Initial release date: March 17, 2020
Publisher: Whitethorn Digital
Designer: Matias Schmied
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Macintosh operating systems
Developers: Matias Schmied, maitan69 (Matías Schmied)

Thanks go out to Whitehorn Digital for the review copy of Evan’s Remains. You guys are fantastic.

Since I only recently purchased a Nintendo Switch I have been wanting to play new games on it, especially ones that bring fresh experiences to the gaming landscape. Evan’s Remains looked to be one of those, as I saw the launch trailer on Youtube and was intrigued by it’s colors, art style and retro look. Being the old-school gamer that I am, I wanted to get my hands on it and see what it was about.

Plot & Content

I was generously given a copy to review and took my time with it. Let me start by saying that parents or those concerned with vulgar content, you won’t find much at all in this game. There are a few cuss words thrown around but very few and used tastefully. There’s no blood, violence, or anything immoral going on. I appreciate when games focus on the core foundations of the game like it’s gameplay, music, graphics, or controls instead of trying to stuff in foul content for fun.

The story is about a girl named Dysis, who is sent on a mission to find someone named Evan on a deserted island. As she begins to search for this fellow, she discovers that is not alone after all, and meets a boy who is trying to solve the mystery of the island. I don’t want to give away too much as it may be spoilers, so I won’t say what he is trying to solve, but he is determined to find what he is looking for so Dysis decides to help him.

Evan’s Remains has several flash backs and does not reveal much in terms of what is going on till much later in the game. Sadly, I feel that was it’s weakest point, especially for me as I am enjoy games with engaging stories. The characters, flashbacks, and dialogue was confusing because very little in detail was given throughout the game. You get vague “clues” as to what is going on, but never enough to feel like you are progressing.

I think of a story like a rope that you are pulling on. Sometimes you pull and you get a good chunk of the rope, other times you get very little, until eventually you get to the end of the rope and you understand the entirety of what was going on. In this case, I felt like I was getting only a tiny bit every time I got further into the game, until the ending just gave me everything at once. I had to watch the ending twice just so I can really piece together everything. Again, I won’t spoil it but I personally wasn’t a fan of the finale. I felt invested with the two main characters, but the explanation given for what was going on and the tragic ending really left a sour taste for me once I finished.

Gameplay

Evan’s Remains is a puzzle game, where you have to figure out how to move forward in the game by solving an intricate platform puzzle. Basically, you are jumping on different platforms so you can create a path that will get you over to the next area. Some of these are simple, while others are not. Don’t get too impressed with yourself when you solve the first few, there will be some that will leave you scratching your head for a while. I only skipped two of them I believe, which was a little annoying to me personally because I like a challenge. I’m sure for everyone there will be different ones you get stuck on than someone else, but overall they aren’t that hard.

Puzzles change as you progress, to where there are teleporters, an elevator-like block or a “reset” block. As I already mentioned, it’s not a complicated system which I prefer because sometimes videogames can get so intricate that the gameplay suffers.

Controlling Dysis was simple and you can only run or jump. Sometimes it’s nice to just have a game with great artwork and some mental stimulus to relax with. I found myself going to Evan’s Remains to yes, finish this review, but also because it helped me unwind after a stressful day.

I would have liked the story of Dysis, Evan, and the other characters if it actually made more sense for me at the end. Don’t let the story stop you from picking this one up though. If you enjoy platformers with gorgeous artwork, then you will certainly enjoy Evan’s Remains. Give it a try, and let me know what your thoughts were on it!

Gaming & God gives Evan’s Remains:

🎮🎮 out of 🎮🎮🎮🎮🎮

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Purchase Evan’s Remains for Nintendo Switch or Steam