Everreach: Project Eden is coming to Xbox One and PC this December 4th, and with a massive Mass Effect vibe behind it, this sci-fi action RPG looks to be a hugely intriguing experience. With that in mind we went in search of answers to our many questions, hunting down Ede Tarsoly, founder of Elder Games, in the hope we could find out more about the creation, development and overall style of Everreach: Project Eden. He was more than happy to oblige.
Hi, could you please introduce yourself. What has been your role in the development of Everreach: Project Eden?
Hi! I’m Ede Tarsoly, founder of Elder Games, lead designer, programmer and musician for Everreach: Project Eden.
Have you worked on any other games previously?
Yes, I’ve worked on the two Meridian RTS titles, as well as other PC, console and mobile games. I’ve been in the industry for over 8 years now.
So, sell it to us. What is Everreach all about?
Everreach is a story-driven, single-player sci-fi action-RPG. What all this lingo basically means is that you have your main protagonist that you can upgrade and specialize in multiple ways to adapt to each conflict. There are also decisions you can make during conversations, steering the story towards one of the four possible endings. You’ll also need to hop on the Zeus hoverbike several times to reach your objectives… enemies will try to stop you in multiple ways though, even using the environment against you, so out-maneuvering them is a must if you wish to survive.
There is quite obviously one massive inspiration in the form of Mass Effect, but what other games have helped you throughout development?
Destiny, Quantum Break and Mass Effect have all been huge sources of inspiration when building Everreach.
Aside from the aesthetic, what else should we expect the game to borrow from Mass Effect? Is there a morality system or numerous companions perhaps?
Aside from the final mission where you have many allies on the battlefield, you’re alone throughout the game. Well, besides your companion drone, 73-Q. The game doesn’t have a clearly indicated morality system, but NPCs will remember your decisions and respond accordingly later.
The similarities to Mass Effect include minigames to access loot, RPG elements with a massive skill tree, vehicle combat, decisions you make during conversations, and the story revolves around an alien mystery. Obviously, it doesn’t make sense to expect a game at the scale of Mass Effect, as it’s a small indie production. Still, I hope you’ll have fun with it 🙂
Could you please tell us a bit more about the overall story found in the game?
Going into the story even a little bit would be spoiler territory, so I can only give you the short backstory. You arrive on planet Eden as security specialist Nora Harwood to investigate why humanity’s first colony has gone dark. Your team is immediately shot out of the sky and you are forced to find your way in the alien wilderness.
What has it been like working with artists that have previously worked on Warcraft and Star Trek: Beyond?
Very inspiring! Their talent and professional approach has added a lot to the game.
How has the pre-release reception been?
I’d say “so far so good”. I just hope people will have fun with the game.
Will we be finding any form of multiplayer action included?
No, this was never planned.
With the game gearing up to release in December, we guess you’ve already had time to consider the Xbox achievements system. What plans do you have for Gamerscore hunters?
There will be ten achievements to unlock.
Will it be a case of simple easy-to-pickup cheevos, or should we expect more taxing ones?
Some will be very easy, others will require you to truly explore the environment.
Is there a single favourite achievement you think all gamers should go for?
There is one where you need to find a secret area during the first mission. This one is tough as it is not indicated on the map and there is only one, very tricky way to find it. I personally love this one, especially because beside the achievement, it also rewards you with awesome loot when discovered 🙂
And finally, if there is one tip a gamer new to Everreach: Project Eden should know, what advice would you give?
Think about how you want to build Nora’s skills. The skill tree is huge and you won’t be able to unlock every upgrade by the end of the game. There are multiple viable builds and the complexity of the skill system is greater than it seems at first glance!
Huge thanks go out to Ede for taking the time out of the busy build-up to release of Everreach: Project Eden on Xbox One and PC. We hope you have enjoyed what he has had to say and should you be tempted by a playthrough of Everreach: Project Eden then you’ll be able to pick the game up from the Xbox Store, or over on PC, from December 4th 2019.
We’ll have a full review for you soon too – keep an eye out for it!
