One of the major reasons I was looking forward to June's Steam Next Fest came to me in a surprise email and a ping from Discord. Usually, I get one or the other, the former through my job whenever a new announcement is made. Last week's Summer Games Fest was but one of many smaller events throughout June and Studio Sai had one trick up their sleeve. I've been a part of the Eternights Discord server for a while now, ever since hearing the news of an "action RPG dating sim influenced by Shin Megami Tensei back as an unnamed project. After years of support from fans of the project, including several big named voice actors who would be announced as cast members, Eternights has a public playable demo for the first time and I couldn't wait to sink my claws into it.
Like yesterday's demo, Battle Shapers, the Eternights demo was roughly an hour, showing what I can only describe as the first introduction to the experience. Those who have played the Persona games know how often they tend to drag on, so I expect the full version of Eternights to have a little more to the prologue than what was shown. Thankfully Studio Sai understands this and gives the player as much action as they could fit, while also setting the tone for the world in which the player is introduced.
The story begins with the protagonist and their best friend, Chani, with the latter bringing up a "dating app" for the two to try out. Their lives change when a virus is identified in its connections to "Eternights." The following day, after securing tickets to a concert held by the popular idol girl Yuna, the city begins to break out into chaos. A giant wall appears, separating the town from outside help as it begins to engulf the city.
Naturally, the protagonist is blessed with the power to quell this, but this happens in a way that not only causes him to lose his arm like The Machine Girl but also allows him to form a pact. The dating app that Chani forces the protagonist to download is actually an app meant to contact a deity that the protagonist meets while in a life-or-death situation. After promising them a "good time" the night before, the protagonist meets the enshrouded lady on a boat that bears a striking resemblance to the River Styx. After telling the player "You are now under my watch," paraphrasing, of course, I realized one major thing by the end of the demo.
Forget making a "deal with the grim reaper." The "grim reaper" in this case, catfished me. This is why we don't install weird apps on your phone, no matter how many times we try to delete it, right Joker? While the dialogue, delivery of comedy, emphasis on relationships, and social stats may all be familiar to the Persona fan, its gameplay is far more hands-on. During the demo, the player has access to basic combat mechanics. The player can dodge, attack, and have moments of scoring critical attacks when the situation calls for it.
It's not exactly a "boots to the ground Soulslike," like Lies of P but it does have some of the "Waltz-like" combat where the best offense is a good defense. The timing window to dodge an attack for a "perfect dodge" is super lenient and the flashy effects complement the 3D anime-inspired graphics. There are also animated cutscenes that add another layer of perspective, despite the scenes being a mere few seconds. While it's too early to determine if there are other playable characters other than the protagonist, the support of their allies will depend on how close the protagonist is to each party member.
One thing that impressed me was how vulnerable I felt in the beginning, with its dilapidated underground mazes and enemies that ambush the player while defenseless. Usually in RPGs, the player avoids these encounters, but in Eternights, the player actually has to use stealth to walk past the mutated humans. There's one scene where a girl gets viciously torn apart by said enemy in a cutscene, with the party members entering a chase sequence as they are being hunted. By the time the player gets their weapon and fights back, the tables have turned. However, it has been a very long time since I've played an ARPG that made me tread carefully like a Dead by Daylight-style title.
Eternights will release in September, mere months away, and I cannot wait to play the full version. Not just because I'm happy for the developer and the progress they have made up until the game goes gold, but also because there's confirmation of LGBT+ romance with at least one gay romance option available to the player. Long-time Persona fans and any games that include romance with an anime-inspired aesthetic have been clamoring for more representation so I'm happy that this is included. It may have just been the one thing to convince me in making this a "will play" to a "must play."
Be on the look-out for more coverage from the Steam Next Fest in the future as well as more information from Eternights as we draw closer to its release date!