Evan’s Remains
Gameplay 8
Graphics 9
Sound 8

Evan’s Remains is a puzzle platformer that combines logic-based platforming challenges with visual novel-style storytelling. Playing as a young woman named Dysis, players are tasked with making their way along a tropical beach and solving puzzles while searching for a vanished man named Evan. Although very linear, the beautiful 2D pixel art visuals and moving soundtrack make the game a joy to play. However, the focus is very much on the story, so frequent cut-scenes punctuate the brief puzzle platforming sequences. The game is not without its flaws, but overall it is a moving and memorable title.

Gameplay: The puzzle platforming sections are fun, but only serve as brief interludes for the main focus of the game, which is the story.

Graphics: The pixel art looks beautiful and the game features some excellent backgrounds and fluid animations.

Sound: The soundtrack remains calm and soothing throughout while the sound effects are crisp and clear

Summary 8.3 Outstanding
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

Evan’s Remains

Developer: maitan69 | Publisher: Whitethorn Games | Release Date: 2020 | Genre: Platformer / Puzzle / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Dysis, the protagonist of Evan’s Remains, has been hired to find a genius named Evan. Since his disappearance years ago, nobody has been able to locate Evan, until one day a letter arrives stating where he is and that Dysis should come to find him. This location turns out to be an uninhabited island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, which is where the story begins.

As players take control of Dysis it becomes clear that she is as perplexed as her mysterious employer, Up-Bring Labs, about Evan’s request. Nevertheless, it’s not every day she gets to visit a tropical paradise, so clad in a sundress and wearing a floppy hat, she sets out to accomplish her mission. While she doesn’t find Evan upon arrival, Dysis does make a couple of interesting discoveries on the island. The first is some mysterious monoliths left behind by what appears to be an ancient civilization, and the second is the presence of a man named Clover, who is exploring the island for his own reasons. Dysis and Clover soon agree to work together to accomplish their goals, but each continues to hide some secrets from each other. There’s obviously a lot more to the story than this, but Evan’s Remains is a very narrative-focused game and to reveal any more would spoil things.

From a gameplay perspective, Evan’s Remains is a combination of puzzle platformer and visual novel, but the puzzle elements take a backseat to the story. Players are presented with a series of logic-based platforming puzzles, where the goal is to clear a tall green monolith on the right side of the screen. Each puzzle is only a single screen wide but requires some logical thinking and a bit of planning from players to clear. The path to clear the green monolith is usually very obvious, but the presence of platforms that disappear once touched twice as well as special platforms that influence the surroundings complicates things somewhat. For example, some platforms teleport Dysis between two points when jumped on while others move or reset the surrounding platforms. In addition, some platforms bounce Dysis higher depending on the height from which she jumps on them. Some levels combine these in interesting ways to ensure that players can’t just breeze straight to their goal. The new mechanics are introduced every two or three puzzles but the overall complexity remains quite low throughout.

While the puzzles are quite clever there’s nothing here that is going to seriously tax fans of the genre. Since the focus of the game is primarily the story, it even allows players to completely skip any puzzles without any penalty. This makes sense from an in-universe perspective as Dysis can simply walk past the monoliths without solving them. However, we recommend not doing so as the game is already quite short, and solving the puzzles is very rewarding. Some of them can look a little daunting initially, but all of them are very logical and can easily be solved with a bit of trial and error or careful observation.

The game also does not have any timers or enemies, so players are free to play at their own pace. Another interesting element is that for narrative reasons the puzzles don’t always increase in difficulty and some even repeat.

Interspersed with the puzzles are scenes where Dysis chats with Clover as well as a few flashbacks highlighting what Clover was up to before his arrival on the island. These can be quite lengthy but remain intriguing enough that we never had the urge to skip any of them. The story becomes even more convoluted toward the end and some suspension of disbelief is required, but overall we found it to be quite moving and very memorable.

Visually Evan’s Remains is a beautiful-looking game and the 2D pixel art not only looks great but also features some impressive animations. The frequent cut scenes combine the impressive 2D sprites along with some nice character portraits for all the characters. The effect works quite well, especially for conveying the emotions of the characters. Like the puzzles, all the dialogue can be skipped, but doing so would mean missing out on the entire point of the game. The puzzle sections, by comparison, look a little plain, but as Dysis travels between them there are some nice backgrounds and visual effects, such as reflective water. Although everything takes place on the island there’s a decent amount of variety when it comes to the backgrounds.

The audio in Evan’s Remains complements the look and feel of the game nicely and the soundtrack remains nice and mellow throughout. The sound effects are crisp and clear too and while the game doesn’t feature any voice-acting it makes up for this with great animations and portraits. We also found the controls to be very responsive whether played with a keyboard or a controller. Dysis can move left or right, jump, and look up or down, but the most frequently used button in the game is definitely the one used to advance the dialogue.

Overall, Evan’s Remains is not exactly the best puzzle platformer or most in-depth visual novel, but somehow the combination works to create a unique and memorable experience. The game is very linear and players going in expecting to be challenged might be disappointed. In addition, the story is quite moving and definitely took a few unexpected turns along the way. However, it’s not perfect, and some elements will cause a love-it-or-hate-it reaction among players. We would have liked to see a few more puzzles as well as more room for the story to grow instead of the very exposition-heavy last part of the game. Nevertheless, especially considering its budget-friendly price, Evan’s Remains is easy to recommend despite these minor flaws.

iframe src=”https://store.steampowered.com/widget/1110050/” frameborder=”0″ width=”646″ height=”190″>

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10 x86 or x64
  • Processor: Intel Core2 Quad Q8200 (4 * 2330) / AMD Athlon II X4 645 AM3 (4 * 3100)
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM GB RAM
  • Graphics: DirectX10-compliant card with minimum 512 MB RAM
  • DirectX: Version 10
  • Storage: 500 MB available space
  • OS: Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10 x86 or x64
  • Processor: Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 (4 * 2666) / AMD Phenom II X4 965 (4 * 3400)
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM MB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce GTS 450 (1024 MB) / Radeon HD
  • DirectX: Version 10
  • Storage: 500 MB available space
  • OS: Mac OS X 10.8 or later
  • Processor: Intel Core2 Quad Q8200 (4 * 2330) or equivalent
  • Memory: 3 GB RAM GB RAM
  • Storage: 550 MB available space MB available space
  • OS: Mac OS X 10.8 or later
  • Processor: Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 (4 * 2666)
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM GB RAM
  • Storage: 550 MB available space MB available space

Related posts

A Butterfly in the District of Dreams

A Butterfly in the District of Dreams

A Butterfly In The District of Dreams doesn't quite live up to its mysterious premise, but as far as visual novels go, it still has much to offer. The story's pace is very slow and relaxing, which is great for players searching for a calming experience. It is refreshing to play a title that doesn't rely on fan service as a crutch, but due to the slow pace, it is also a title that some players will find a little boring. With three main heroines, each with multiple routes and different endings, this visual novel definitely does not lack content. Gameplay: The pace is fairly slow, but the slice-of-life drama is still captivating once you get hooked. Graphics: The game features beautiful character sprites, but the backgrounds are fairly limited. Sound: The audio consists of full Japanese voice acting and a great soundtrack

Go! Go! Nippon! My First Trip To Japan

Go! Go! Nippon! My First Trip To Japan

While this game isn't aimed at the typical visual novel fan, it serves as a nice introduction to the genre as well as the culture. The link to Google street view photos of the locations you visit is an inspired touch and you can pick up some interesting tips and facts about Japan. Gameplay: A short but enjoyable tour of Japan. Graphics: Nice apart from the recycled visuals. Sound: No voices and recycled music.

OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast

OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast

Very playable and quite addictive in short bursts but ultimately becomes very repetitive and probably a title that's more suited to portable systems. Still there's fun to be had especially if you remember the original Outrun. Gameplay: Fun... in short bursts. Graphics: Not exactly cutting edge for this day and age but still good. Sound: Nice if you remember the original games.

Assassin’s Creed® Liberation HD

Assassin’s Creed® Liberation HD

Assassin's Creed Liberation HD is a nice step up from the Playstation Vita original, but its portable roots still hold it back from the depth found in the main series. The updated visuals look good, but Aveline's adventures feel a lot more confined compared to the rest of her Assassins brethren. Still, the game does have some nice touches and the parkour elements are as fun as always. Gameplay: Stripped back compared to the main titles, but there is still fun to be had. Graphics: The updated visuals are a big improvement over the original game, but not without flaws. Sound: Good music and sound effects, but some of the voice acting could have been better.

Crashday Redline Edition

Crashday Redline Edition

Crashday: Redline Edition might look a little dusty compared to some of its contemporaries, but it still offers a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled experience for racing fans. This re-release of the 2006 original packs a whole host of new features and improvements, which is sure to please fans. In addition to a plethora of content, this Redline Edition also has full Steam Workshop support, which has already paid off in the form of hundreds of new mods for the game. Whether you have fond memories of the original or simply want a racing game that offers speed, destruction, and stunts, Crashday: Redline Edition deserves a closer look. Gameplay: The game offers many different modes and allows you to get on the track without having to waste hours tweaking your ride. Graphics: The visuals are an improvement over the original but were not cutting edge for the time. Sound: The soundtrack is a mix of old and new, but the sound effects could have been better.

Sakura Angels

Sakura Angels

Sakura Angels is a definite improvement over Sakura Spirit, but still falls short of greatness. Players who like plenty of fan service and don’t mind a story that is a bit clichéd will enjoy the game though and the artwork is beautiful. It is also a more risqué game compared to Sakura Spirit, but once again the title is more ecchi than hentai, so will be tame to people used to nukige titles. Gameplay: The story is a bit more involved this time round and there are much more choices. Graphics: Beautiful art work with plenty of detail. Sound: Once again, no voice acting, but the music isn’t too bad.

1 Comment

  1. bionoid September 16, 2023
    Reply

    ** SPOILERS **

    Good story ahead !

Leave a comment

15 + 9 =