Firstly, it's got to be said that while it takes inspiration from the original Evoland, they're really poles apart. The first game had its own slightly interesting mechanics, but it was mostly created to dance on the graves of a bygone era of games. Evoland 2 may poke fun at classic games, yet it does it subtly to work it into the story of the game, and the renditions of these old games stand up well on their own. They throw in some one-liners at the perfect time to catch you off-guard and get you to laugh. It pays great homage to puzzle-adventure, puzzle, tactical RPG, rhythm, 2D platformer, stealth, connect-three, bullet hell, turn-based strategy and fighter games. There are a few sections which are particularly easy and a couple that are tough as nails, but the checkpoints are nice and forgiving. The central mechanic of the game is you start in 16-bit, and you can travel 50 years to the 'past' (8-bit) or the 'future' (fully 3D) to experience parts of the game world in different eras. I know time travel is quite a cliche in pop culture, and yet there's no other way to say it than Evoland 2 just does it right. The story is A+. It gets you really committed because, whenever you're expecting it to end soon, it throws a wrench into the works AND ups the stakes. It's got the precision subtlety that may leave you with unanswered questions by the end of the game, HOWEVER if you dig a little, then mull it over, it all falls together. The secondary protagonists are likeable, have good motivations and their own little arcs. It also has plenty of completely optional collectibles as well as a simple, enjoyable card game. If you grew up with classic games, this one is a must-have. If not, I would still highly recommend it on its own merits. A lot of heart and soul went into the creation of this game.
Terraria finally has received its last content update! This is significant considering it boasts so much sheer content with not a DLC to its name since release. It's a sandbox/adventure/platformer which starts you off with basic tools and lets you explore, farm mine, fish, build, craft & fight to upgrade your character and gear. Whichever one you choose, the gameplay loop is incredibly rewarding and satisfying. You can try the melee, ranged, magic, or summon archetypes - each with a further few playstyles. They're only dependent on which items you equip, so you can VERY easily switch up your gameplay part-way into a playthrough. Elephant in the room: Is it like Minecraft? Answer: No. Minecraft has more of a focus on sandbox, whereas Terraria has a traditional gameplay loop and more of an adventure style. Some pros can finish Minecraft easily within the half-hour, meanwhile Terraria presents barriers to limit progress until you've killed the necessary boss. In my opinion, this makes it feel more like you're treading progress and never the same ground twice. Not sure what else to say other than it's a must-play because it still breaks away from a lot of conventions in its own, super fun, way. I think everyone ought to give it a go. Really, everyone!
