Review: Evoland

Evoland is a journey through the history of action/adventure gaming, allowing you to unlock new technologies, game play systems and graphic upgrades as you progress through the game. Inspired by many cult series that have left their mark in the RPG video gaming culture, Evoland takes you from monochrome to full 3D graphics and from active time battles to real time boss fights, all with plenty of humor and references to many classic games.

Pros:

•  Go on a graphical trip down memory lane and continue on that journey, right the way up to today’s high polish and finish of graphics. The game will start off with your retro 8 bit looking graphics, as you progress and pick up chests, The graphics will change and new graphical features added. Things like Mode 7, Anti Aliasing, even colour needs unlocking and many more including 3D. High Definition graphics make the game look crisp and fresh.
• Xbox 360 game pad support.
• Game play keeps the retro feel, With an over abundance of classic RPG styles taken from some iconic game series. Zelda LTTP being the most prolific candidate. The game looks and plays just like the classic game. When roaming the open game world, random fights occur and are handled in a Final Fantasy vein. Turn based fighting and move timers all owe their appearance to the series. The mixture of the two series works really well.
• Further references can be found through out the game from the Super Mario games to Diablo to many more, at no point does it feel like they have been shoe horned in or used as a quick gimmick.
• Music and in particular the sound effects, Owe a lot to the games of past. Every now and then you find yourself humming the tune as you loot the dungeons.
• Developers listen to fan feedback and update the game accordingly. Its a refreshing and noble approach. For proof, the game pad was not supported when first released!
• Rename your characters for that more personalized effect.
• In game achievements for both Steam and the game itself.
• A separate card game is available to play in game. Its a simple select a card that has 4 numbers on it and beat the drawn card type affair. It feels reminiscent to another card game I have once played in a game but I cannot for the life of me remember its name.
• Puzzles as you would expect are littered around the world. Using bombs and arrows, broken walls etc. Zelda fans will feel at home with these. One puzzle that really sticks in my mind is the the one that involves hitting crystals. For hitting crystals swaps the game from HD to 2D perspective. Swapping between the two is paramount to complete the task.

Cons:

• FOV can be a little too close causing you issues whne solving puzzles. Very minor niggle but one never the less.
• Some of the features you unlock, such as a map can feel like an age and before they are unlocked, can make getting lost common place.
• No proper pause screen. Only way I could find for the majority of the time was to hit the exit game button and leave it on the yes/no prompt.
• Typical story line that everyone knows.
• Random battles whilst roaming are too common. Its literally an encounter every three steps, which when your trying to navigate the map is quite annoying.

In summary, The game is excellent and allows new and old players of the RPG genre to come together and celebrate the genre through its many transformations. Zelda and Final Fantasy fans alike will love how it brings all the memories back whilst also adding its own unique twist. From humble beginnings of playing in black and white, to hitting the highs of HD gaming. The game is a masterclass in how to take players on a journey, not just within the story but also visually. The game by all accounts is very retro but plays like a modern game. Its one of those games that you keep coming back to and want to explore every last bit of land and beat every type of monster. Grab the game and prepare for a lot of fun for not a lot of your money.