New earth-splitting ARPG Echoes of the End blends God of War with Hellblade

It's an exciting time in the indie and double-A space right now. As players continue to turn their noses up at the MTX-filled liveservice behemoths and triple-A releases that betray their hefty price tags with uninspired gameplay, there is a collective yearning for 'the good ol' days' of gaming. The recent success of Expedition 33 speaks for itself, with Sandfall Interactive's JeRPG proving you don't need billion-dollar budgets and hundreds of developers to craft something exceptional. Myrkur Games is hoping to recreate the magic with Echoes of the End, a new ARPG that will scratch your God of War itch, set in an world inspired by the Icelandic studio's homeland.

Echoes of the End follows magic wielder Ryn as she traverses the world of Aema to save her brother from imperial capture. Myrkur Games is promising a grounded story, focusing on the interplay between its protagonist and the people she meets on her journey, particularly companion Abram Finlay who aids her in battle. It's a tall order to match the best RPG games out there, especially with a core team of just 40 devs, but I've so far been thoroughly impressed by what I've seen.

Immediately, I'm drawn to Aema's breathtaking environments. Anyone who's played Hellblade 2, or has been lucky enough to visit Iceland for themselves, will know just how beautiful it is. As Ninja Theory took to the volcanic island to scan its landscapes, Myrkur has also utilized photogrammetry to bring the land of fire and ice to life.

I'm hoping, dearly, that Echoes of the End sticks the landing on its narrative - more 'A Song of Fire and Ice' than 'A Song of Ice and Fire' if you were unfortunate enough to experience Game of Thrones' misery-inducing finale. Expedition 33 took me on an emotional rollercoaster, and the similarities between Sandfall and Myrkur in terms of scale and ambition will naturally draw comparisons.

While Echoes of the End looks to retread many of the genre's tropes, the major point of departure lies in how it utilizes its world. Aema is filled with juxtaposition, not only in its biomes, but in how it contrasts the magical with the earthly. Throughout its trailers we can see the world falling away at Ryn's feet, creating environmental puzzles for her to navigate. There's plenty of Inception-style twisty-turny stuff going on, too, so make sure you take your vertigo meds before you jump in.

Echoes of the End is out now on Steam. You can pick it up for $35.99 / £29.69 thanks to a 10% launch discount right here.

If Echoes of the End isn't a bit of you, check out our rundowns of the best story games and best new PC games that spark a different kind of magic.

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