The imminent release of the exciting debut stealth game Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream proves that the kind of detail, performance, and density you'd expect from a AAA game doesn't always have to come from a AAA team.
Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is an isometric stealth game that puts you in the shoes of Hanna, exploring the titular city of Eriksholm in search of her brother Herman. His disappearance, however, is just the first step in a chain of catastrophic events that will impact the fates of not just Hanna and Herman, but those of every single one of the city's inhabitants.
Eriksholm's focus on stealth gameplay and gripping, family-driven narrative is reminiscent of the beloved Plague Tale series, especially when you factor in the unforgiving nature of its historical setting. But beautifully-rendered cutscenes give way to gameplay that gives you a much broader view of your environment, allowing you to plan out your ideal approach. An isometric viewpoint invokes stealth classics like Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and Desperados 3.
But a more distant viewpoint doesn't mean a less detailed world. Eriksholm is inspired by 1900s Scandinavia, and that attention to historical detail is found throughout its varied environments. As you explore the city, from its industrial ports to the glitz of its upper-class districts, you'll find there's an awful lot lying beneath the surface - some of which you can use to your advantage if you're cunning enough.
Between all that detail in both environment and gameplay, coupled with the character work in its cutscenes, you might be forgiven for thinking that Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream was the work of a huge team of developers. But you'd be wrong - just 17 people worked on this debut game from developer River End Games. Though coming from a team of industry veterans whose credits include Battlefield, Little Nightmares, Mirror's Edge, and more, the project is in safe hands.
You might also think that given the team's AAA heritage and Eriksholm's AAA aspirations, a AAA price would be on the cards too. But Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is releasing at just $39.99 (€39.99, £33.50), with River End Games cramming a huge amount of game into an extremely reasonable price tag. What's more, you won't even have to wait a AAA timeframe to get your hands on it - Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream launches on July 15, meaning you'll have barely a week to wait until you can play it for yourself. And if you really want to try it before then, you can still check out the official demo on Steam, or find out more on the official YouTube channel.
