The Eternal Cylinder Review from ACE Team and Good Shepherd Entertainment is a survival adventure set on an alien planet. Read more in our The Eternal Cylinder Review review!

 

You were born on a dangerous planet. Surreal and fantastical environments, teeming with exotic creatures that defy description. This world is both terrifying and awe-inspiring, as full of wonder and mystery as it is dangerous. But whatever dangers can be found pale in comparison to this world’s biggest threat: The Cylinder. This gargantuan, ancient rolling structure crushes everything in its path. But where did it come from? And how can it be stopped?

The Eternal Cylinder from ACE Team and Good Shepherd Entertainment is a survival adventure game that is set on an alien plant. You’ll be in control of creatures called Trebhums. Since you begin with only one of them, you’ll quickly realize that your goal is to recruit new members to your growing tribe. You’ll be surrounded by strange and aggressive creatures that will try to eat you – as is expected on a planet where the strongest will live.

 

Outside of the wildlife threat, the other major element to watch out for is the Cylinder, an immense tube – as per the game’s title – which will completely destroy parts of the explorable world – based on your progression. Speaking of the Cylinder, the game begins as your Trebhum is being born, and the Cylinder is rampaging the world being you. You’ll have to quickly escape the treat, and this segment also serves as the game’s tutorial, during which you’ll learn to run, jump, and so on.

The Trebhums will evolve and mutate as they discover new food elements to eat. They’ll begin at the lowest of the food chain, and as the game progresses and you acquire new physical attributes and abilities thanks to their alimentation. You’ll eventually gain an array of potential mutations that will serve for the story progression – like flying or swimming – and will also make your herd stronger for the planet’s wildlife.

The Eternal Cylinder is driven by a narrative that felt reminiscent of the Stanley Parable. The narrator has a great voice-acting performance, and I liked discovering new dialogue elements when as stumbled upon a new vegetable or animal. On the other end of the spectrum, there are things that I didn’t like in this game. My main complaint is how everything is very confusing at the start. The narrator talks about the world, but only after you’ve figured out an objective. So if you aren’t sure what your next objective is or how to achieve it, the narration will not be of any help. You could end up running around the current zone until finding out the next objective.

You also have to manage the hunger and water level of the herd. As you progress, the Trebhums will have to stay hydrated. Otherwise, they’ll be in a pickle. There are usually small patches of water scattered around, so unless you forget about it, it usually does not prove to be a problem. You can shoot water at enemies, but of course, this consumes your water level. As for the food, it is similar, and as mentioned, eating mutates the Trebhums.

As for the presentation, the game is built on the Unreal Engine and is gorgeous to look at. There is a lot of detail, and each zone looks different. I noticed that the text shown was quite small, even on a big TV. I played the PlayStation 5 version, and I liked how the DualSense was used since you’ll feel it vibrating as you walk and as you swallow objects. The soundtrack will also help to immerse you in the alien world you’re exploring.

On the trophies side, this game has a concise trophy list and does not include a Platinum trophy, which is a rare sight for a game released in 2022. The trophy list includes 8 Bronze trophies, 3 Silver trophies, and a single Gold one. Most of the trophies are tied to specific accomplishments that you could completely miss while playing the game, so you should always keep this in mind. Surprisingly, there isn’t even a trophy for completing the game since the Gold trophy is awarded for finding all the available mutations. The game is Cross-Buy between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions, so if you already own the PS4 version, you can add the PS5 version to your collection at no extra cost.

Honestly, my experience with The Eternal Cylinder wasn’t very positive. As I mentioned, I thought that the objectives were rather confusing to figure out, and progressing through each area felt relatively pointless. The narration, however, was perfect and a definitive highlight of this release, along with its alien art style. The Eternal Cylinder is available at a $29.99 price, and since it’s a Cross-Buy title, your purchase will give you both the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game.

Disclaimer
This The Eternal Cylinder review is based on a PlayStation copy provided by Good Shepherd Entertainment.