Gamers with a good memory and wide experience might remember 'Septerra Core', the so-called 'JRPG' made by US based Valkyrie Studios. That brilliant game featured anime-like characters and complex and original turn-based combat system that combined physical attacks with magical "cards" with various combinations. In many aspects 'Edge of Eternity' is a spiritual successor of 'Septerra Core'. The same 'anime aesthetics' made by Western developer, the same involving story, simultaneously dark and light, the same interesting characters and involving turn-based system, though not such as complex and original. Considering that 'Septerra Core' is in top-five games of all times in my list it was not a chance that I could resist to 'Edge of Eternity' charm.
Among the positive sides of the 'Edge of Eternity' I'd mention involving story - for our days it is a rare exemplar of a story-driven RPG featuring complex characters with very different motivations and addictive turn-based combat system. The latter includes characters movements, physical and magical attacks, as well as opponents strengths and weaknesses against some attacks. The dialogues might not be on the high literature level, but they are ok - sometimes silly, but most of the time relevant and meaningful (at least in the main story). World's art design is wonderful, reminding of a fairy-tale (though sometimes it is very dark, like a horror). The world is weirdly beautiful and the lighting system is very good, making the world shine in its best. The main characters' art design is mostly good - at least female characters are beautiful and quite different. Selene's 3d model is without a doubt my favorite - her breasts animation is mesmerizing. At the same time while attractive, Selene's model is not at all vulgar like it often happens in Japanese or Western games - the art designer achieved right balance here. The voice acting is decent and the music (piano) is matched with good taste. The world is big enough and gives the gamer freedom to roam around without engaging into combats if he don't want to or to fight every enemy on the map. There are puzzles with decent rewards and there is crafting system allowing you to made weapons, armor, potions, etc. While you'd need at least 20+ hours to complete the main story, thorough gameplay (completing side quests, riddles and various activities) would take about 60 hours and you could easily spend more than 100 hours in the game collecting different materials and crafting. Did I mention Selene's breasts animation already? Anyway this positive aspect of the game deserves to be mentioned twice.
The shortcomings are following: Though game has a third person view your character is unable to jump which could be quite annoying in some places. Camera control in combats is a bit clunky and lucks of intuitive WSADQE control. Dialogues while ok are mostly mediocre and you would probably want to skip them. Another minus is that the world, while beautiful, is not at all interactive - it's rather some kind of decorations. There are neither player controlled choices or dialogues between character and nor loyalty system in the game. Relationships between Daryon and Selene are quite weird for my taste, rather reminding not brother and sister relations but relationships between lovers. Myrna's and Fallon's 3d models are not as 'well-turned' as Selene's model an a bit vulgar. Daryon's (main hero) art and 3d model is in no way reminds a soldier. Rather he looks like some anime version of K-Pop 'idol' - slim, short, effeminate and dystrophic soy boy. His character is also repulsive - hysterical, unreasonably stubborn and dumb. Fallon's character is simply unreliable - she is some poorly written tsundere. The ending of the game is pretty weak and involves some ridiculous melodramatic scenes which are in no way could invoke sympathy in the gamer since he simply won't be able to develop emotional connection with the characters whose "ill fate" these scenes depict. The political agenda with all that left-liberal "diversity" propaganda is also spoiling the game but surprisingly it is quite tolerable here.
"Midgar Studio" is a small French developer and it was quite surprising for me to discover their gem of a games. I've bought it on a very early access stage in 2019 and almost two years since purchase I can say it was totally worth the money that I've paid. Overall 'Edge of Eternity' is a decent game for those who love turn-based combat, attractive aesthetics in anime style, involving story and are tired of typical and soulless games which are mass-produced now by 'effective managers'.
