A release date has finally arrived for the Ghibli-inspired puzzle platformer from Doublehit Games. The Eternal Hope launch trailer showed a quick look at new gameplay and revealed an August 13 Steam release. Needless to say, it looks like a soothing adventure that follows a very Limbo-like approach to design.
Although the launch trailer doesn’t attempt to explain anything new about the story, we know that Eternal Hope is a tale about love. The player takes on the role of Ti’bi, a young, grief-stricken boy haunted by the death of his girlfriend. Determined to find her soul at all costs, Ti’bi sets off to retrieve her. Somewhere along the way, the boy picks up the ability to travel between dimensions, which allows him to enter the realm of the dead.
Known as the Shadow World, the alternate dimension is where Ti’bi expects to find his lost love. The deeper he delves into it, the darker and more dangerous things become. Additionally, the Shadow World is a selling point for the gameplay in Eternal Hope. The player can transfer between realms in real time, which puts a spin on solving puzzles and surviving encounters. Ultimately, Ti’bi uncovers secrets about life, death, and the peculiar space in between.
They say it’s more about the journey than the destination
The overall tone of the game seems very inviting and mysterious, as is apparent in the Eternal Hope trailer. The game explores “secrets of the shrouded land and the ancient ones that dwell there. However, secrets of your own past will also surface.” It’s a very intentionally designed game to make the experience emotional. The visuals and audio seem to complement it as well. While this is all well and good, the parallels it draws to Limbo do seem obvious. It will be interesting to see how Eternal Hope plays as an experience, and if it can beat Limbo at its own game.
Eternal Hope releases on Steam August 13. Pricing has yet to be announced.
