Ereban: Shadow Legacy revives a style of single-player game I sorely miss

Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a throwback to an era of single-player video games that I miss.

Earlier this year, I played 2008’s Prince of Persia after getting into the series with the release of The Lost Crown. That title was ahead of its time in many ways, but I appreciated that it was an all-killer, no-filler style of single-player game. I enjoy when games simply center the experience around a core idea or two, then explore that thoroughly in a compact six-to-eight-hour adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome. I was facing a bit of game burnout after playing through long titles Like Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Helldivers 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 over the past couple of months, but Ereban: Shadow Legacy provided some respite for that.

Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a stealth game from Baby Robot Games that is centered around a character who can merge and travel through shadows. Throughout its eight-hour adventure, Ereban thoroughly explores that gameplay hook in a tightly designed, creative sci-fi adventure that you can beat over the course of a night or two of playing. While the notion of wanting shorter games made by smaller teams is a bit of a cliché at this point, playing through Ereban: Shadow Legacy reminded me of why that’s become a popular refrain for some players in recent years.

From the shadows

In Ereban: Shadow Legacy, players control the last surviving member of the Ereban race, which has the ability to live in and travel through the shadows. A megacorporation called Helios finds this Ereban, named Ayana, and tries to recruit them to their side. A rebel group called the Forgotten Suns quickly saves Ayana, who she then works with to uncover Helios’ plan as well as the secrets behind what happened to the Ereban. That quest plays out across eight chapters, each of which provides an open-ended level for Ayana to explore, find hidden ability-enhancing collectibles, and complete mission objectives.

Eve