Edge of Eternity: What to Know about the New Final Fantasy-Inspired RPG

There are only a few days left until the launch of Edge of Eternity for console, a release that is scheduled for February 10. Midgar Studio‘s video game will be coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Switch on said date.

In this article, we’ll learn a little about Edge of Eternity while we wait for it to drop on our favorite gaming systems. So, sit back and keep reading if the topic piques your interest!

Edge of Eternity: an overview

Developed by a small French studio, Midgar Studio, Edge of Eternity is a role-playing game that made its first appearance on Steam in 2018 as an Early Access version. Finally, on June 8 2021, the game was re-released on Steam for Windows in its definitive version.

The universe in which Edge of Eternity takes place can be described as a mix between sci-fi and traditional medieval fantasy. In the far away future, the story begins with the encounter between the human race, the people of Heryon, and a technologically advanced alien race, the Archelites. Despite the initial peaceful coexistence, the extraterrestrials become increasingly hateful, until they start infecting humans with a terrible biological weapon, the Corrosion. Now it’s up to Daryon, a young soldier fighting in the war against the aliens, to find a cure for the horrible disease, thus bringing peace once and for all to his planet.

The game design

The plot of Edge of Eternity develops throughout 8 chapters, each characterized by a series of dedicated settings. The first, most notable thing about the game is the influence of the Final Fantasy series: Edge of Eternity’s “look and feel” is, in fact, heavily inspired by JRPGs, Square Enix’s franchise above all. The game has been defined as a love letter to Japanese-style RPGs, and while it doesn’t exactly bring anything new to the table, it’s a game that fans of classic turn-based JRPG series such as Final Fantasy and Xenoblade Chronicles will most likely find enjoyable. The typical tropes and game mechanics of the genre are there, but this may not be an issue for players who aren’t bothered by this, and instead seek a certain sense of familiarity.

While playing Edge of Eternity you’ll eventually notice, despite appearances, its European roots: for instance, the dialogue is less “wordy” than the one you’ll find in JRPGs, and the themes that are dealt with tend to resonate more with Western audiences.

Visually speaking, the game offers a gorgeous presentation. Players will find enjoyment in exploring incredibly vast and detailed areas, characterized by secrets to uncover and beautiful scenery. You can tell how much work was put into this aspect of the game, and, considering how small the developing team is, the rendition of the various settings is all the more impressive.

Edge of Eternity was programmed in Unity, a game engine that works well with smaller productions, but that has a few well-known limitations. The character models look decent, although they “perform” poorly when interacting with each other: the lip-sync animations are pretty lacking, and the characters’ facial expressions sometimes don’t emote as well as they should.

On to the combat: it is probably the most curated and satisfying aspect, even above the graphics. The battle system is based on the ATB scheme, a pillar of the JRPG genre. Time freezes whenever the player gives the party members a command, thus allowing players to take their time while choosing the most appropriate action. When entering battle the view becomes isometric, to better showcase the battlefield. Positioning of the characters is pretty important: you can only strike nearby enemies with weapons, while magic can reach more distant foes. While a party member is casting a spell, they become vulnerable to attacks, so it’s necessary to protect them to avoid interruptions by the enemies.

In conclusion

Now, I’ll stop here, since this article isn’t meant to be a full-length review of Edge of Eternity. I only wanted to lay out the main aspects regarding the game design, so that you could get an idea about what the game is like.

Edge of Eternity is nothing exceptional, many would call it “underwhelming” or even “sterile”. It surely needs some polishing along the edges (get it?). But this game has potential, as shown in some instances where the developing team proved how they’re completely capable of delivering a high quality product. As we all know, in most cases high quality can only be achieved through a considerable amount of money, time and effort.

One day, Edge of Eternity will probably shine with its own light thanks to future updates, because it’s a project born out of pure passion.

With that said, maybe give this game a little consideration on February 10, the day it will hit the shelves for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Switch.