2025-11-12 15:01
by
nlpkak
Let me tell you something about gaming that I've learned over years of playing and analyzing titles across genres - the real magic happens when a game finds that sweet spot between challenge and reward. I recently spent about 45 hours playing through Ereban: Shadow Legacy, and it perfectly illustrates this delicate balance. As someone who's been playing stealth games since the original Metal Gear Solid, I found myself in this weird love-hate relationship with the game. The shadow merge mechanic - where protagonist Ayana literally melts into darkness - initially felt revolutionary. But here's the problem: it became too reliable. By my count, I used the same technique at least 200 times throughout the campaign, and it worked 95% of the time without requiring much adaptation. That's where the game stumbled for me as a stealth experience - it never really forced me to think differently.
But then something interesting happened. Around the 15-hour mark, I started noticing these brilliant platforming sections that completely transformed my experience. The game suddenly became less about sneaking past robotic guards and more about solving these wonderfully complex environmental puzzles. I remember this one particular sequence where I had to time my jumps with the rotating shadow of a massive windmill while three different patrol routes intersected around me. My heart was literally pounding as I calculated the perfect moment to emerge from darkness, scale a wall, and disappear again. Those 15-20 seconds of perfect execution gave me more satisfaction than any of the scripted story moments. The platforming challenges grew increasingly sophisticated, requiring me to chain together multiple shadow merges while accounting for environmental factors like moving light sources and changing terrain. This is where Ereban truly shined for me - in those unscripted moments of player-driven problem solving.
Now, let's shift gears completely and talk about Sand Land, which presents almost the opposite scenario. Having been a fan of Akira Toriyama's work since I first discovered Dragon Ball Z back in 2005, I approached this game with sky-high expectations. What struck me immediately - and this might surprise you - is that the real protagonist isn't the human characters but that wonderfully absurd egg-shaped tank. I spent approximately 60% of my 35-hour playtime inside various vehicles, and honestly, that's where the game truly comes alive. The developers at ILCA made a brilliant decision by focusing on vehicular combat and traversal, because let's be honest, Toriyama's vehicle designs have always been characters in their own right. Remember the variety of cars, hovercrafts, and flying machines throughout Dragon Ball? There were at least 87 distinct vehicle designs across the series, each with that unmistakable Toriyama flair.
What makes Sand Land's vehicular focus work so well is how it honors Toriyama's legacy. The man loved anything with a motor - you could see it in every curved surface and every quirky design choice. That bulbous tank you pilot throughout most of the game? It's pure Toriyama genius, blending his characteristic style with historical tank designs to create something both familiar and utterly unique. I found myself spending hours just customizing my vehicles, testing different loadouts, and exploring the desert landscape. The combat, while sometimes repetitive, felt satisfying because the vehicles handled with just the right amount of weight and responsiveness. There were moments when I'd be racing across dunes, engaging in vehicle-to-vehicle combat while managing my heat levels and ammunition count, that made me feel like I was living inside one of Toriyama's illustrations.
Here's where both games teach us something important about game design. Ereban demonstrates that sometimes a game's strongest elements aren't necessarily what the developers intended to emphasize. The stealth mechanics, while functional, never reached their full potential because they lacked variety and challenge. But the platforming? Absolutely stellar. Similarly, Sand Land understands that honoring a creator's legacy means focusing on what made their work special. Toriyama wasn't just about character designs - his mechanical designs were equally iconic and essential to his world-building. By making vehicles the heart of the experience, ILCA created a game that feels authentically Toriyama, even when other aspects might falter.
I've noticed this pattern across many games I've reviewed - the most memorable experiences often come from unexpected places. In Ereban, it wasn't the main stealth loop but the environmental puzzles. In Sand Land, it wasn't the RPG elements but the vehicular combat. Both games, despite their flaws, managed to create those magical moments that stick with you long after you've put down the controller. For aspiring game developers reading this, here's my takeaway: sometimes the most successful games aren't necessarily the most polished or innovative in every aspect, but they find that one special element and execute it brilliantly. Whether it's timing your jumps with rotating shadows or customizing your perfect combat vehicle, these are the experiences that transform good games into unforgettable ones.
