Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream review

After the phenomenal Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 earlier this year, it’s time for another excellent debut title from a new studio founded by industry veterans. Developed by River End Games, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is a narrative-driven stealth game played from an isometric viewpoint, and not only does it have gorgeous visuals, its gameplay will keep you hooked until the credits roll.

Putting players in control of a young girl named Hanna, at the heart of Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream lies a mystery: where is your brother, Herman, and just what has he done to attract the attention of the police? On the run, you’ll need to avoid the authorities as you make your way through a range of locations, trying to track down your brother and unravel the whole mess.

The gameplay here feels old-fashioned to a degree, but that doesn’t stop it from being engaging from the off. Being a young girl, you can’t meet your pursuers head-on, and so if you’re seen it’s an instant game over: try again. Thankfully, checkpoints are well-placed for the most part, so if you do mess up, the repercussions aren’t all that frustrating. It’s important to note, however, that Hanna is armed with a blowpipe for the majority of the game, allowing her to knock out unsuspecting enemies.

Hanna is actually just one of three characters you’ll eventually find yourself in control of during the course of Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, with each having their own unique skills and abilities. There’s Alva, a shadowy but seemingly important person in Eriksholm, who’s capable of climbing drainpipes and using a slingshot to take out lights. And then there’s Sebastian, a somewhat gentle giant who can choke enemies out if he can catch them unawares, and isn’t afraid of a spot of swimming.

Making your way through areas while completing objectives, you’ll need to make use of shadows to avoid detection, and time your movements in accordance with enemy patrols. You’ll also have to make use of ambient sounds, perhaps timing your movements across a metal floor with the passing of a nearby train. Sometimes you’ll even need to make your own distractions or opportunities to pass through an area safely, like activating a cart so you can hide behind it as it moves.

Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is at its best, however, when it presents challenges for you to overcome that you need to approach like a puzzle. It’s rewarding working out which character you need to move where and when, utilising their unique skills along the way to distract and perhaps incapacitate any guards in your path. It’s a little reminiscent of the likes of Shadow Gambit and Shadow Tactics by Mimimi Games at times, only more linear and without the ability to stack up actions and then have them play out at the same time.

Some may see that as a negative, but here it works to Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream’s favour, keeping focus on the game’s narrative while also allowing for some thrilling set-pieces. In fact, the only thing that soured my experience with Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream during my ten-hour playthrough was the odd bug. One caused my characters to disappear during a cutscene and then get stuck in a wall, forcing me to restart from the last checkpoint. Another found me unexpectedly losing a small amount of progress after continuing my game from the main menu. Neither were all that problematic, fortunately.

If you’re into stealth games, then, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream is likely to prove to be a bit of a treat, especially if you also dig the isometric viewpoint. But even those who aren’t all that keen on stealth might want to check it out thanks to its grounded and engaging narrative and its more puzzle-oriented gameplay. There’s not really much to do once you’ve finished it, aside from scooping up any collectibles you’ve missed, but it’s captivating while it lasts.