Review of ELDRADOR CREATURES Shadowfall for PlayStation 5

ELDRADOR CREATURES Shadowfall, brought to us by Wild River Games and schleich, takes the strategic combat experience into the realm of turn-based gaming on the PS5, all inspired by the well-known figurine series. Let’s take a closer look at what this game has to offer in our Eldrador Creatures Shadowfall review.

Building on the foundation laid by its predecessor from 2020 on the PlayStation 4, this latest installment immerses players into the intricately divided world of Eldrador. Picture this: four distinct and rival territories. The Stone World, where Stone Creatures follow the formidable Stone Dragon. Then there’s the Ice World, under the reign of the mighty Ice Dragon. Jungle World boasts its own ruler, the Jungle Dragon, and finally, the fiery domain of the Lava World is governed by the fierce Lava Dragon. Your adventure kicks off in the Lava World, where you’ll inevitably collide with the sinister shadow creatures, commanded by the treacherous Shadow Dragon.

The game offers four difficulty settings to customize your experience: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard. Opting for Easy mode reduces enemy damage and health by 60%, with players earning 90% of the experience points. The Normal setting delivers a balanced challenge. Choosing Hard cranks up the enemy stats to 130%, while the Very Hard escalates them even further, requiring a skillful approach to conquer these fierce foes with enemy damage and health soaring to 160%. So, what’s your level of challenge?

As a turn-based strategy game, you’ll navigate the battlefield with the intuitive left analog stick to command your characters, planning their movements within their range. After setting them in place, decide their attack strategies, unless they’re hindered by statuses like being frozen—which restricts action to either movement or attack, not both. Once your team has executed their moves, end your turn and brace yourself for the opponent’s counteractions. If an enemy strays within your skill reach, press L1 and unleash with X.

Let’s dive into some of those skills. Consider the Lava Smasher’s Smash ability—land a powerful blow to nearby foes, pushing them back a square. Picture the added tactical advantage of knocking an enemy into the lava or colliding them with another creature—the possibilities are fiery! Better yet, for more powerful maneuvers, collect those blue Mana orbs scattered across the field. They are vital for unleashing advanced skills and counteracting your opponent’s power plays.

Take the Lava Smasher’s Comet Smash as a prime example of Mana-fueled prowess—it leaps to an empty tile, dealing damage to all adjacent foes while igniting the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the Lava Hyena’s Firewall ability propels it in a fiery dash, scorching every tile it touches. Remember, Mana is shared across your team, allowing strategic distribution to turn the tide in critical moments.

Accumulate gold during your journey to invest in critical upgrades. Every upgrade enhances all your team’s creatures, from boosting health and skill damage to expanding Mana reserves and increasing team size. Battles earn creatures experience points, leading to level-ups that offer tangible benefits such as extra health or increased damage. The more you play, the more skills you unlock for your squad!

Now, about those trophies: It’s a Cross-Buy release with a Platinum trophy waiting for you. Purchase once, and you get both the PS4 and PS5 versions, each with individual trophy lists comprising 35 Bronze, 10 Silver, and 2 Gold trophies. Tasks to achieve Platinum include completing the tutorial, defeating substantial numbers of creatures, winning battles with multi-world teams, collecting Mana, and executing special attacks—all set to test your mettle across Eldrador’s diverse landscape.

ELDRADOR CREATURES Shadowfall offers a rich turn-based strategic experience on PS5, deeply rooted in its figurine origins. As you traverse Eldrador’s varied worlds—from the Stone to Ice, Jungle, and Lava—you begin your grand adventure confronting the malevolent shadow creatures and their leader, the Shadow Dragon.

Experimentation with your unlocked creatures is vital in crafting the perfect battle squad. Each offers distinct health and mobility stats alongside unique abilities, like the Lava Hyena’s capacity to traverse allies and foes alike. With full voice acting, the game captivates with immersive character interactions. Remember, ELDRADOR CREATURES Shadowfall is a Cross-Buy title priced at $19.99, allowing access to both console versions without extra charges, each with its own set of trophies for you to earn.

Disclaimer: This review of ELDRADOR CREATURES Shadowfall is based on a PS5 copy provided by Wild River Games.