Epic Games has declared the latest gift to be available for the Holiday Sale which happens to be… Eternights. Just so you know, it’s that dating sim-action hybrid thing. The reaction? It seems to spoil the holidays with both jollity and utter confusion. The promotion is open for grabs now without any fees; however, do not forget to grab it before Dec 20 at 11 am E.T. After that, it will return to its usual price.
Epic’s communication was very straightforward: “Love is worth fighting for! Get Eternights FREE.” And regarding the comments? Well, the comments show an entirely different story. It is like someone getting a present and instead of getting a videogame getting a pair of socks. Gamers quickly started to express their doubts about the choice within a short period of time. One user in particular, InterFEQ, was pretty harsh with the statement: “Did the whole budget go to Harry Potter? They are giving away a free game that is more or less free on the other store (Steam) too, shouldn’t a game that costs $3 ever make it to this list?” Ouch. That’s a pretty straightforward critique targeting the implicit value assumption.
They were not alone in that. Another person commented to the point asking, “What is this garbage?” A third one went so far as to put a funny spin on it, saying “So much for the leak,” which probably meant that some gamers were hoping to see a bigger and more famous titles from the rumored holiday line-up and therefore were disappointed. There was a discussion from Baskota who stated, “Even if it were free I wouldn’t be going by it wtf,” which is… a mood, to be honest. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea to mix post-apocalyptic fights with anime-style love, you know?
Nonetheless, it is not only the downside! A few free games – that’s enough for some to be happy. BalthierGR left a very kind comment, “Thank you for the free games this year, everyone can enjoy and play☺️.” So here it is. Then, as always, the Good Morning Epic Games Store account greetings came up, although some habits never die.
The whole truth nonetheless is buried in the noise about the leaks. User False Messiah and InterFEQ had a bit of a back and forth. False Messiah implied that Epic keeps its best games for Christmas Day and the last day of the sale trying to hype them up. But InterFEQ had a prophecy: “The only thing I know is that most likely the first list was true and they had to change the games at the last minute… they took these things.” So, maybe Eternights was a last-minute switch? That could explain why some gamers are feeling it has been a bit of a raw deal this time.
So what is Eternights? To those that have no idea, it’s a game that will let you literally date the characters and also fight monsters in an apocalypse; you switch from making relationships to dungeon crawling. It’s a mix of niche genres that has received some pretty good reviews for its heart but probably isn’t the AAA blockbuster people dream of finding under the digital Christmas tree.
This whole incident is such that it perfectly captures the energy of Epic Games Holiday Sale. It is this yearly rollercoaster ride; one day you are getting a genuinely great game for free and the next day it is something that prompts all to go ‘huh?’. And the community goes straight into detective mode analyzing leaks, budgets, and Steam store prices. It’s a whole event.
Look, free is free. It is difficult to complain too much about a zero-price tag. Nevertheless, if your own history of giving away enormous games creates certain expectations when combined with the leaks, the response will be… enthusiastic. Some gamers are grateful, others are bitter, and a few are just very confused about the game concept. That’s the internet for you.
So, should you accept Eternights? If you ever found yourself in doubt about a game that poses the dilemma of either going on a date or killing a monster, then you should definitely take it. It is free until the 20th deadline. Just don’t expect all your friends on the timeline to be celebrating with you. The Holiday Sale is still ongoing and who knows what Epic is planning for Christmas Day?
Maybe then the big one will arrive. Or maybe we get another eccentric indie. That’s the risk you take and honestly, it’s part of the fun. Or the annoyance. It depends on the person. Either way, the Epic Games Store holiday tradition of provoking fierce gamer debates is still very much alive and kicking. Now, excuse me, but I have to go test if love is indeed worth fighting for. Or at least the download of a few gigabytes on my PlayStation or Xbox.
