The Eternal Cylinder

The Eternal Cylinder

By Max



The Trebhums have an unwieldly name and oddball appearance, but I grew quite fond of the little aliens during my hands-on demo with The Eternal Cylinder. The critters look a lot like Q-bert, and they face an existential threat in the form of a massive rolling object that is intent on moving forward – whatever is in its path, be damned. The Trebhums don’t start out able to do much more than flee, but they can eat different foods to manipulate their bodies in helpful ways. Chomp on a grasshopper-like creature, and you sprout springy legs to help you jump over walls. Cold weather got you down? Eat furry prey, and grow a fluffy coat. The unrelenting cylinder is far from the most surreal element in Ace Team’s game. As I progressed, I faced enemies including a giant pod thing that split in the middle, revealing a set of chompers. Weirder still was a torso and arms fused into a car. When I honked at it, it awoke from its slumber and chased me around – and the light from its headlights removed the modifications I’d picked up along the way. There’s also a narrator who would be right at home in a nature documentary, commenting on milestones and doing his part to contribute to the overall strangeness of the whole presentation.