Evan's Remains Reviews
This is a bit of a tough one as the overall package is an interesting mix, but whether you'll be game for it will depend heavily on what you're looking for...
I am not sure if Evan’s Remains entirely earns its thematic heft when so much of it is inscrutable, but that it is willing to end its plot in a moment of intense duress is daring enough to elevate its weaker moments. It's untidy, its themes barely cohesive. But if Evan's Remains was not so unusual, if it had simply doubled-down on puzzles and pretty screens, I do not think it would have left half the impression it did.
The puzzles will make you think carefully as you try to order them in your mind and then try it out in the actual game…or, like me, you can simply keep hopping around and testing things until you triumph. There is also an option to actually skip specific puzzles if you bring up the menu while trying to get through them. Impressively, the puzzles are also worked into the story in various ways. Evan’s Remains is polished in just about every department. It may not focus on gameplay as much as some would like, but personally this didn’t bother me at all. It’s a sad and interesting experience, and one that I definitely recommend.
This is all topped off by some beautiful visuals. Pixel art is used to full effect with gorgeous, colourful scenery that is just begging you to stop and admire your surroundings. Combine that with an entertaining narrative and fun puzzling and you've got a title which pleases in all the right places.
The story here is intriguing and occasionally shocking, but it isn’t particularly affecting. I’m sure this story would’ve hit me more had Schmied spent more time developing the world and the characters, giving the audience a better chance to connect with them.
The monolith puzzles are enjoyable, but the narrative surrounding them doesn't serve as a worthwhile reward for their completion. If you're looking for a light puzzle-platformer with mostly attractive pixel art, Evan's Remains might be worth considering. If you want a more thrilling or satisfying narrative experience, keep searching.
Evan's Remains is a wonderful narrative adventure full of feelings that will touch our hearts. The puzzles are a very important part of the game and have a fair difficulty with the player. Its structure can become repetitive but the desire to see how the story continues will make us continue with great enthusiasm.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
An easy going puzzle platformer, with a dramatic and emotional story. Evan's Remains is enjoyable from start to finish, with plenty of options to skip content you're struggling with.
The scarcity of the game's puzzles is frustrating, because, slight repetition aside, every one of those puzzles is cleverly designed.
Evan’s Remains tells a gripping, amazingly convoluted tale interspersed by irresistible puzzle platforming that left me wanting a lot more than what I got.
Evan’s Remains is a beautiful game that blends puzzle and visual novel elements together to tell a gripping narrative. However, some dark themes emerge from this with a few convenient “ah-ha” moments that don’t really match up with what is revealed to the player.
Evan’s Remains is a neat little game, it’s only a few hours long, but I enjoyed my time with it. A good and fun mystery to unravel with some nice emotional moments and some puzzles to solve. As good a recipe as any, I think. The release date is a ways off at June 11th, and there’s no set price yet. Even though I think this game comes short of being something special, if you like puzzle platformers, this is worth putting in your collection.