I rarely play games on my smartphone, because I have a normal PC, a large monitor and the magical service Steam with constant sales and generally sparing prices, no matter what. However, having launched Evoland, I fell out of reality for an hour, although it would seem that the game has no plot, no graphics, no music, or even addictive gameplay. In addition, it is not super convenient to play it on a smartphone when there is a version for a PC. So what's the secret?
Evoland is such a short parody but also a tribute to the good old days when the grass was greener, the trees are taller, and the games are fun and hardcore. Evoland is a collection of different basic game mechanics from older adventure games and a few others, and showcases the evolution of these game genres. You start playing the simplest toy with one 'forward' button, open the chest, and it becomes possible to move around the map in four directions, another chest, and the hero has a sword in his hands, the next chest – monsters appear on the map, and so on . Chest by chest Evoland is transformed – graphics from 8-bit to 16-bit, then isometric, then three-dimensional models, low quality textures, then high. The same happens with the music and the actual gameplay. In the first minutes, the hero controlled by you can simply swing a sword, then he will learn to use potions, equipment, he will have a partner, inventory, and so on.
At the same time, the game remains simple – you wander the world, open boxes and kill monsters, from time to time you are invited to take part in turn-based battles (a reference to Final Fantasy). In general, the whole Evoland is a set of clichés and references to the legendary games of the past, and, despite the fact that there is nothing like that in Evoland itself, the game is addictive, playing on the strings of nostalgia and memories.
