Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream Review – Stealth Excellence Slightly Obscured

At Gaming News, we delve into the intricate world of Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, the debut title from River End Games. This top-down stealth puzzle game presents a unique blend of challenging mechanics, a compelling narrative, and a truly breathtaking aesthetic, setting a high bar for a new studio. While Eriksholm shines with moments of brilliant design and execution, particularly in its later stages, a slower initial pace and a gradual introduction of its full potential prevent it from reaching absolute mastery from the outset. Nevertheless, for fans of clever puzzle-solving and immersive stealth experiences, Eriksholm offers a deeply rewarding journey.

A Glimpse into the Whalepunk Metropolis of Eriksholm

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream transports players to the titular city, a Nordic-inspired metropolis that masterfully blends industrial grit with a unique whalepunk aesthetic. Imagine steam-powered engines chugging along, suspended trolley carts weaving through the urban canopy, and a striking sense of verticality that evokes comparisons to the atmospheric designs of Arkane’s Dishonored series. This setting is not merely a backdrop; it is a character in itself. The visuals are painterly, characterized by jaw-dropping lighting that casts long shadows and highlights intricate details. The city feels alive, a complex ecosystem of citizens, industry, and hidden corners waiting to be explored.

The narrative begins with protagonist Hanna, a young woman driven by the desperate need to rescue her brother, who has been kidnapped by the city’s police. This personal quest quickly embroils Hanna in a fun yet straightforward conspiracy, pulling her through a series of evocative locales. Players will navigate abandoned mines, descend into rusty and dank sewer canals, and ultimately confront the city’s most powerful and influential figures. However, Hanna is not alone in her quest. She soon finds allies in Alva, a passionate local resistance leader, and Sebastian, a hardened but shy worker. Together, this unlikely trio embarks on a mission not only to save Hanna’s brother but also to fight for the soul of Eriksholm itself.

The Harmonious Trio: Narrative and Mechanical Synergy

The dynamic between Hanna, Alva, and Sebastian is a cornerstone of Eriksholm’s appeal. Each character embodies a different facet of the city and its social strata. Hanna represents the everyday citizen, simply trying to survive in a system that often overlooks its less fortunate. Alva embodies the spirit of revolution, a young woman fueled by a desire for change. Sebastian, in contrast, is the solitary worker, keeping to himself, his strength honed by his labor.

This narrative synergy is amplified by excellent voice work, which brings these characters to life with nuance and conviction. Even more impressive, however, is how these three protagonists harmonize mechanically. River End Games has crafted a system where each character’s unique abilities are not only distinct but also interdependent, creating a rich tapestry of stealth puzzle-solving opportunities.

Hanna’s Stealth Prowess

Hanna, the initial protagonist, excels in discreet infiltration. Her ability to crawl through ventilation shafts allows her to bypass heavily guarded areas and access secluded buildings, often leading to hidden collectibles or strategic vantage points. Her primary tool for neutralizing guards from a distance is a blowpipe capable of firing sleep darts, offering a non-lethal method of crowd control.

Alva’s Aerial Advantage

Alva brings a different dimension to the team with her agility and ranged capabilities. She can climb drainpipes, granting her access to the rooftops of Eriksholm. From these elevated positions, she can utilize her slingshot to fire pebbles. These seemingly simple projectiles serve a crucial purpose: creating diversions to draw guards away from their patrols or darkening areas by extinguishing light sources, thereby enabling Hanna’s stealthier movements.

Sebastian’s Brute Force and Aquatic Acumen

Sebastian offers a more direct approach, leveraging his brute strength to choke guards out with powerful incapacitating moves. His utility extends beyond his physical might, as he can also swim in the surrounding water, providing access to lower locations that are inaccessible to the other characters. This allows for unique routes and puzzle solutions.

The Art of Coordination: Solving Environmental Puzzles

The true brilliance of Eriksholm emerges when players are tasked with orchestrating the actions of all three characters in tandem. The gameplay loop involves scouting ahead, identifying threats such as illuminated light sources or concentrations of guards, and then meticulously planning each character’s role in overcoming these obstacles.

A prime example of this intricate puzzle design can be observed in scenarios where Alva must ascend to a rooftop to shoot a pebble at a street light, plunging the area below into darkness. This obscured darkness then allows Hanna to advance closer to a nearby guard and neutralize them with a sleep dart. However, a simple sleep dart may not be enough against a sentry, a more vigilant enemy. In such cases, Sebastian can be strategically positioned nearby to finish the job by choking the sleepy guard out, ensuring their complete incapacitation.

With the sentry neutralized, the path forward opens. The trio might then advance to a hedge maze, a challenging environment filled with numerous guards whose sightlines crisscross in stressful ways. Successfully navigating this labyrinth requires even deeper thought about how each character’s unique abilities can be leveraged to allow the others to progress.

The Consequence of Detection: Instant Game Over and Checkpoints

Eriksholm employs a strict stealth mechanic. If a player is spotted by a guard and fails to hide before their sightline is completely filled, the result is an instant game over screen. This unforgiving nature, while consistent with the genre, can be a source of both tension and occasional frustration.

Fortunately, the game’s checkpoint system is generally generous. This ensures that the trial-and-error stealth puzzles, and the frequent game overs they can induce, rarely stall the overall enjoyment of the experience. However, there are instances where a poorly placed checkpoint can set players back further than desired, leading to a sense of being somewhat betrayed by the game’s progression. This minor setback is exacerbated by the game’s realistic animations and overall movement speed, which are on the slower side, potentially amplifying the tedium of replaying sections. Despite these occasional frustrations, players are usually only a few minutes away from another engaging puzzle, culminating in a satisfying “eureka moment” that keeps the experience fresh and engaging.

Pacing and the Unfolding of Potential

One of the most significant criticisms we leveled during our Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream review pertains to its pacing. A considerable portion of the game, nearly half, is played with Hanna as the sole playable character. While this initial period serves as an extended tutorial, allowing players to acclimate to the world and discover how their stealthy actions impact its inhabitants, it also means that the full potential of Eriksholm’s mechanics is revealed quite late.

When Alva eventually joins the fray, the gameplay dynamic shifts significantly, opening up new strategic possibilities. However, by the time Sebastian completes the trio, only a few hours of gameplay remain. This feels like a missed opportunity, as the moments when all three protagonists are simultaneously available for coordinated maneuvers are the absolute highlights of the experience. The game truly sings when it lays out all its puzzle pieces on the board, which occurs roughly two-thirds of the way through. It is at this juncture that the game invites playful and smart experimentation, and we found ourselves wishing we had access to these combined tools much sooner.

Narrative Depth and Emotional Resonance

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is bookended by cutscenes that are nothing short of mystifyingly gorgeous. The visual fidelity and artistry on display rival the industry’s best, setting a remarkably high standard for a debut title. The story Eriksholm tells is, at its core, simple but full of heart. While many of the plot’s twists may be predictable to seasoned players, the emotional core of the narrative – one of home and perseverance against all odds – resonates deeply.

Upon completing the game, which took us approximately 15 hours, we were left with a distinct sense of wanting more. More time with this captivating crew, more exploration of the intricately designed world, and more of the ingenious puzzles that defined its strongest moments. Thankfully, Eriksholm concludes with a neat bow, resolving most of the narrative threads in a satisfying fashion.

Moments of Unexpected Delight: The Miniature Stories

Beyond the main plot, some of our most cherished moments within Eriksholm were the miniature stories woven into the fabric of the city. As players stealthily navigate environments, they can overhear conversations between citizens and guards, revealing small, self-contained narratives. One particularly memorable tale involved a woman confessing her affair to her husband, who lay unconscious in the dark due to our actions. This moment, and others like it, provided genuine laughs and showcased the game’s capacity for sharp writing and wit.

The diorama-esque player viewpoint afforded by the game’s mechanics allows for an almost physical type of comedy, born from the juxtaposition of player actions and the unfolding personal dramas of the city’s inhabitants. These incidental stories add a layer of depth and personality to the world, making it feel more lived-in and reactive.

The Verdict: A Brilliant Gem with Room for Polish

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is, at its heart, a great puzzle game masquerading as a stealth adventure. It expertly utilizes the mechanics of the stealth genre to construct intricate and engaging puzzles. The focused cast, the three playable characters that synergize harmoniously, and a world whose nooks and crannies beg to be seen (rewarding players with collectibles for their efforts) combine to create a truly memorable experience.

For the most part, Eriksholm successfully avoids the critical error of stealth puzzles that devolve from complex into frustrating. Instead, it delivers a series of challenges that are almost always fun and, in the final hours, absolutely brilliant. The core mechanics are sound, the aesthetic is stunning, and the narrative, while simple, is delivered with heart.

Our primary wish is that the exceptional quality of the game’s latter stages could have been present from the beginning. If River End Games had more rapidly introduced the full suite of mechanics and character interactions, Eriksholm could have been a truly flawless masterpiece. Nevertheless, the game is an impressive debut that demonstrates a clear understanding of what makes the stealth puzzle genre so compelling.

Key Strengths of Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream

Areas for Improvement

Despite its minor pacing issues, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream stands as a remarkable achievement for River End Games. It is a testament to clever design, atmospheric world-building, and compelling character dynamics. The journey through Eriksholm is one filled with thoughtful challenges and memorable moments, making it a must-play for enthusiasts of the stealth puzzle genre. We eagerly anticipate what this talented studio will deliver in the future.

Score: 8.25 / 10

This score reflects a game that is excellent in its core design, offering a highly polished and enjoyable experience, even with some aspects that could have been refined for an even greater impact. Eriksholm has firmly established River End Games as a developer to watch.

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