The title Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream has many surprising elements. When players play this isometric stealth game, they might see it at first as a strategical sandbox like Commandos or Desperados. But this game by River End Games, published by Nordcurrent Labs, uses a different way. Scheduled to launch on July 15th, 2025, on machines with RTX 4080 and AMD Ryzen 3700x specifications, Eriksholm’s linear narrative will focus more on the challenges used in the Hitman Go series.
A Carefully Crafted Experience
Though it’s not an open world, Eriksholm works as a stealth puzzle game and offers some satisfying experiences nonetheless. The game looks amazing, featuring beautiful animations of Scandinavian settings in great lighting. Along with this aesthetic appeal, the voice acting which we hear, especially from the main characters is good. All in all, it looks pretty and sounds fine, despite the clearly defined path gameplay.
Introducing Hanna’s Journey
At first, players take on the part of Hanna, an orphan recovering from the Heartpox. This takes place in a 19th-century pseudo-Swedish setting. The rekindling of the story begins when she is looking to get back with her brother Herman as the police presence rises in their neighbourhood. Her savvy of the community, its hidden paths, and the avuncular support of locals constitute a large part of these early narrative adventures.
As you go deeper into the game, it expands the cast of characters and the story, but changes focus zoning in on a traditionalcub villain plot. Slightly reducing the weight of the narrative, that transition throws players a curveball as they are introduced to new abilities and mechanics.
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Expanding on Gameplay
Alva, a new character, helps players turn off lights and climb as they progress through the game. Sebastian’s late addition lets you quietly take guards out. Every chapter of the game includes a new gameplay element that the players must combine with other skills to complete more and more difficult challenges that mirror complicated stealth puzzle boxes.
Navigating the Linear Path
Players may find Eriksholm’s carefully-controlled experience feels limiting because of its linearity. The answers feel sort of set in stone, giving the players less room to get really creative with what their characters can do. It’s rewarding to solve a puzzle the way you are meant to, but searching for solutions that someone else has created can be tiring. The game remains well-scripted despite the addition of new systems from time to time.
The game prevents players from thinking outside the predefined solutions. Security guard patrol patterns are carefully fine-tuned. Off-the-shelf solutions do not work. Guards react predictably only when the levels are designed to allow it. So while there are some different aspects present, players do not feel as if they have agency beyond collectibles.
Concluding Thoughts on Eriksholm
Eriksholm has an impressive narrative experience and very strong performance, although gameplay is fairly on rails. This curated approach, resembling a stealthy twist on a linear adventure, offers a “good” experience, hinting at the potential for greatness in future instalments. Although the game doesn’t really take off, it still leaves a significant mark that makes us anticipate what comes next for Eriksholm.