ETROM-The Astral Essence

The Metropolis of Games?

Like Fritz Lang's silent film masterpiece Metropolis, ETROM is set in a future world controlled by oppressive governments--and like Metropolis, its palette is dark and sinister, and its aesthetic pregnant with a sense of incipient revelation.

Atmosphere, indeed, is where ETROM excels; some reviewers have dinged it for a "difficult to follow story," but in fact, that's untrue. Rather, it is an ambiguous, somewhat inexplicable, highly evocative story--the kind of story you'd expect from Borges or Philip K. Dick, not from pulp sci fi.

Alas, despite this, the game is not without flaws; games can be saved only at the end of missions, so failure requires you to replay something you've seen before. And the camera control is a little wonky, sometimes resulting in situations where you cannot see people firing at you as you play. Too, you must take the system requirements seriously; this game does require a fairly high-end PC for decent performance.

If you're willing to overlook this, however, you'll find in ETROM: The Astral Essence a curiously moving action/adventure RPG with gnostic overtones set in a dark future. A pity, perhaps, that the gameplay is not as polished as the story or the visuals--but perhaps something worth experiencing for those alone.

The Developer Says:

Etrom is an Action-Rpg with many strategic features. You can't fight without thinking first. It is always best to understand your enemies before you face them. As the game progresses you can't just kill everyone, only the enemies that you recognize and that are at your level.

Set apart from other games in its genre, Etrom is an innovative, unique and well-balanced mix between melee and distance combat. Etrom is an epic adventure that will take you into a dark future where warring societies are divided not just by walls, but by laws, secrets, religions and the terrifying Void Lands. In a world with fantastic technologies, the people will find their future in ancient civilizations governed by mysterious hidden energies.

Reading from the H.W.D book of tactics:
'In this Era of Chromatic Technologies it is better to engage 'light soldiers' (like riflemen) at long-range and 'heavy soldiers' (like commanders) in melee style combat'.

The game contains the following outstanding gameplay features:

• A deep and involving Storyline set in a dark, futuristic, "neo-gothic" world where technology and a fantasy Middle Ages collide
  
• Frequent and Bloody Battles: from close combat with an Astral Axe to long range fights with Energy Weapons (Assault rifles, Sniper rifles, heavy machine-guns, Hyper rifles, Disruptors) and amazing Quest Spells
  
• Astral Transformations (Inner Demon, Dragon Guardian, Abyss Knight, Lux Soldier, Legio Infenalis)
  
• Pilot futuristic MECHS
  
• Explore more than 70 huge levels and secret levels in the 4 States, the Mysterious Void Lands and the Dungeons of the Abyss.
  
• Face Hordes of Enemies and Powerful Enemy Gods
  
• Powerful Enemy Gods;
  
• Play a truly Non-Linear Game Structure
  
• 7 possible endings!
  
• Free and Strategic management of the Character's Inventory
  
• Free and Strategic management of the Characteristics
  
• over 500 types of armor, objects, energy weapons, power-drugs, magic items
  

"This is a thinking person's adventure...."
   - GameZone

"Doté d'un scénario vraiment bien ficelé, Etrom réussit à séduire et à captiver le joueur. On y jette un coup d'oeil en se disant 'mouais, ça a l'air naze mais voyons-voir ça' et quand on relève le nez du clavier, plusieurs heures se sont écoulées."
   - Inpact Virtuel

8.6/10, SuperEva (Italian)