Published and developed by Baby Robot Games, Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a stealth platformer action game, originally released on PC in 2024 and received generally positive reviews from critics and players. Ereban: Shadow Legacy is now sneaking its way onto Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. 

Ayana is the last of the Ereban race, seeking to understand her heritage and the disappearance of her people. She possesses unique shadow-merging abilities, allowing her to traverse through shadows. She works with a resistance group to fight Helios, a mega-corporation that has “swallowed the sun” to control energy, in an attempt to uncover the truth about her past and save a dying, morally grey universe. 

Players take control of Ayana and will use her shadow abilities to sneak past robotic guards and reach different destinations across eight chapters. The overall game involves a nice mix of stealth and problem-solving, with players having to figure out how to reach the next destination.

Ayana’s shadow abilities are what truly set this game apart from other stealth-oriented games. Anywhere there’s a shadow, she can merge with it and traverse through it. This allows her to sneak past guards, pass through small openings and reach areas she wouldn’t normally be able to without it.

The placement of the shadows will force players to think, plan, and execute, and some shadows will even move as objects move close by. If Ayana is caught in the light while merged, she’ll be forced to reemerge and possibly expose herself to the guards.

The game is linear but has an open-world feel, with large areas to explore and a path to the destination that isn’t always as simple as it might seem. As you come closer to one area, it might end up being a dead end, so you’ll have to adapt and figure out an alternate path. All this provides a unique set of challenges not seen in other games and really tests players’ problem-solving skills. 

On top of all that, players will also have to be mindful of the guards on patrol. Ayana can disable them with her weapon, which shuts off their power. This isn’t a combat-heavy game; however, taking out one or a few guards might only be a temporary solution.

If a guard has spotted you or finds another guard neutralised, they’ll always be on alert and will be continuously searching for you, sometimes even blocking a path you need to take. If they spot you and chase you, there isn’t a way to fight them off, and your best chance of survival is to escape. The even better solution overall is, of course, not to be spotted at all.

There are various upgrades to Ayana’s shadow abilities that players will get as they progress through the game, plus other upgrades for gadgets such as the sonar to reveal the locations of guards close by, the visor to zoom in on areas further away, mines to paralyse guards and decoys to distract them.

Players will have to find and collect the orbs for upgrades, which are scattered throughout each stage and can be difficult to find. The game does encourage exploration, but having to thoroughly search for each orb ends up feeling more inconvenient than fun. Thankfully, it is possible to play through the entire game without upgrading anything, and some players might even find it more fun with more limitations.

The game is set in a dystopian future, with cel-shaded characters and semi-realistic environments that somehow fit together quite well. Ayana and other characters have some nice designs that fit the game’s setting, and the stages will take players through buildings, warehouses, old ruins, and more, keeping things fresh and avoiding repetition.

For sound design, there isn’t much to say other than everything sounds good. There’s some music here and there, but not a whole lot worth mentioning. Having minimal music does kind of fit the game’s aesthetics, though some players may find the world feels empty without it. 

The story has an interesting premise, and Ayana narrates quite a bit throughout the game, along with various notes to find, providing some extra lore. There are some cinematic cutscenes, but I felt there could have been a lot more, so they end up feeling underwhelming. Three different endings can be seen depending on your decisions, along with rankings based on your performance in each stage, which adds replay value.

This is a nice incentive to play through again, especially for a game that can be completed in about 6 to 10 hours, though that’s if players are tempted to play again, because the story, for the most part, while not terrible, isn’t the most interesting. 

Despite the lack of impactful storytelling, the unique stealth gameplay utilising shadows is what really sets Ereban: Shadow Legacy apart from others in the same genre. Having to look around, plan your route, and adapt if things don’t work out, all while remaining undetected, creates a whole new set of challenges not seen in other games.

While not everyone will want to play through again after completing it once, a possible sequel with new stages and challenges will be welcomed. For those looking for a stealth action adventure unlike any other, Ereban: Shadow Legacy has exactly that. 

Written by: Sammy Hanson