Eternal Hope is a charming 2D puzzle platformer where you play as Ti’bi, a lonesome boy that desperately traverses different dimensions in order to reunite with his long lost love. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows – Ti’bi has an arduous adventure ahead. This is a beautiful story of love, hope, and the obstacles one must face in order to succeed.
It’s a trope as old as time itself. Humanoid-boy meets the girl of his dreams under a cherry blossom tree on a hillside. He visits her every possible day until she is tragically swept off a cliff during a freak lightning storm. He tries desperately to save her but is unsuccessful and watches as the love of his life plummets to her untimely death.
Slow, melancholic guitar strumming echoes softly in the background as Ti’bi saunters through the forest. The atmosphere thick of loss and despair. He carries on walking aimlessly before he hears an unknown voice call out to him. The strange figure appears before him, introducing himself as the Keeper of Souls. He explains that when Ti’bi’s love died, her soul was shattered across the world. In order to bring her back to life, Ti’bi must find the lost soul shards and bring them to the Soul Keeper’s temple so that he can revive her. The Keeper of Souls would do it himself, but he’s a busy guy weak ever since that tragic day.
The controls are simple. Move Ti’bi with the directional arrows and use a single key to have him interact with his surroundings. This involves things such as climbing or pushing objects or using certain objects to manipulate the environment accordingly. The platforming elements in Eternal Hope are akin to those found in puzzle-platformer Limbo, and Ti’bi will find that there are a lot of hazards waiting to deter him on his journey.
Before departing, the Keeper of Souls gives Ti’bi the ability to access the spirit world at will. This allows him to not only utilise objects not seen to the people of the living realm, but come face-to-face with otherworldly creatures. Some are friendly and will help Ti’bi on his quest. Some want to do nothing but cause him harm.
Unperturbed by his new found abilities, Ti’bi ventures on. Clinging to the hope that he will one day find his love again. Each chapter within Eternal Hope has their own overarching theme, adding a little more to the story each time. As the game progresses, players will find themselves even more curious about the spirit world and what lies in store for Ti’bi.
Artistically, Eternal Hope is beautifully created, with a vibrant colour palatte that offsets each silhouette. The animations are smooth and the environments have a sense of depth, despite their simplicity.
From sombre piano to dramatic ensembles, gentle melodies play alongside soothing environment sound effects, which elevates the experience even further. Eternal Hope does a spectacular job of immersing the player in emotion and curiosity.
Eternal Hope – Is it worth playing?
Eternal Hope is a short, concise experience that fans of puzzle platformers will no doubt enjoy. Even if puzzles aren’t your thing, the game is simple and weaves a beautiful but sad tale.
Eternal Hope is available now on Xbox One and PC. You can buy the game on Steam here. Check out more of our games reviews here.