Evoland

[Sparklepops]

Evoland (Shiro Games) is currently in my list of games that I must get everyone to play. Especially if you are one of the 20 to 30 something year olds that grew up with gaming.

Reminding me somewhat of DLC Quest, Evoland is a game that builds up from just the basics. You start out in a world that reminds me of an old Gameboy, unlocking chests to upgrade everything around you. The first thing you unlock is directional movement and it continues from there. In Evoland, you unlock just about everything, from game scrolling to color and sound (eventually HD 3D graphics and 16-bit music) and in doing so it pays homage to quite a few different games, including The Legend of Zelda , Final Fantasy and Diablo. If you played any of these games, you're sure to catch some of the references.

Pros:

The story line is simple and sweet, echoing games where you are the one hero that can save the world. You do so with 3 weapons (a sword, bombs, and eventually a bow), all of which aren't always available. As you explore the world, you'll come across several puzzles which reward you wish chests. The chests include game upgrades, stars, or cards, all of which you can collect for special achievements. Keep in mind, this game isn't always easy. And you should expect to die (especially until you unlock save points) and at times, you'll get overwhelmed. The end boss fight can take several times to master but the mechanics are simple enough that you'll learn them within a few attempts.

The game play was surprisingly smooth, feeling like I was literally back in one of the old console games with stop/hit motions. The controls were stupidly simple and easy to learn, in a way that you could focus completely on the game play and beautiful graphics, rather than worrying about what keys to press and when.

Cons:

The game is a little on the short side and I would have loved to see a longer more drawn out story. It only took me about 5 hours from start to finish, including having to backtrack once because I got lost (you also have to unlock your minimap!)

If you don't enjoy turn based RPGs, then there are several points where you will get frustrated with this game. There are quite a few zones that have "Surprise!" turn style combat. I personally, don't like that sort of game play and found myself running away more often than not.


I wouldn't recommend this game if you don't have any gaming roots that link back to the aforementioned games or 80s and 90s gaming in general, but if you have played these games, the nostalgia is great and this is definitely worth the play through. But keep in mind, this game isn't overly long. It took me about 5 hours from start to finish, so if the price to game time ratio is a deal breaker, wait for it to go on sale, but this is a game you have to try.

8.5/10

[acclimative]

Thanks for the review! I haven't read a lot of information about this game yet so your review has gotten me very interested in wanting to play this.

[Kataztrophik]

Just finished Evoland and that was a hell of a ride! It's definitely on the shorter side, it only took me 3 and a half hours to finish. This includes backtracking some and spending quite a bit of time playing the minigame and completing all 4 ranks. I missed quite a lot of stuff since once I got to the middle of the game, I couldn't be bothered to backtrack through the entire game to pick up everything I've missed. I suspect that people could finish this game in 2 and a half hours if they rushed through, didn't bother exploring at all and didn't fail so many times at the final boss. I derped on the 2nd phase and had no idea why it was taking so long to kill him. I think I attempted that 2nd phase 5 times in a row, repeatedly hitting the wrong part of him over and over until it dawned on me that I was just an idiot.

This game plays out like a homage at times and also like a parody at times. There's plenty of fan service but also a few times where it felt like they were mocking the genre as well. In particular, switching between the 3 weapons requires you to actually open up your inventory to do. There are a total of 7 buttons you will use, WASD for movement, and an action, cancel, and inventory button. Even the original Legend of Zelda had 2 action buttons so I'm unsure why they went with that design choice. Also, I love that the game introduces something like 20 slots you can equip, one for every part of your body, and yet all the equipment you pick up does absolutely nothing. Take the time to read each piece of equipment as you pick it up, you'll get a laugh if you're anything like me :p

If you grew up on video games, in particular if you were a Nintendo kid like I was and you played those old school RPG's and action adventure games like I did, you will LOVE this game. You will love all the references, and all those tiny enhancements they add in might even make you appreciate just how far RPG's have come since the first Dragon Quest game. If you didn't play these games, I'm not entirely sure how much you'll like this one to be honest. I think a lot of my enjoyment was feeling like at any given time in the game, I was replaying a classic RPG that I loved and adored as a child. So fans of the genre, it's a must play. I'd say for others, you could/should probably wait for a sale before picking this up, as the story is short and the gameplay is obviously dated to some extent at least.

[Chauncey Gardener]

Really appreciate the review Sparklepop, as well as Lord Katnip's take on the game. This game shot to the top of my wishlist pretty much as soon as I saw it. As both of you mentioned, the game's throwback appeal definitely spoke to me and my roots as a gamer so I'm sure I'd love this, even if it isn't an epic 20+ hour game. Hell, there's quite a few games sitting in my library that I know won't even get more than 5 minutes of my time, so I'd definitely go for this, if not for that warm, fuzzy nostalgia then to support the game developer (and perhaps hope for a sequel!)

[Francisca]

I won this game last week and enjoyed playing it very much. Here is my review:

This game takes you thru the history of video games. You start out with black and white visuals, no sound and only the ability to move right and left. Slowly it evolves through all the visuals, sounds and game plays over the years, that are seen in the so well know: Zelda, Mario, Dragon Quest, Diablo and Final Fantasy games.

The early stages of the game look a lot like the old Zelda games. You start with a sword and have to hack thru bushes and monsters, all along the background music seems awfully familiar and gives a nostalgic feel. Ah those good old days and decent games, where have they been? WELL RIGHT HERE!!! Bundled in one amazing and special little game.

As you play thru this game’s different game styles, you notice the small details that reference to oldies, for example: is the main character’s name by default Clink and wears a green outfit and has blond hair, does he start out as a kid and grows into an adult (might be Link’s younger brother). The currency that is used is gli... apposing the final fantasy currency gil.

Along your journey you come across people in need who gladly join your team and fight the big bad monsters in some gloomy. There isn’t any deep storyline, besides the regular: girl needs help saving her village from an evildoer.

If you like old-school rpg/adventure games this game will put a smile on your face. This game is a must-play!

+Pros:
- Reliving childhood memories of classic games.
- Experience the evolution of graphics, battle system and sound in games.
- Highly entertaining

-Cons:
- Not much of a storyline.
- Simple combat system and exploration.
- Can finish the game in a few hours.

Score:
7.9