Evoland 2: A Worthy Sequel, but Less Imaginative – Weekly Indie Spotlight

Developed by Shiro Games, the first Evoland played through the history of gaming in a linear fashion. You began as a black-and-white sprite, and as the game progressed, you discovered sound, color, and other upgrades. This gave the game a real sense of progress. Evoland 2, however, abandons the sense of progress in favor of a circular approach. The game’s storyline deals with time travel, and every time the characters travel through time, the graphics change. An era further in the past might have 8-bit graphics, while an era in the future might have 3D graphics. It’s a novel approach to time travel, but it doesn’t have the same “wow” sense that the original game had.

Another Meta Adventure

Those who enjoyed the meta humor in the first Evoland will find plenty to love in this game. The first time the game goes 3D, a character comments that she feels more dimensional, as if she’s just eaten an overload of chocolate. There’s a village full of loose chickens, but the chickens’ owner won’t let you round them up after a guy in green upset them. Anyone who’s driven chickens crazy in a Legend of Zelda game can appreciate that wink.

How’s the Gameplay?

The Zelda references don’t stop with the chicken joke. Like in the first game, Evoland 2 has you slashing through enemies (and bushes) just like Link. It even directly references the side-scrolling sections in Link’s Awakening, letting you jump around like Mario for certain sections – except you also have to slash enemies with a sword. There are puzzles to solve and dungeons to get through, which are sure to make any old-school adventure fan feel at home. In addition, there are minigames such as working at a restaurant that help break up the questing.

Conclusion

While not as original as the first game, Evoland 2 still has plenty to offer with its time travel story and quirky tributes to old-school gaming. It is available on Steam for $19.99. However, for the best deal, you can buy both games together in the Evoland: Legendary Edition, also available for $19.99. Both of these games are great times, especially for Zelda fans.