Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream Reviews
Beautiful and stacked with excellent performances, but Eriksholm's stealth feels too much like being led around by the nose to reach greatness.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream offers luxurious cutscenes and a focused twist on stealth by remaining intentionally inflexible, but doesn't quite pull it all together.
Eriksholm, for the most part, avoids the critical error of stealth puzzles that grow beyond complex into frustrating, and turns in a series of challenges that are almost always fun and, in the final handful of hours, brilliant. I just wish the rest of the game matched its later heights.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a good game that could have been so much more if some changes were made. The game is way too short, and the fact that there's usually only one solution in each level removes replayability, making it a one-and-done experience with almost zero reason to return.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is not just one of the best stealth games of recent years; it's an artistic statement about what the genre can achieve when deep narrative, exceptional technical design, and refined mechanics are combined to perfection. River End Games has created something that honors the legacy of the classics while establishing new standards for the future. It's the type of game that makes you remember why you fell in love with tactical stealth in the first place, but with an emotional depth that the genre rarely reaches. For anyone who has enjoyed Commandos, Shadow Tactics, or Desperados, Eriksholm represents the natural evolution of the genre. For new players, it's the perfect introduction to what stealth can offer when executed with absolute mastery.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream deserves to go down as a landmark stealth game. The finely-honed sneaking mechanics are an absolute joy to experience, whilst the absorbing story and immersive world will keep you creeping from beginning to end. The fact that this is River End Games' first release makes their accomplishment all the more impressive. Quite frankly, I can't wait to see what the team do next and I'll be eagerly awaiting the chance to visit Eriksholm again.
While Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream won't win any awards in terms of its challenge or implementation of stealth mechanics, I absolutely fell in love with its opulent setting, excellently heartfelt performances, gripping story and linear stealth adventure goodness that did just enough to satisfy my stealth hunger. Though some may rightly decry its lack of challenge relative to other entries in the stealth genre, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is nonetheless a stunning debut for Swedish based studio River End Games and I can't wait to see what comes next.
Eriksholm - The Stolen Dream was a bright debut by the new studio. It offered an interesting world with intense gameplay and a captivating plot.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream è uno stealth isometrico narrativo ambientato in un Paese nordico dei primi del '900, che si distingue sul piano artistico per l'ottima recitazione dei personaggi e una grandiosa rappresentazione degli ambienti. Il gameplay ruota attorno a infiltrazione, gestione del rumore ambientale e cooperazione tra tre personaggi con abilità uniche. L'assenza dei classici coni di visione rende l'approccio più realistico, ma l'instadeath penalizza l'improvvisazione. Il level design è verticale e labirintico, con percorsi spesso lineari ma ricchi di segreti e micro enigmi ambientali.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Every element feels purposeful, from the thoughtful storytelling to the smart use of puzzles and stealth mechanics. Together, these pieces come together to create something truly special.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is the debut work of a promising studio, demonstrating clear vision in terms of art direction, writing, and worldbuilding.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream wants to spin a grand Dickensian tale centered on the familial bond of a street urchin and her brother, but this ambition is betrayed by its lack of emotional stakes. And while its stealth puzzles can be intriguing and challenging at times, thanks to the ability to swap among multiple characters, these largely fail to deviate from the genre's long-held conventions.
In fact, we enjoyed Eriksholm so much that we wish the game had one or two more chapters. Alternatively, we would have appreciated some optional additional challenges, perhaps through a higher difficulty level. So, in terms of scope, the title doesn't have much to offer.
Review in German | Read full review
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a brilliant testament to what a small team of dedicated individuals can accomplish, with River End Games releasing one of the best narrative-driven stealth adventures in a long while. Eriksholm features a moving, tragic, and ultimately hopeful story, mixed with fun stealth gameplay, and increasingly difficult scenarios to navigate. From its humble beginnings to its epic end, Eriksholm delivers in spades.
If you’re still asking yourself: should I play Eriksholm, hear me out – it is definitely worth it. Even if stealth games are not your cup of tea, the cut-scenes alone (all the way to a very satisfying finale) are worth the price of admission. And we will definitely hear more about the talented crew at River End Games.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream won't offer anything that stealth aficionados haven't seen before, but its world-building and gameplay execution make it worth a look.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a fun, narrative-led stealth game that doesn't demand too much of you. Stealth game veterans are unlikely to find a challenge in these common mechanics, but the beautiful details built into the world of Rosmark make up for it. The character-driven story is supported by great vocal performances and cutscenes that would fit in alongside any modern triple-A.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a story-rich, isometric stealth game that features heavily realistic close-up cutscenes, simple controls, layered depth and detail that creates an immersive experience. As you traverse through various locations, plan your strategies, sneak, and knock out many enemies, you'll uncover just how far siblings will go for each other.
The more focused second half saves Eriksholm from oblivion. For a game clocking around 10 hours, it takes too long to get going and put all its cards on the table.