Wild River Games and schleich have teamed up to deliver ELDRADOR CREATURES Shadowfall for the PS5, an engaging turn-based strategy game inspired by the familiar figurines line. Let’s delve into what this new title has to offer.
In shadowfall, players return to the world of Eldrador, a universe divided into four distinct realms: Stone, Ice, Jungle, and Lava. Each land is dominated by its respective dragon leader, such as the Stone Dragon of the Stone World and the Ice Dragon of the Ice World. You’ll kick off your adventure in the scorching Lava World, where the menacing Shadow Dragon and its evil shadow creatures await.
The game provides four levels of difficulty—Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard—to suit different player skills. Opting for Easy mode means enemies hit weaker, with their damage and health set to 60%, while your experience intake sits at 90%. On Normal, everything is standard fare. Crank it up to Hard, and enemy damage and health escalate to 130%, rewarding 110% experience. Feeling brave? Very Hard ramps up the challenge, with foes hitting at 160% strength and yielding 120% experience for your efforts. So, what challenge suits your playstyle?
With its turn-based system, mastering Shadowfall involves strategic character positioning and timing. Use the left analog stick to maneuver your characters across the battlefield. Plan your moves, as a status effect like being frozen can hinder actions. After maneuvering your units, press L1 to select a skill, followed by X to launch an attack within range.
The game teems with strategic options and unique abilities. Consider Lava Smasher, which uses its ‘Smash’ attack to shove foes a square back—potentially into damaging lava. Maneuver cleverly to harness environmental advantages. As for superior skills, these demand Mana, urging players to collect blue Mana orbs scattered about or prevent adversaries from acquiring them.
Take a further look at Lava Smasher’s powerful Comet Smash, which decrees havoc upon its landing spot, setting fire to adjacent tiles. Then there’s Lava Hyena’s Firewall, which sees the Hyena zipping across tiles in a fiery dash. Team strategy comes alive with shared Mana pools among creatures, adding another layer of depth: gather Mana with one character, and unleash it through another.
Your gold, hard-earned through battling, facilitates upgrades crucial for progress. These enhancements collectively bolster your team’s power and capabilities—upping health, skill damage, Mana reserves, or team size. Experience points accrue from skirmishes, levelling up characters and unlocking new attributes like enhanced health or attack power. Stay dedicated to maximize your squad’s potential.
Trophy hunters can rejoice, as the game’s Cross-Buy feature allows accessing both PS4 and PS5 versions without extra costs, each presenting their own trophy challenges. The path to snagging the Platinum demands tasks like vanquishing 1,000 creatures or winning battles under unique conditions.
ELDRADOR CREATURES Shadowfall provides a rich strategic experience, with voice-acting that enhances player immersion. For $19.99, the Cross-Buy purchase not only promises double the adventure across consoles but also a doubling of trophy collections to pursue.
All this comes to us thanks to Wild River Games’ provision of a PlayStation 5 review copy, showing their commitment to delivering captivating gaming experiences.
