#EVOLAND 2 MATCHOS PS2#

Some of the references are also a bit hamfisted, like in the Professor Layton style puzzle section. I won’t go into detail on each of the side-genres or side-games that this game employs but most of them are a hit, with the notable exception of the card game being a bit of a downer. There were a number of bosses that were incredibly difficult with touch control but I never felt fully blocked or unable to progress without the controller, it is just a more difficult path. I have gone back and forth between using a mfi controller and the touch interface and a controller does bring a lot of ease to otherwise very difficult situations. There is not a ton of innovation, but the platforming/action RPG core is very good, if not a little fiddly with the touch controls. The overall gameplay of Evoland 2 is solid. In spite of graphical constraints and in spite of platform limitations, the story can still be told that is poignant and relatable. Rather than just offering a reflection of old games we love, Evoland 2 tells it’s own story and does it just like those old games did. In the first game you would just find a chest, open a chest, and get a new coat of paint on the game without much reason but the sequel spends time explaining things and showing a lot of consideration for why things are happening and why things are changing. For a game that has so many evolutions, mode changes and overall mutations, it seems like an easy situation to get whiplash in, but that is not really the case. Whether the characters are hashing out philosophical differences or dropping 4th wall breaking one liners, you start to see that the game wants to be thoughtful and playful and it works very well. There is a really solid mix of meaningful dialogue and comedic interludes that keep the pace uplifting yet still plausible. You will also find that the game will sometimes be well within standard RPG gameplay limits, but frequently shifts to completely different modes including a card battle system, puzzle solving, bullet hell shooting and much much more. Anything within those boundaries you will find well represented in game. That’s basically the breadth of what you will experience as far as video game eras is concerned.

#EVOLAND 2 MATCHOS PS2#

So at one point you will be looking at a screen that might remind you of an original NES or gameboy game, other times you might be looking at a PS2 quality 3D rendered environment. The entire gimmick of Evoland is that as you progress in the game, the generational technology of the game shifts. Your view and interface with the game will be changing from locale to locale, and while you aren’t necessarily getting thrust into a new situation each moment like a Wario Ware type of situation, you will need to be capable of adapting to new controls and gameplay as you progress further and further into the game. What sets the Evoland franchise apart is the fact that you won’t be playing just one genre of game or graphics engine. Dungeons, Bosses, Puzzles and a slew of unique challenges all lay in wait to thwart your attempts to save the past present and future.

The lionshare of the gameplay is still in the top-down view ala Secret of Mana or Legend of Zelda. The underlying plot of Evoland 2 is that you as the protagonist have been flung through time and must find your way back and of course go on many adventures, defeat foes and make friends along the way.

Evoland 2 matchos