Buy Evoland

You start as an 8-bit/2D adventurer and evolve into a 3 dimentional beau sabreur on your journey. You get better music, you get a storyline and you get to chop-chop skeletons and come across a new lady friend. Entering caves, you collect crystals, sometimes cards, sometimes stars. You notice there's a village with people in melancholy. Perhaps there's something wrong? And then you discover about the evil which has caused widespread chaos(huh? not really) and decay in the reign.

What Evoland is good at :

• Strong, visionary concept.
  
• Great soundtrack.
  
• A great mix of elements taken from the classic oldies.
  
• Potrays somewhat good visuals.
  
• Real-time combat is fun to meddle with.
  
• Reference/citations to some great games.

What Evoland does wrong :

• Horrendous exceution of an intently created artistic concept.
  
• Turn based combat irritates you more than it does to entertain.
  
• A very short story of 3 hours that leaves you with quite disappointed.
  
• Collectibles are futile to attain.
  
• A typical, generic story.

Evoland feels more like a documentary and parody of the classics than it does at being authentic. Perhaps that is the point? Evoland feels fun at times, of course it does. It lives off your nostalgia, being the sole reason you should play it but more often than not it simply name checks. It strives to imitate the plus points of the great games but fails to evolve as one itself.

Evoland is a good game to journey through and revisit memories if you get it for less than five dollars. But if you pay more than that, your experience will seem more unworthy than fun.

My Rating - "Gets the job done"
Traditional Rating - 6 on 10.

Evoland is an Action RPG that takes the player through the history of gaming in a thoroughly humorous and nostalgic experience. Unlike most RPGs, the game is focused less on character development and leveling up and more as a humorous experience designed to bring a smile to the faces of veteran players as they progress through the various ages of the RPG, taking in the sights and bringing up fond memories. Packed to the brim with endless references, it’s clear from the start that Evoland was made with the utmost love for games of time gone by and provides an authentic experience throughout.

Evoland is a game with a lot of charm, not least due to its sincere parodies of aspects such as the linearity of open world games like Final Fantasy, complete with a suspiciously named substitute called “Kaeris”, who specializes in magic asks our hero (and the player) politely to help her save her town. Of course the player is forced to agree as to set into motion the events of the game. The humor makes sure that the player knows that this is clearly a game made from the heart and not once do the references feel forced or contrived. What will appeal most to gamers are the faithful replications of games like Final Fantasy and Zelda. Beginning the game with nothing more than the ability to move right and with Gameboy era graphics, the player soon, “unlocks” features such as SFX, 3D graphics and HD textures which are used uniquely as an aspect of the gameplay, becoming more advanced as the player progresses through the game. It’s hard not to raise a smile when switching from 2D to 3D within a matter of seconds and such use of visuals and sound is nothing if not innovative, helping to immerse the player into a game that reads like a history book of the gaming industry.

That’s not to say that the game is perfect by any means, as there are several flaws that stick out as surprising, considering the obvious care to detail within the game. Factors like the lack of a sprint unlock came as a surprise considering just how expected it is in line with the other unlocks, and in certain parts of the game, it comes across as a very much needed feature which lack of inclusion can only serve to puzzle players. The switch to Diablo-like gameplay for a dungeon is very much less polished than the rest of the game and it’s not rare to find yourself shouting out in frustration as you try to adapt to gameplay so clearly not replicated to the high standards of the battle systems for the Final Fantasy and Zelda sections. That’s not to say it’s bad by any means, but the high standards laid down previously by the game serve only to emphasize just how annoying it is to have to deal with the clunky controls that are introduced and the dungeon will have players pulling their hair out in frustration as they die many a death trying to come to terms with the controls.

The balance of the game also works against it as the various unlocks, arguably the most intriguing parts of the game, are largely completed within the first third. It’s hard not to feel that they should’ve been spread out further throughout the game, as you find yourself wanting to spend more time immersed within the 2D world, which is soon eliminated to make way for 3D, proceeding to make up the bulk of the rest of the game. That’s not to say the 3D sections are any less impressive, it’s just the enjoyment of the game as an interactive history of gaming is over all too quickly and leaves the player crying out for more. Such weighting to the first third of the game can also be seen in its references, which gradually decrease as the game goes on. Early in the game everything the player interacts with has a witty remark or object leading to several genuine laugh out loud moments whereas the latter stages lack interactivity leading to a loss in the charm that the game possesses as the game becomes an almost straightforward RPG.

Evoland is a unique game in that it’s impressive to see the scale of references and care to detail that is present within it. Despite several surprising flaws, it’s not often in a game where one can relive some of the greatest game-playing experiences from Final Fantasy and Zelda in a couple of hours and the combination of the two games is almost seamless in their execution. Nothing less than a love letter to the games of yesteryear, Evoland will delight players both old and new as it takes them on a journey of nostalgia through a loving send up of the best games of years past.


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Oh man, this game was a treat to play. It takes you on a charming homage of the development of series like Zelda and Final Fantasy over the course of a couple hours. You start out as 8 bit as can be, and throughout chests you find, you unlock sound, better graphics, enemies, and pretty much everything else. Your travels help the world to evolve to a more modern style of gaming (equivalent to the Ocarina of Time I would say). After a bit, you can go back and forth between old school and new school as a direct homage to The Ocarina of Time. Throughout the game, the developers maintained a sense of humor while not taking themselves too seriously. The game shares that in common with DLC Quest actually...and there are game development jokes in this game as well. You at one point unlock a ship which will take you wherever you want to go without random encounters and looks very much like helicopter version of a Star Wars ship we all know and love. The battle systems also evolve and work well.
Everything about this game was done right and I cant recommend this game enough.
A definite 10 out of 10.

Whilst the concept is promising, and the art is attractive, Evoland fails to be anything but a bland mess. It starts off with high hopes for itself, unlocking different technologies and gameplay mechanics, but never uses these in any significantly clever way. You unlock SNES-era graphics before fighting the first boss, and 3D immediately after, without exploring any of the pre-3D game eras in any depth, reducing the "Evo" part of Evoland to a lame gimmick.

The game itself is a shallow parody of RPGs, where the only tactics you have during the Final Fantasy sections are "Clink attacks, the girl heals". There is no strategy involved, just pure grinding. Even when you get an attack spell for her, it's completely pointless, as healing will make you untouchable. The Zelda parts are better programmed, but suffer from a lot of technical issues, such as poor telegraphing of enemy attacks, camera angle issues, projectiles blending into background objects (such as fire over lava), poor telegraphing of trapdoors (that will instantly fall away when you are close to them, rather than at a distance where it is comfortable to react to them), and a lack of reach on your weapon, which barely covers one player length.

In general, the camera is too tightly shot, making the player character huge in comparison to the screen, leaving the player to feel claustrophobic even in the most cyclopean vistas. The enemies have very poor attack patterns (the red wizards in particular, whose attack comes directly after they teleport with no antipatory action, and their teleporting away comes directly after that). The final fantasy sections have the random encounters ramped way up, and with no strategy for dealing with the enemies, it becomes boring and grindy almost as soon as you realise there's no way to defeat said enemies apart from bashing them with your sword.

The Diablo area is a huge mess, using the Legend of Zelda mechanics to bitterly jab at Diablo's loot-centric and many-enemy mechanics. It is clear that the game designer doesn't like Diablo, and hasn't played for more than ten minutes. The only way to complete that area is to stay back and use the otherwise pointless combo attack, which locks you into attacking straight in front of you without invincibility frames. I would have liked to have seen a spinning attack, since the game cribs on Legend of Zelda in every other regard anyway.

The final boss is a boring slog, again, too fast and not telegraphed enough for it to feel natural playing against it.

The game had potential, but squandered it by not having any decent game mechanics, or a story that wasn't slapped together in five minutes to brainlessly parody Final Fantasy. If you watch the trailer you've practically got everything the game has to offer.

Stay away from this non-game.

Evoland is an inspiring little gem which doesn't take itself too seriously. I enjoyed it so much that I unlocked 100% of the achievements - which was great fun.

The game lets you experience the development of gaming history in its very own style. It's full of references to a variety of great games. Although it's quite short there is a lot to explore and puzzle.

If you love trying an innovative game that doesn't take too long but still offers some challenge and amusement - Evoland is for you.

10/10 (I recommend it to everyone!)

IF you played any of the original Zelda games, Final Fantasy, Diablo and so on, you should absolutely check this game out. Honestly, if you only liked Zelda and FF you should pick this up. It's a great homage to great games from the past. My only complaint is that the game felt short, but that's only because it's so much fun.

Evoland is awesome. It starts off in monochrome, original Gameboy graphics and--through in-game actions--gradually becomes a 3D, high-def game with dynamic lighting. There are homages to The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Super Mario Brothers, Dragon Quest, Diablo, even the Terry Pratchett "Discworld" series is given a nod. This game is short, but it is fun and is very well done. I recommend Evoland to anyone, but especially those who have lived through the evolution of video gaming and can appreciate seeing the technology's emulated evolution as you play.

Evoland is game about the history of action-adventure games, with a few RPG elements mixed in.
The game starts as a simple, black and white, 8-bit adventure, but as you progress, you gain more elements such as music, color, 32-bit graphics, and overworld, turn-based-battles, and other elements of action-adventure games. This is by far my favorite part of the game, it's fun, humorous, and is reminiscent of early NES-SNES games. More things elements pile on, such as a partner, NPCs, shops, and currency.
Eventually you gain the third dimension. However, that is when I feel the game takes the most risks, and also the experience starts to dampen. The first official dungeon in the third dimension is frustrating, the combat is slow and ineffective at some points, requiring you to run away, or face having to start over the dungeon. This is probably the most frustrating part of the game, but alas, you get to the boss. The boss is unexpectedly difficult for first-time players. Afterwards, you re-emerge in a new area of the overworld, with new enemies, and HD graphics.
After this, the experience is still slowly dampening.. There is a small required side quest. If you bought an item called the "Fast CD player", this side-quest is much less time-wasting. Without it, the game creates fake loading screens that are nothing but unnecessary. After this, you access two of my favorite areas of the game, an area where you use crystals to change from 2-D to 3-D, which works as a time puzzle. In this area you gain the bow, which is very useful here, but not anywhere else.
Afterwards, we visit an area which both parodies Diablo and useless items in video games, such as an item that grants +300% damage to walls. Around here I should mention the humor. Evoland, is a very witty game. Making lots of jokes and some of its areas are parodies of other games. I should also mention that whenever you gain an element, a small text box appears and says a short joke, or a relating commentary of some video games.
The final boss is interesting; it uses mechanics of other games, and puts them into one boss. However, one flaw with this fight is your character's speed. At every other areas in the game, your speed is perfectly fine, but here, you sometimes make the fight too easy or too hard.
There is one minigame, Double Twin, which I find to be great fun, it is a card game, requiring you to use the cards you have found all through the game. Double Twin has around 4 levels, which are all different in their own way, with the opponent using a different deck of cards every time.
I feel lke $10 is a little much for a 4 hour game, but the creators did go for quality and humor for the entirety of Evoland. It is a fun game, I actually recently finished my second playthrough, which I felt was more of an achievement run. The game does have its flaws, but it also has its great moments. Evoland earns a 7/10.

It's worth checking out (on sale, at least) for the first couple of hours. The gradual upgrades you get to the art style, perspective and gameplay are a charming tribute to games of old like Zelda and Final Fantasy to name a couple. Once all that is out of the way, however, it becomes a bit of a slog. I get that the random encounters and story cliches are also there for the sake of paying tribute, but a little of the former goes a LONG way and it quickly becomes annoying (especially when you pretty much have no need to level up for the final boss). As for the latter, I would've liked a little bit more done with it rather than just a basic retread (if it went full deconstruction of the genre this could've been amazing). Still, the art style is pretty, there are some clever puzzles involving switching back and forth between gameplay modes, and the in-game card game was enjoyable.
Worth a look, but I won't blame you if you give up after the first splendid couple of hours.

Evoland is a game that works like a time machine. It goes back to the roots of RPG gaming and slowly trasitions into the RPGs of today. If you had an NES or SNES when you were young, this game will make you feel nostalgia on so many levels.

But unlike most RPG's, this game lacks any decent story which is a shame. It sticks with the NES story type in which there really isnt one which hurts the later part of the game.

but over very fun and unique title 7.5/10

It is actually quite good. the only parts I don't like are only because of the way games changed to make um easier.

If you die, and you do, you go back to the save points. Evolution is slow, and there is some backtracking to get things you needed an ability to get. Familiar old pestering.

Overall, it is a great game, Going from old school style up to evolved style is neat, they make alot of jokes and references to old school stuff, and it is actuallly playable.

I liked Saturday Morning RPG, and DLC Quest, and this is right up there with um in my book!

the game was short but it was fun!
it has a mixture of final fantasy, zelda and a little bit of diablo. If you are looking for long playing RPG, this game isn't for you. and the joke is only relevant if you are FFVII player. You are playing as a hero that will save the world, the story is very shallow but that's not the selling points. It teaches you the history of RPG from era to era. at first you are in 2 bit mode (4 color with bevel) something like first gameboy and then you get 16 color then 256 color. The game are evolving each time you open treasure. I really like when you are able to explore the worldmap in mode 7 (It was introduced in FF IV SNES If I'm not mistaken). I beat the game in 4 hours, the game didn't quit correctly so it shows my playtime is over 100 hours :(.

so to put if brief:
pro :
- great game for nostalgia
- you are playing the game with different control/mechanic
- You are clink (cloud link) and your partner is kaeris. Her uncle is Sid and your enemy is Zephyros! LOL
minus:
- too short
- the hidden object/secret are too obvious
- story is too linear

I recommend this game, but for the full price I personally think it's expensive for 4 hours+ game. I got mine from humble store when it was $1.99 and it was worth every penny!

There's a lot of Final Fantasy references. 11/10

Referential humour abound in this fun little spoof game that is equal parts Final Fantasy and Legend of Zelda.

Not a long game by any stretch (100% complete in a little over 5 hours) but certainly more than worth the pricetag.

Evoland has really clunky controls and a poorly written story that feels hastily put together. I beat this game and 100%'d the achievements in just over ten hours, then I uninstalled it, and I don't know if I'll ever play it again.

But don't let that discourage you from making this purchase.

Evoland is a wonderful trip through the history of video games. Its a homage to the entire genre of Action/Adventure games. Its full of quips and references to so many of the classic games centering around Zelda and Final Fantasy. Two games I've never played, in fact I only caught a couple nods towards other games but have had friends point out many more to me. I bought this game to enjoy a little trip down memory lane and experience what I thought was a fun way to appreciate the evolution of games.

And that's exactly what this is.

If you weren't around for the early days of gaming, then this game will give you that glimpse of a part of video games you've missed. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent in this game and will think fondly of it.

But it has little replay value, so I probably wont play it again.

Some might say this game is short.. it is.. but long enough for me.. as i never finish a game xd

WARNING : Experience the game yourself as this is really something you should figure out yourself.. instead of reading 99% of worthless reviews...

but the game isnt about the storyline.. it is about showing you.. this newer generation how it was.. like 10 years ago..

Like the modern(especially younger) generation dont even know what the SNES is ...


this game has good storyline for history and gameplay.. and ow if you like treasure chests.. there are ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of them.... and always backstab the skeletons... bombing them might help to :P

Sure the game was short, but you get to play through gaming history in that time. Isn't that worth it?

The first 90 minutes are great. After that it becomes boring.

This is a long review, so if you want a brief summary of why I recommend EvoLand skip to Results and read from there.

Shiro Games makes an interesting game that tries to draw together the graphics of older games and mix in in with more modern aspects. The game plays like an action RPG and hits neither fantastically, but does well enough to make you want to play.

Story:
You play a young man named Clink who must defeat an evil darkness that his hit the land. For some reason you must go throughout the land and save the world from the evil that plagues the land. Eventually you run into a girl named Kaeris who joined your team and you agree to help her restore the Amulet that you will need to save the mana tree from being destroyed.

Campaign:
The campaign is rather simple; you start in birds-eye view and can only go right, you unlock the ability to go left, shortly after the ability to go any direction. Slowly as you progress throughout the campaign you gain more and more features that make the game more modern. The issue is none of these come in for any rhyme or reason. They are just randomly placed on the map as chests which you hit and suddenly it unlocks. There is no story behind why the upgrades slowly appear in, which is disappointing. The game could have started with full graphics and be the exact same. Regardless it is still interesting seeing how the game changes, even if it occurs just because of random chests spread throughout the map.

Gameplay:
The game plays like a typical action RPG then goes into a turn-based combat system when travelling. There are a couple boss fights which are rather interesting, but the combat gets repetitive very quickly. And as you start to unlock new features to the game you are annoyed you had to waste your time not using them in the earlier versions. Especially because some of the unlocks include a mini-map which you have in RPGs old or new; inventory which you have in RPGs old or new; etc. Regardless the combat doesn’t go on long enough for you to truly hate it, just sometimes gets monotonous and makes you take a break.

Hints:
>Don’t look for everything, you can go back at the end and do it later.

Results:
All in all EvoLand is an interesting game, I would definitely avoid getting it at full price; but, if you can get it on sale it’s not the worst decision you’ll make. The gameplay is simple and can get repetitive, the story is nothing special, but the special effect changes are unique. I loosely recommend this game to someone who has a bit of time and doesn’t mind a semi-amusing game. This won’t be the best title you own, so just enjoy it for what it is a rather simple RPG with that is just average.

Pros:
+The game evolves as you play it
+There are some more challenging puzzles after you unlock the entire game.
+The music is catchy
+The card game that is included is kind of cool

Cons:
-You don’t unlock a lot of features found in all RPGs until later in the game (mini-map, inventory, etc.)
-The game evolves with no real rhyme or reason
-The combat is at times a bit to directional
-When traveling between areas there are way too many random battles. It’s like going through a cave in Pokémon and running into a thousand Zubats, except you can’t use a Repel to avoid the battles.
-At points in the game the story is very unclear of where to go, I got lost for like at least an hour or so before I figured out I was going the wrong way.

Strong Points:
Brilliant concept
Nice gameplay changes
Good audio
Good graphics
Nice story with some laughs
Lots of action styles
Double Twin is fun
Nostalgia is certain

Weak Points:
Too short
Save points are too few and far between
Not enough content (items, upgrades)
Jumps between ideas
Can sometimes get repetitive
Could be more genres they could explore

Rating: 76%

For full review check out the link below:
http://gamesappsandreviews.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-no45-evoland-pc.html