

At once a grab-bag of silly references and a keenly observed tribute to the games that helped build action-adventure and role-playing games, Evoland is more than just a showcase of retro graphics.

These games can be told apart through their inventive ideas, charming personality, and demonstrated knowledge of a past so often vapidly plundered.Įvoland - a shameless tribute to both The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy - is one such game. This is not to say, however, that there aren’t games made with a real love of the medium’s roots, that have been designed with genuine heart rather than cold calculation. Independent development can prove just as cynical as the big-budget arena, as the reliance on “old school” aesthetics demonstrate. There are so many, in fact, that very few of them feel sincere anymore. Evoland is quite niche, but if you’re in that niche crowd, Evoland a true testament to your childhood.There is no shortage of indie games designed to appeal to our nostalgic side, with hundreds of “retro puzzle-platformers” on offer. As a history lesson you can play, it covers the past pretty accurately it’s delightful to see everything in the game change within minutes of playing.

However, if you’re just looking for a new indie RPG, this game may not speak to you. Fortunately, the game is quite short in this sense.įor the price and nostalgia, this game is an absolute must for someone who adores action-adventure RPGs. My random exploring resulted in me being forced to start over. At one point, I didn’t realize the game auto-saved after entering the over world every time, and I only had 1 HP from a previous encounter. It bothered me that if my character was low on hit points, I couldn't use a potion outside of combat. While you eventually unlock menus and even more advanced menus, they are just for show. When I played classic games in the past that Evoland was emulating, it was always with a controller without one, I felt part of the experience was lost. While this is a personal preference, I felt like the keyboard invaded moments of nostalgia. I was sad to learn that Evoland doesn’t support controller integration. There are collectibles and a card game attached, so how much you get out of the game is really up to you. While the game is priced under $10, it only offers a few hours of gameplay per play through. Since the game is constantly pursuing different tributes, nothing is horribly original if you don’t pick up on this, the game will come across as quite subpar. If your intention is to play a unique action-adventure RPG, Evoland may not speak to you. The game runs in a pretty linear, gear gating style that is played in a pretty straight forward fashion. While Evoland is a game, it’s also in interactive history lesson, and I fear that’s not for everyone. With all that said, while I think this is awesome, people who don’t understand the specific references won't enjoy the game as much. I don’t want to spoil too much of it, but there are iconic situations, battles, and a plot on par with the RPGs of yore. Once you unlock “story,” you play as an unnamed blonde hero (which you can name later). There are a bunch of delightful easter eggs hidden in bookshelves and dialogue throughout the game - all mini-references and more homage to the classics. I’m talking about classics like The Legend of Zelda, Chrono Trigger, Diablo, Final Fantasy VII, and many others. Once you get use to a game style, it changes on you in a more advanced technological sort of way.īesides these unlocks from chests, Evoland plays homage to classic action-adventure RPG franchises throughout the entire game. While playing, you’re going to want to open every single chest you come across to completely change the game you’re playing.
#Evoland xbox one controller free#
For example, in a chest you may unlock free roaming, 16 colors, a mini map, the ability to enter houses, or a bow. You’ll stumble upon several chests during the game that will unlock technology upgrades, as well as in game items. The gameplay is simple you start with just directional arrow buttons. Evoland takes you from the very beginning of black and white, screen scrolling, and gear gating classic games we grew up with and love, and transitions into more current, three-dimensional, free-roaming, and action-based combat of modern gaming. Maybe it’s because I’m an old school action-adventure RPG nut, or the fact that I’m a historian, but I absolutely love the notion of this game. I have to be completely blunt with this Evoland is an amazing concept.
