ETERNIGHTS
Developer/publisher Studio Sai Format PC, PS4, PS5 Release Early 2023
“Sometimes I wonder if things will ever be normal again.” Et tu, Eternights? It’s no great surprise that this summer’s videogames should reflect our current preoccupations, though there was a clear schism between the triple-A and indie approaches. By and large, bigger games were keen to leave Earth behind (only to find it’s awful in space, too) while smaller studios encouraged us to look after the planet (Stardew Valley has a lot to answer for). This ‘dating action game’ offered a third solution: why not stick around for the apocalypse and try to find love? This Persona-adjacent adventure gives you deadlines to beat dungeons, with perks for developing relationships with your allies. But rather than turnbased fights, it offers realtime combat with anime-style flourishes, including a glowing sword arm that grows back when it’s cut off. Who needs normality?