See what Ysbryd Games brought to Boston this year!
I have covered a lot of Ysbryd Games in my time and it’s always a good time at their booth during PAX East. Ysbryd Games is usually where I run into most of my PR contacts and get to put a face to the name. I was able to schedule an appointment with Ysbryd Games to see two games, Love Eternal and Everdeep Aurora. Two games that have similar themes but in different ways to show them off. Before we get into the hands-on time, I always try to ask someone at the booth about Cyberpunk Bartender Action N1RV Ann-A. This year I was told that the developers wanted to make something different first and get out of their comfort zone. N1RV Ann-A is the sequel to VA-11 HALL-A so I could understand wanting to try something different. That being said, N1RV Ann-A is going to be made after the game I just mentioned. I usually don’t get an answer out of Ysbryd on this but this time I was lucky. I also grabbed a Sam pin from the booth because I really liked N1RV Ann-A when I played it at PAX East a few years ago and want it to come out. Anyway, on to the demos!
First up is a game called Love Eternal. This game gave me major VVVVVV vibes. When I think of VVVVVV I think of an interesting control scheme as well as never really knowing what’s going on. For those who aren’t aware, VVVVVV has a mechanic where you control gravity and travel on/off the ceiling/floor. Love Eternal has that same idea only there is way more drama involved in the story. You play as Maya who was stolen from her family. During the demo, the family dynamic looks fine but you get transported into a new location and the family is gone. It will be interesting to see what happens but there was one scene with Maya’s father who transformed into some kind of bug. That should tell you that this game has some crazy storytelling attached to it. You’ll have to master gravity because if you don’t you will be playing sections again and again. One room might have you try a tight jump whereas another room could have you jump around spikes and lasers. I will say that there is trial and error in regards to knowing how high you can jump as well as how high/low Maya will travel off of said jumps. There were a few times when I thought I was going to make a jump with no problem and then clip the edge because I floated too high. I’m interested in seeing how much more of a challenge Love Eternal will become further into the game.
Next up is a charming game with a dark premise, Everdeep Aurora. A meteor shower has forced the population of the world to go underground. You play the role of Shell the cat who is looking for her mother, who has disappeared. The only place to look for her is down, into the underground. You will be Shell’s pilot, being able to decide where she goes next. You might find an interesting cave to explore or a secret door. You could run into another townsperson down there who wants you to do something for them. If you do it, they will do something for you in return so it’s win-win, sort of. You’ll come across fast travel points at campsites throughout your journey and you’ll have to know when to go back up if you get stuck. You will find all kinds of things underground like materials to upgrade tools for example. That being said, one of the reasons you might have to go back is that you don’t have a strong enough drill to break up the rocks at the bottom. Everdeep Aurora has charm and appears to be very story-driven. There are no enemies to fight so you will have to use your best weapon, your brain, to figure out puzzles and quest solutions to find Shell’s mom. Ysbryd Games knocked it out of the park at PAX East this year and both Love Eternal and Everdeep Aurora are games you should keep an eye out for in the future.
