Eidolon

Overview

Eidolon is a survival/exploration game, with a simplistic, abstract art style, similar to Proteus, a strong focus on narrative, similar to Gone Home, and an ambient, post-rock inspired soundtrack. Set in the post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest in 2400 c.e., you play as an unknown, silent protagonist who is, presumably, trying to piece together how human civilization collapsed.

You begin the game in a forest with a notebook and a tablet device, and are warned that you may succumb to death, being so far away from the "beacon". Though your ultimate goal seems to be to uncover how the mysterious "fall" occurred through the collection of log entries, maps, journals, newspaper clippings and more, you must also stay alive. To this end, you can collect various plants, hunt animals, build fires and rest when necessary, likening Eidolon to other survivalist games such as Rust and The Forest.

Gameplay

Eidolon has a basic control system that allows you to move, jump and use various tools. You have access to an inventory system where you collect items you need to survive, and two "scrapbooks", one digital and one physical, where you collect the various narrative items that help you piece together the game's story.

There are numerous survival mechanics at play in the game, including cold, hunger, tiredness and disease. Failing to fulfill the requirements of any one of these systems can lead to various status effects, such as the inability to run or limited vision. Additionally, serious afflictions may cause your death.

You have numerous tools at your disposal to help you survive, which you can find in the environment at the beginning of the game; these include a compass, bow, binoculars and a fishing rod. Additionally, you can find a general map of the game area, as well as detailed maps of specific areas in the game. However, these maps are static, and do not tell you where your character is located. As such, you must use landmarks and your compass to determine your location.

You can find various items in the environment that will prevent you from succumbing to status ailments. To fend off hunger, you can hunt animals, fish or gather edible plant life, all of which can spoil if not used quickly enough. For cold, you can build a fire. And for tiredness, you can sleep.

Eidolon's story, and main driving force, is governed by the collection of story elements that show up as green, glowing hexagons in the world. Each narrative element that you collect has keywords that, when selected, indicate the direction you can travel to collect a related narrative element. In addition, a bird can be seen in the sky at most times, which typically indicates the presence of a collectable or item.

System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP SP2, Vista, 7, 8

• Processor: 2.0 GHZ

• Memory: 2 GB RAM

• Graphics: Shader Model 2 Compatible Graphic Card

• Hard Drive: 2 GB available space