The ACE Team is not at its first attempt, in terms of designing a barred universe and character design as inspired as it is uncomfortable. But it must be admitted that The Eternal Cylinder raises the bar to a new height.
It's the latest darling of all the good truffle makers in independent gaming. Freshly available through a (closed) beta, The Eternal Cylinder advances like the antagonist it stages. A real steamroller, as inevitable as it is terrifying.
A lite survival game with varied influences, but which plays on an extremely sensitive chord for those who swoon over Subnautica or Outer Wilds: it keeps us spellbound thanks to a coherent universe and a completely crazy story.
Flat seams
An unknown planet, with bright colors and vegetation from the most beautiful procedural planet in No Man's Sky. The place could seem welcoming to us, if we did not see, over our shoulder, a titanic cylinder which, barely noticed, begins its destructive course.
This huge rolling pin straight out of a wet dream of flat earth gives its name to the game in question today. The Eternal Cylinder; the eternal cylinder. His reason of being ? We don't know yet. But the voice of the narrator whispering in the ear of our little avatar tells us to get away from it as quickly as possible.
No need to draw a picture; the video game language is rather clear on the subject. When a gigantic thing sets off in pursuit to frightening music, we trace our route without asking for the rest.
This is the cornerstone of The Eternal Cylinder gameplay. Rushing ahead. But the latest ACE Team should not be summed up as a beautifully polished infinite runner. We are above all in a survival game.
Cure de Trebhums
Of all the creatures (hostile or not) that inhabit this strange universe, the Trebhums seem the most capable of putting the puzzle back in order and stopping the eternal cycle of destruction of the cylinder.
These funny creatures, which will be presented in an anatomically flawless way as "little balls with legs and a trunk stuck in their face", will be your avatars during the adventure.
Does the use of the plural worry you? You are right. Since it's about perpetuating the species, The Eternal Cylinder makes you travel the world in search of your fellow human beings. You can walk around with one, two, three, four or potentially more Trebhums. Much like a troop of Pikmins, each can be given different abilities that aid in your progress.
You can do this by sucking in food with your trunk and consuming certain plants or seeds. For example, you can recover a pair of legs allowing higher jumps, or cork the trunk of your Trebhum to make it insensitive to toxic clouds. It will be a question of always having in your inventory (unfortunately too tight) the consumable which will allow you to face the following situation.
The circle of life
The Eternal Cylinder is not a difficult game, let alone a punishing one. If you actually have to manage your stamina, hunger, thirst and body temperature, we are far from hardcore experiences that force you to farm components.
At worst, in case of death, we will easily find other trebhums (the poor ones are interchangeable), or we can bring them back to life for a few components.
JVFR
In reality, the game is currently divided into fairly well-defined “levels”. To stop the stroke of the cylinder, you have to get to one of the towers erected on the horizon as quickly as possible to activate the locking mechanism. You then have plenty of time to explore the area – being careful not to get too close to certain critters that would make short work of your Trebhums. Not warriors for a penny, your companions in misfortune can indeed only spit water with their trunk to defend themselves...
JVFR
Exploration can be of interest. First, it will be an opportunity to cross paths with Elders. Sages, refugees in temples (and therefore doomed to be crushed in the next "cycle") who share their wisdom and move the story forward.
There will also be shrines to improve some skills – but this aspect of the game still seems marginal as it stands.
JVFR
As soon as you are ready to advance into the next area, all you have to do is cross the kind of bluish veil on the horizon… And get ready to run. Or rather, to ride.
Like a Samus Aran, Trebhums can curl up into a ball to move forward faster. Indispensable to hope to reach the next tower without ending up crushed. Problem: each meter traveled nibbles your stamina gauge and will therefore ask you to pace your escape well.
JVFR
But, we remind you, this headlong rush is not in vain. Facetious, the narrator of this funny epic blows you the objectives to achieve to advance the schmilblick. Until the moment, decisive, when our small troop of Trebhums will find a way to go and see what is on the other side of the cylinder.
JVFR
In short: a really strange game, which captivates as much as it disturbs thanks to its mysterious universe and its characters with an aesthetic that is sometimes absurd, sometimes chilling.
The interest of The Eternal Cylinder will essentially be played on its ability to renew itself over the hours. Or, failing that, namely to end before getting tired of the players. Released this year on PC via the Epic Games Store, and later on PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Preview produced via code provided by the publisher.
