Eternights Reviews
There’s a lot going on, most of it competently designed, but lacking that touch of finesse or technical flourish that oozes from the few series that serve as inspiration.
The pillars holding up Eternights; Narrative, Combat, and Characters, have lots of cracks and didn’t take long to start crumbling. As impressive as it is that this game was made with such a small team, I can’t recommend this game.
For that reason, however, it kind of bothers me. Part of my interest in independent titles involves viewing the art form without the overwhelming gloss. Eternights has that gloss, which is an accomplishment in its own right, but when you peel that away, you just find something that seems a bit bland and lifeless. Certainly, not a night you’ll remember. You’d probably be better off just keeping your hand.
Eternights is precisely what Studio Sai intended, a simpler Persona with much stronger sexual suggestions, almost skimming the erotic anime at certain times. If you imagine playing a hack and slash with lots of romance anime clichés, you might find that in the dilliest moments (when you wish you weren't playing alongside family members), Eternights hides a good heart underneath its perverted exterior.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Eternights relies a bit too much on taking inspiration from other games like Persona 5 to carve out its own identity.
Eternight bosses and dating mechanics that would change the outcome of your journey are the only aspects that kept me going, but everything else was very forgettable and dull.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The love at the time of the Apocalypse narrated in Eternights may not be perfect, but it isn’t insufficient either. StudioSai's title makes good romantic points even if it falls into a few stereotypes and manages to entertain despite the lackluster quality of the gameplay department.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Eternights ultimately get more things wrong than right. It lacks a general sense of polish, and the writing is legitimately baffling at times. The combat feels great more often than not, but it’s hard to justify spending too much time on this title.
Weightless combat and forgettable story aside, Eternights is a solid game of romantic vibes in a crumbling world. (Review Policy)
Eternights, an indie game inspired by Persona, blends RPG progression with hack 'n' slash action. While combat lacks depth, the game shines in character development and storytelling. Its teenage-oriented tone may not appeal to everyone, but it offers a unique mix of romance and supernatural intrigue.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Eternights combines hack and slash action with Persona social links, but has a few too many issues to recommend to everybody.
Eternights is commendable but contentious, an intimate apocalyptic action-adventure that reaches for greatness with limited resources. For every unsophisticated story beat or half-baked mechanic, a pleasant surprise or diversion appears to take its place, a dynamic which should motivate almost anyone intrigued by the premise to see the story through. It all makes Eternights a fine first date, but it might not be marriage material.
The first work of a small independent studio, Eternights is exactly what we expected: a title that is anything but ambitious and limited more or less in every respect, which overall is still delightful, witty and intriguing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There’s a lot of cool little ideas on display here. The combat system and the use of bonds is excellent. The dating sim sections are fun. Even the survival scavenging elements are a fun distraction. But they all feel insubstantial. Certain activities feel repetitive or limited. The progression path you follow with every teammate feels almost identical. Scavenging is the same thing every time. Even the fights fall into a predictable rhythm after a while. But I still had fun. I’m not sure if all these subgenres add up to a proper game. But I did enjoy the ride. If you’re looking for a pretty, Persona-style RPG, check out Eternights.
Eternights' great success is that it manages to be more than the sum of its parts. The witty writing papers over the shakier aspects of the storytelling, the slight combat is used sparingly enough that its flaws rarely frustrate, and above all, it's got an undeniable charm despite its rough edges. We're swiping right on this one.
Eternights is a true labor of love from a small team of developers that set out to create something for themselves. It just so happens that it’s also one of my favorite games of 2023. If you can look past the juvenile character moments and flimsy early plot devices, you’re in for an awesome experience that delivers quality action combat, hilarious character skits, and a very strong final Act. It’s an experience I won’t soon forget and one that doesn’t demand too much from players to play till the credits. The wait for this release was genuinely worth it, and I’m happy to see this ambitious project come together so brilliantly.
Eternights can occasionally be rough around the edges, but there is a charming JRPG within that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. Sure, the story may be all over the place, but at around a 15-hour play time, the hijinks also don’t overstay their welcome. Combat can also occasionally frustrate with some uninterruptible animations and a merciless window of time with which to perform dodges and parries, but most people should be able to adapt to it, and there is also the easier difficulty to try out if things get too dicey. Being an indie developer, Studio Sai should be applauded for producing a well-rounded JRPG that many genre fans will have a blast with.
An awkward fusion of dating simulation and action. Though the attempt to combine two vastly different genres at opposite ends of the spectrum was innovative, it does not seem to manage a seamless integration. The dating simulation part was surprisingly better than expected, ironically leaving a sense of disappointment.
Review in Korean | Read full review
A decent mix of hack 'n' slash and dating sim that works surprisingly well. Eternights is one of those games that give you more than you bargained for.