Cornerstone: The Song of Tyrim
Produced by Phoenix Online Publishing
posted by Nakia Mann
Summary
Tease
The game is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker meets Dark Souls in an open-world, action/adventure/puzzle game with an emphasis on physics and player choice. But is it worth the price?
The Ups
Part RPG, part open-world adventure and part puzzle platform make Cornerstone: The Song of Tyrim a truly unique experience in gaming. I was instantly transported back to the 90's, and I found myself frequently smiling ear to ear as I played.
The Downs
While the game doesn't have any major flaws, the controls, models and animation all have a few bugs. While I enjoyed playing the game it became less about finishing the story, and more about crafting and the puzzles. The case of the missing Vikings became an afterthought.
The Bottom Line
Cornerstone: The Song of Tyrim is a great game to pick up and play for a little while. It's a fun platformer, that anyone can just pick up and go with. The learning curve is easy, and the game does a really good job of leading you in the general direction of where you need to go next. That being said, the game never really forces you to care about the story of the missing Vikings. There isn't enough here to keep a hardcore gamer glued to it, but to anyone new to gaming, or someone that's a casual gamer will find hours of enjoyment here.
Where To Get It
Online retailers
Gameplay
It's hard not to get lost in the world of Cornerstone: The Song of Tyrim. I spent the first few moments of the game just running, jumping and rolling around on the ground. The small island of Borja (where you start) is littered with tiny quests designed to teach you how to play the game. It was easy to learn, and the physics-based puzzles were fun to watch. The issues I had were just pacing and overall story tone. At no point do you feel compelled to search for the missing Vikings, and there are other times where supporting characters are clueless as to things that are happening literally inches away from them. I feel like the game has great promise, and it just needs a little polish in one or two aspects.
User Interface
The controls are easy to learn, and easy to execute... depending on the situation. While walking and crafting come easy, and the platforming aspects are fun, combat feels weak and clunky. With just a basic guard, roll and attack, there aren't any real opportunities to make it more interesting, and because of that I never really felt like the protagonist was in any real danger.
Graphics
Cornerstone: The Song of Tyrim is pretty to look at, however, the animation needs a little work. All of the characters are very stiff, even down to the facial expressions. Some characters look the same no matter what is happening at the time.
Sound
I don't exactly know how to describe the sound experience accurately so that someone who hasn't played the game would understand. The music at times is beautiful, and in most cases it properly sets the mood. However, there are points in the game where there is no sound at all. I wish there would have been voice actors; it would have helped set this game apart from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and given an extra layer of depth to the game.