Evan's Remains Reviews
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.
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 story resolution won’t sit well with everyone, but it’s still worth playing for the mystery and clever puzzles.
The surprisingly compelling storyline and interesting puzzles keep you powering through, even as the dialogue drags on at times. Plus, the pixel art style and retro-inspired music give the game real charm. Considering the budget price, it’s well worth checking out.
Mike: Let’s not waste time here. Evan’s Remains is something special. The difficulty for us, I guess, it is explaining why, without giving anything away. I’m sure you’ll agree that this game sits in that pool of the story-driven experiences, the likes of Gone Home and Undertale, where the player benefits more by knowing less. But, Alicia, let me first ask you this: what made the game first resonate with you?
If you are looking for a bite-sized mystery-thriller story puzzle game that makes you go “holy crap” and takes you on an emotional roller coaster, then I would extremely recommend this game.
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.
More than anything, Evan's Remains could be the start of something special, either in a sequel or a future work from this developer.
The main factor to Evan's Remains' gameplay lies within monolith puzzles. The platforming was something I was really looking forward to watching the trailer, as you're meant to sort out pressure sensitive pads in a certain order to advance along. If you're stumped, you do have the option to skip the puzzles, but I would advise against it--there's a few secrets to find along the way that are actually pretty cleverly done. I will say that they're not terribly difficult in nature, but some will keep you guessing for an extra minute or two, with a nice sense of accomplishment when you finally solve.
The skillfully drawn graphics, combined with the engaging (and at times thrilling) story and fun to solve puzzles, make the game an experience everyone should play at least once. Though the ending leaves the player unsatisfied, it is the journey that matters.
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...