Developer Shiro Games announced Evoland 2 today with a set of screens that shows off the game's continuing tribute to the history of RPGs and it's new diversity in game styles.
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Like its predecessor, Evoland 2's gameplay moves the player along from the 8-bit era to the 3D RPGs of later years. To follow up on the original, though, it's expanding its gameplay options to include the kind of spin-off series gameplay that RPG franchises inevitably give in to (I know you can hear me, Chocobo Racing).
While one set of screens seems to show the tried and true RPG exploration formula, the second set shows off a completely different set of game styles. Included in the game are a Final Fantasy Tactics-esque turn-based game, a 2D platformer and a top-down, scrolling shoot-em-up game. Moreover, the developers are promising a bigger game than the original with a deeper story based on time travel, an undisputed staple of the genre.
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The original Evoland was released back in April 2013 as the ultimate homage to the RPG genre. Players start out as an 8-bit warrior in a soundless, colorless world. Progressing forward, the player picks up various chests that unlock different elements of the game like a soundtrack, save spots and the ability to pause.
Over time, the player begins to unlock better graphics, a larger color palette and more game mechanics as the game takes the player through the history of the RPG. Over the course of the game, the player moves from an 8-bit Legend of Zelda-style adventure game to Chrono Trigger-style turn-based combat to a fully 3D RPG, complete with pre-rendered backgrounds and very obviously inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy VII. The whole package is filled with sly references and nods, making it a fun playthrough for RPG fanatics and game history nerds alike.
Here's to hoping Shiro Games can capture all that and more in the sequel.
