Ever Oasis Reviews
As a new game from the developers of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, Ever Oasis delivers an enjoyable, yet flawed, title for Nintendo 3DS players to get lost in.
It's no easy task, but Ever Oasis has managed to make me care as much about preserving my town as I do about saving the world. Despite the few odd design choices, there's a wonderful blend of adventure and town-building where every task you tackle finds multiple ways to reward you.
Just deserts.
A charming and often inventive mix of Animal Crossing and Zelda, that lacks depth but not ambition.
Ever Oasis is a unique pastiche of familiar ideas, but no single element rises above the rest. Even so, I was eager to keep upgrading my character and oasis throughout
Ever Oasis' tight blend of mechanics and activities are bound to keep you coming back for more well after completing it, if only to see what else you can do to develop your desert sanctuary. While the game's story isn't particularly moving, the consistent gratification of its incisive design makes it a satisfying adventure. Ever Oasis takes time to grow, but the return is well worth the wait.
Yet with little actual challenge to speak of, Ever Oasis doesn't have much going for it. There aren't any tricky enemies to ward off, and the town-building simulation is shallow. It's the combination of several other genres whose best games are far, far, far more worth playing than this one. In its attempt to crib from the best, Ever Oasis never establishes its own identity.
Ever Oasis is an intriguing blend of genres that serves as an interesting proof of concept, but is far too bland and repetitive to be a classic of the ARPG genre.
Light and breezy, Ever Oasis makes for a pleasant little snack while waiting for the next wave of 3DS RPGs. Some of its core concepts could have been taken further, but it's still a well-executed RPG from a long-standing veteran of the genre.
There are issues with the game, but honestly, I think Ever Oasis is a blast. Building up my little spot of heaven, running errands for the residents, and venturing out into the great sandy plains outside my garden gate provide equal thrills. The longer I play, the more I enjoy it and that is far more uncommon than it should be. If this game is to be the first of a new franchise, it's a damn good starting point.
Ever Oasis is a decent game for a younger audience to get into, but it doesn't do a lot that's completely new. It blends the adventuring with town management nicely and is a well made game, but at the same time there's nothing that really thrilled me while playing it. It's a shame really, as there's nothing necessarily wrong with Ever Oasis, there's just nothing particularly special either.
A charming game with lacks that prevent it from keeping up with the current competition.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Although Ever Oasis is a beutiful and well designed action-rpg it's feels extremely simple and has nothing new for the genre fans.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Ever Oasis is a perfect blend of management simulator and action-RPG. Despite being on a handheld, this deep RPG's stylish presentation and many gameplay systems come together in a way that few games do.
Unlike the deserts that surround your civilisation, Ever Oasis is far from barren.
Ever Oasis isn't just a brilliant adventure, it's also one that's come at the right place and the right time. For 3DS RPG fans, who've had an unthinkably rich array of JRPG greats to choose from over the system's lifespan, Ever Oasis is a nice reminder that there's still plenty of room for innovation on the six-year-old handheld. Its addictive main gameplay loop, fun combat, amazing (and truly different) sense of style, and kindhearted nature make it feel like nothing else; though it reminds us of Rune Factory 4, Animal Crossing, Tri Force Heroes, and Final Fantasy Explorers in turn, this really is its own experience, and one we'd recommend to any action-RPG aficionado.
Ever Oasis proves that the six year old handheld still has the potential to pump out some great content, while also being one of Koishi Ishii's best works. Even if you haven't heard of the game befor3 this review, I urge you to check Ever Oasis out, especially if you are a fan of city builders or Zelda-style games.
Ever Oasis offers a surprising amount of content in a fun, accessible game. Challenging yet forgiving battle mechanics mean that beginners can hack and slash away, while masters can focus on strategy and speed running. A diverse cast of characters with numerous abilities encourages playing with diverse parties, and the warp system enables lots exploration, creating replayability while making long slogs across maps a thing of the past. Easy to pick up, hard to put down, and overflowing with features, Ever Oasis really is a diamond in the desert.
I like Ever Oasis a lot, and while it doesn't reach the level of "future classic" like Persona 4 or Okami, it fits the bill perfectly as a closer for the Nintendo 3DS and its impressive run. If Nintendo drops a few more hits like this in our laps over the next year, I'll be happy to keep my 3DS in rotation.