I can't come up with any way to describe what I like about this game without just plagarizing @EVX's review of it so I'm not gonna try and will instead endorse his opinions for what works and elaborate on what makes me a bit more mixed on Evan's Remains.
I think the best way to describe my experience is to compare it to the song Crystal Ball by Styx and my cousin's reaction to it when I had him listen. The switchup from the quiet, melancholy acoustic opening to the driving, synth-accompanied ballad halfway is not necessarily a surprise if you're paying attention (and especially not if you know the band). However, if you really latch onto the first half, the second half becomes jarring and unwelcome, as it did for him.
Is this the song's fault? Not really. It wants to try something more bold and it certainly worked for me with that song, but switchups are inherently risky endeavors.
Which is to say, I do respect this game for what it attempted with its narrative, but I don't think they quite nailed it. That, or I'm simply too attached to the initial vibe of the game's narrative and don't want to follow it to that next stage. However, all of the other elements of the game—visuals, gameplay, pacing, presentation—are so easy to sail along with that I've just ended up accepting it as is.
I do also think there's something interesting here thematically that I've been pondering. It just feels a little more hidden behind the specifics of the writing than it ought to have been.
Either way, it's a fun, short puzzle platformer with gorgeous art. That's justification enough in my eyes for people to give it a shot and see what they take out of it.
I think the best way to describe my experience is to compare it to the song Crystal Ball by Styx and my cousin's reaction to it when I had him listen. The switchup from the quiet, melancholy acoustic opening to the driving, synth-accompanied ballad halfway is not necessarily a surprise if you're paying attention (and especially not if you know the band). However, if you really latch onto the first half, the second half becomes jarring and unwelcome, as it did for him.
Is this the song's fault? Not really. It wants to try something more bold and it certainly worked for me with that song, but switchups are inherently risky endeavors.
Which is to say, I do respect this game for what it attempted with its narrative, but I don't think they quite nailed it. That, or I'm simply too attached to the initial vibe of the game's narrative and don't want to follow it to that next stage. However, all of the other elements of the game—visuals, gameplay, pacing, presentation—are so easy to sail along with that I've just ended up accepting it as is.
I do also think there's something interesting here thematically that I've been pondering. It just feels a little more hidden behind the specifics of the writing than it ought to have been.
Either way, it's a fun, short puzzle platformer with gorgeous art. That's justification enough in my eyes for people to give it a shot and see what they take out of it.