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Evoland
PC (Steam)
A Fun Look Back for the RPG Fan
4/5 stars
The idea behind Evoland is so simple, yet so effective, it's amazing someone hadn't thought of it before. It's essentially a game that takes you through a brief history of the way we play RPGs - from Dragon Quest and Zelda through Diablo - and so many in between. Though the game is relatively short - it's still a very fun way to pass a few hours of your life as both the references and humor make things more than worth it.
Presentation: The game does great in this department. Pretty much you collect various treasure chests throughout the game that change the look of things - from 2D battles to 3D exploration - health bars, inventory, extra party members - you run the gamut from classic 16-bit days up to modern hack n slash developments. It's a great way to get a brief history lesson in how RPGs have been presented over the years. While I wish the music had been a bit more variation in the music - that also is a pretty good representation of how things have evolved over the years. There is also not a lot of variation in enemies you fight - but most sections are just a brief chunk anyone. Considering the brief time they worked on it, however, I think other than fleshing things out, it works for me.
Story: A classic storyline ripped right out of the RPG handbook - a world threatened by a wasting evil that has corrupted the land. A hero and (later) companion work to bring down the forces of darkness that are behind the mess. As you unlock the various ways RPGs have been presented over the years - you also unlock abilities to help you: gaining experience, using magic, the ultimate summon spell - it leads you to your ultimate goal of - what else - saving the world. But don't expect everyone to make it to the end - there has to be a grand sacrifice as well. The best part is the tongue-and-cheek nature of many of the areas (before you "grow up" in the first town, no one will speak to you because you're a child). For fans of RPGs, it is a great reminder of what made things so fun in the first place - and yet how silly things can get.
Gameplay: A lot of fun - whether you want a Zelda-like top-down adventure, a classic Final Fantasy 2D battle, a more evolved 3D battle system or even a Diablo loot-hoarding grindfest - the game gives you all that and more. It also throws in a random card game (why not?), hidden stars to collect and various tasks to complete (killing so much of a certain enemy, killing enemies in a certain way, etc). You will find yourself going back to areas when you unlock more abilities (to use bombs and arrows for one) that allow you to get to previously hidden items.
Replayability: Other than hunting around for all the cards and stars - there isn't a lot to go back to. But the game is short enough that a replay wouldn't take much time, if you want to go back.
Overall: If you are a fan of the RPG genre, this a great nostalgic trip back through some historic memories. It's a lot of fun, doesn't take up too much time and worth the price. Overall, a nice little pickup when you're tired of shooting things in the face.
Presentation: 5/5
Story: 3/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Replayability: 3/5
Overall (not an average): 4/5
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