. But after talking to my community about this, my thought's about how AI has been used in this game might actually be true. in the video i joked how their MiniDisc looking device for summoning kinda looks like someone told AI to make MiniDisc futuristic. but there's also some confusion i had about who or what the Animus are. i thought they were the virtual avatars of those in the world. but it doesn't seem like it, humans and Animus are described as being separate. that kinda detail feels like either an AI translation error or it's just been missed.
Right at the end of the video i noticed a stamina system. up to this point in the game, it hadn't crossed my mind that this sorta game would have one. i had been playing and enjoying the story. But now i know that this is in the game, i am concerned about how the game will change. it almost feels like the first part of the game is one style and the rest of it is something else. when games have stamina systems there's usually two reasons for it. 1, they don't want players seeing all the story right away so will slow them down. and 2, it's a way to add monetisation to the game, or a grind for those wanting to keep it free.
From what i played in this video, i couldn't tell you what it is. i don't know how the game is going to change or how well this is balanced. so if you know, talk about it in the comments. all i can say for now is that Etheria: Restart makes a good second impression. there maybe some questions about how AI was used in development of it. And i can't say for sure that the game you play at the start is the game you'll be playing throughout.
Version 1.0.1 Played
