Ereban: Shadow Legacy Review – When Stealth Meets Mystery in a Stylized World

Have you ever wanted to sneak around unseen, solving puzzles in the shadows like a real-life ninja? That’s exactly what you can do in Ereban: Shadow Legacy. This game was made by Baby Robot Games, a small studio based in Spain. They created a stealth adventure that lets you slide through the dark unseen.

You play as Ayana, the last of her people known as the Erebans. Long ago, they learned to merge with shadows. Now, Ayana uses this power to uncover the secrets of her past. A huge corporation called Helios has taken over the solar system. They’re draining the sun of energy and forcing everyone to work for them. But something feels off about what they’re doing.

With your shadowy stealth skills and high-tech gadgets, you’ll sneak through areas controlled by Helios. Their robots patrol everywhere with flashlights, so one wrong move could get you caught. Puzzle out how to creep past lasers and sneak behind guards unnoticed. As you explore, you’ll slowly learn the truth about what really happened to Ayana’s people.

What makes this game really fun is that it focuses only on stealth, unlike a lot of modern games. You won’t find any guns or combat – it’s all about using the darkness to quietly complete your goals. If you like sneaking in Hitman or crawling through the vents in Metal Gear Solid, then Ereban is right up your alley. So get ready to vanish into the shadows and uncover the mysteries hiding in the dark!

Shadow Dancing Through The Dark

Sneaking around in the shadows is where Ayana truly comes alive. As the last of the Ereban, she can blend into the darkness and become invisible to all who dwell in the light. Her Shadow Merge ability is key to avoiding detection – hold your breath as she sinks into the blackness, then glide soundlessly over walls and across ceilings. You’ll learn to judge enemy patrol routes, keeping tabs on flashing torch beams while finding new pathways along the dim edges of rooms.

It takes practice but feels so satisfying to complete an objective unnoticed. Some areas put platforming puzzles in your path, using shifting silhouettes that require careful timing. Scout the space first with your radar to peek patrols, then dash from one inky patch to the next. I especially liked a windmill scene that cast sweeping shadows perfect for a stealthy ballet. Mistiming a jump means back to the start, so have a plan before you merge.

Ayana faces robotic foes from Helios with diligence but no anger. Standard bots walk on loops while others can revive fallen comrades, putting pressure on your position. Snipers and cloaked enemies add moments that get the blood pumping. I never felt attacked by these artificial beings, just compelled to respect their territory. Still, bypassing them all brought a quiet sense of accomplishment.

Gadgets add intrigue without becoming a crutch. Sonar pings and stun mines offer flexibility, though I mostly relied on intuition sharpened by the shadows. Later skills bring fun new maneuvers, yet the core stealth flow stays balanced and skill-based. Levels offer freedom within boundaries that respect both challenge and story pacing.

In Ereban: Shadow Legacy, sneaking is more than a mechanic – it’s an artform to perfect through trial and experience. Give in to the darkness my friend, and see what wonders you can achieve when staying unseen.

Truth in Shadows

Ayana’s journey takes her deep into shadowy conspiracies swirling around mysterious Helios Corporation. As the last of her kind, the rare Ereban people gifted with powers over darkness, she seeks answers about her vanished race. Helios claims to spare the galaxy from energy crisis, but Ayana’s instincts hint at deceptions hiding in plain sight.

The story starts strong, hinting at compelling intrigues beyond what’s obvious. Helios acts like typical greedy megas, yet their true designs stay veiled too long. This slow reveal risks dampening urge to discover what else lurks in shadows. Ayana herself feels fully realized, a complex soul questioning her place in a fading world. You share her twilight creed as she fluidly flows from purpose-driven scout to dry-witted trickster, keeping events entertaining.

Pacing could inject more intrigue earlier by raising stakes. Plot twists arrive but impact feels diluted waiting so long. Deeper dives into Helios’ manipulations or Erebans’ history would strengthen motivations. Themes of illuminating darkness via curiosity and cooperation shine through in end, giving narrative satisfying resolution. Gameplay smoothly meshes investigation and action, seamlessly empowering stealth antics with clues. Shadowy escapades prove a great vehicle for uncovering obscured realities.

While mysteries take their time emerging from gloom, Ayana stays a captivating protagonist on a personal epic. Flaws remain in fully fleshing out antagonists and hurrying suspense. But her journey guiding light into shadows illuminates how rebellion and truth can dawn even from society’s fringes. Fans of complex stealth or stories peering behind the scenes will find Ereban’s hidden depths worth seeking.

The Look and Feel of Stealth

Ereban pulls you into its world with a striking art style that gives each setting a unique feel. While the characters pop with cel-shading, environments draw you in with realistic textures. Together they create vibrant worlds that draw the eye without distracting from sneaking. Subtle hints like shadows guide you while robot searchlights amp up tension as their beams sweep the night.

Lighting plays a huge role too. From the warm glow of alien ruins to the eerie green of fog-shrouded swamps, each area tells its own visual story. Darkness cloaks your movements like an ally until searchlights flare, sending you scrambling for new cover. Meanwhile, creeping shadows hint at routes to avoid patrolling enemies. This intimate dance with light and dark keeps tension high without overload.

Voice work brings locations and characters to life. From curious robot chatter to your guide’s sly remarks, lines feel natural as friends catching up over coffee. Meanwhile, a subtle soundtrack sets the scene without stealing focus. Melodies match each area’s vibe, whether haunting drones for ruins or tranquil piano for more serene zones.

Action stays visually clear too, with obvious cues helping plan escapes. Searchlights and noise meters show detection ranges upfront so no deaths feel unfair. Feedback also makes robotic enemies intimidating without being overly complex – just basic patrols but with consequences if they spot an intruder. Together, Ereban’s audiovisuals immerse through atmosphere over graphics alone.

In the end, Ereban proves you don’t need cutting-edge graphics to give gamers an experience. It draws players in with a uniquely stylish presentation that enhances stealth through clever uses of lighting, color and sound. Levels feel alive thanks to solid voice work and tunes perfectly tailored to set the scene.

How Well Does It Run?

I tested Ereban: Shadow Legacy on my gaming PC and was pleasantly surprised by how smooth it ran overall. While the environments sometimes felt a little bare, I never experienced any glitches or bugs worth mentioning. The developers at Baby Robot Games clearly put in the work to optimize performance.

It’s not the most graphically intense game out there by any means, but it still looked great without any slowdown. I played at max settings with no dips in the target 60 frames-per-second. Loading times between levels were quick too. Pretty impressive for an indie game. System requirements aren’t too demanding either, so most people should be able to run it on decently modern hardware.

The one minor issue I came across was some intermittent stuttering during fast-paced Shadow Merge platforming sections. But it wasn’t too bad and hardly ruined the experience. Maybe optimizing those specific dynamic movement mechanics could tighten it up even further for Baby Robot’s next project. Aside from that tiny hiccup though, it was silky smooth – a testament to good coding.

We know that console ports are still coming down the line. Based on how well it performs on PC already, I wouldn’t expect any issues hitting targets on Xbox either. Fingers crossed they’re able to restore those partnerships, as Ereban deserves to be played on the big screen too. All in all, it’s excellent to see an indie studio nail both gameplay and technical execution on their debut game. Really sets them up well for what’s next.

Replay Value and Content

This game provides a decent amount to keep you exploring its shadowy world even after the credits roll. The main story took me around 6-7 hours on my first go, focusing mostly on stealth and skipping some optional areas. Additional playthroughs could uncover more of the map and secrets. Each level hides collectibles like crafting materials and documents that flesh out the lore. Finding them all would take exploring every nook and cranny.

Upgrades for Ayana’s gear and skills act as another incentive. There are abilities for Shadow merging, stealth takedowns, and more. Experimenting with different upgrade paths unlock new gameplay styles. You can spec for pacifism, lethal force or anything in between.

Multiple endings also encourage replays. The choices you make on side missions and how you deal with human enemies determine whether things wrap up on a hopeful or hopeless note. While these endings lack major differences, it’s cool to see how alternate decisions branch the story.

Speaking of side missions, these add some variety from the main objectives. Optional tasks like sabotage operations or reconnaissance break up the formula in a good way. They flesh out the world and its factions beyond just the main plot. Some even have twists that give perspective on the main characters. All in all, these extra missions made the levels feel more lively and immersive without overstaying their welcome.

So in summary, while the core adventure is relatively compact, Ereban offers enough extras to jump back in if you find yourself missing the shadowy stealth gameplay. With its upgrades, collectibles and multiple ways to experience the story, fans of the genre will find this title has legs beyond a single playthrough.

Shadow Legacy Shines its Light

Ereban: Shadow Legacy shows a lot of promise for Baby Robot Games’ first venture into stealth adventures. While the story is a bit boilerplate and enemies could use more variety, sneaking around as Ayana is genuinely enjoyable. Merging with shadows to slip past robotic sentries or across dangerous gaps feels awesome. I also appreciate how levels give multiple objectives instead of linear paths – it’s fun exploring each area freeform.

Where the game really shines is marrying stealth with fast-paced shadow-running. Nothing beats gliding through the darkness at breakneck speed! Puzzle sections that utilize this dynamic lighting were a highlight. I also dug collecting crafting materials to upgradeAyana’s rad abilities. Between abilities, multiple endings, and replaying missions, there’s incentive to jump back in.

Fans of old-school stealth like Splinter Cell or newer ones like Aragami will get a kick out of Ereban: Shadow Legacy. It shows a solid foundation for Baby Robot Games to build upon. I hope they expand on this universe – imagine infiltrating gigantic Corpo starships or ancient alien ruins! Given how fun shadow-blending feels here, I’m stoked to see where they take the mechanic next. Even just some new enemies or story DLC for this one would be awesome. All in all, a bright debut for the studio.