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When we see morality systems in games, it can often affect things like the direction of the story, character relationships, and even the way the protagonist looks. Colossus: Eternal Blight feels designed with that sort of gameplay element in mind. What happens when a corrupting Blight is infesting a world? Instead of an action game that just involves dealing with tainted opponents and situations involving its spread, the narrative and design approach featured in the Steam Early Access build suggests we’ll always get a choice to fight back, accept what’s happening, or even also be consumed by it in exchange for power. What’s here so far seems like the more passive or darker decisions could result in fascinating runs.
Going in to Colossus: Eternal Blight, it is important to note this is an early slice of the game so far. We’re only experiencing the prologue, which explains how Lucien Velland’s elder brother Lance is a knight and The Sanctum Guard Judge for the Kingdom of Eireos fighting against the titular Blight. As the two initially spend time together bonding and battling against enemies, we learn about the combat and parrying system. Again, since this is an early build, that’s limited too. Only the Mystic Knight class and its Abilities skill tree are available. However, we can also take on some side-quests in Verdana that involve some minor gathering and other errands (some might even be completed during the prologue’s trials by defeating enemies), and there are The Legend of Zelda style puzzles in the first two sanctuaries.
Lucien wants to follow in Lance’s footsteps and become a knight, and his brother agrees to let him undertake the trials would allow him to also step up and join the cause against the Blight. However, there are hints things are awry immediately. We see that Lance already suspects his path isn’t the safe for stable one, and even prays to the goddess that Lucien is spared it. When Lucien starts the Trial of Nimue, we also learn Lance stepped away to investigate an incident involving irregularities with Sacred Stone in the Sanctum before his brother took the test. Once Lucien does face Rath’s Verdant Sentinal avatar, a fight that really prioritizes the parrying and staggering mechanics mentioned in tutorials, it happens.
Right after Lance officially dubs Lucien a knight, he passes out. The Blight makes its first tangible appearance in the story as we see corruption attempt to take hold of the exhausted young man. We get to see Blighted versions of individuals, and the agents of corruption. It hints at how the contagion affects everyone. Also, the narrative decision to make this omnipresent presence around Lucien following events ensures we, as players, are constantly faced with the consequences of this influence.
Again, this is a limited trial. But there are additional quests and side quests that hint at what this Blight entails. We see Lucien, thanks to being marked and affected by it, deal with someone close to him also tainted by it. The Purification Quest is tied to dealing with that individual’s Blight, and we see visual evidence of it after the story quest that unlocks it. During this process, you can collect “evidence” before facing the individual. Talking to people around town will hint that the affected person was seen talking to a fox and that a new book Lucien can check to learn fox vocabulary is out. Additional hints will point him to Nimue’s Sanctuary after she went there.
What I liked about this early Purification Quest experience is that it suggests we’ll need to put the time in for optimal results in Colossus: Eternal Blight. The person in question responds differently when you bring up the correct answers to certain situations. It makes me suspect that someone rushing through might not get the best outcomes unless a player puts in extra time fighting and exploring to learn what’s going on.
While the Colossus: Eternal Blight Early Access build is limited, the narrative and Purification Quest elements present are encouraging. The gameplay elements teased hint that the corruption caused by the Blight could feel ever-present both in the mainline story and side quests. I also felt like the example Purification Quest also suggested people who want best possible outcomes might need to work for it.
Colossus: Eternal Blight is available in Steam Early Access for the PC. It is expected to release sometime at the end of 2027.
