Gaming Writer Jake Riley-Cross reviews Evil Egg, naming it representative of the modern gaming market’s focus on depth over breadth
The current state of the gaming sphere sees the rise of low-budget, low-cost, independent titles without any compromise in fun or value for time. Evil Egg is an arcade-style twin-stick shooter which belongs in this category. It serves as a near perfect example of how there can still be depth and worthwhile experiences with nothing but a small scope and a strong design philosophy, no catch involved.
The player begins by choosing from three rooms to enter and then faces a gradually increasing number of waves. Before any real gameplay, a small graphic that shows enemy type, room hazard, and virtually everything else that awaits the player in each room demonstrates the high skill ceiling. The player can choose between the potentially highest scoring room, or a room with a more desirable upgrade or artifact. It is a simple concept, but it allows for much more engaging and rich gameplay than, for example, a standard gameplay loop of spitting out random enemies ad infinitum.
Evil Egg is full of expertly crafted systems and details which contribute towards high levels of skill expression. One such system is the boost mechanic, with fantastically tuned movement in general, but good usage of the boost separates the average from the skilled. By nature, the game is fast and frenetic with a lot of dodging and focus involved. Therefore, boosting is clearly more dangerous than playing slow and steady.
However, as later waves get more overwhelming, boosting is absolutely necessary to survival. Additionally, a greenoid, which the player can save from harm, will spawn occasionally. Effective usage of the boost is essential to dealing with them efficiently. They contribute towards score and certain upgrades work off them, so dealing with them is well worth it.
The game is visually overwhelming at first glance. From time to time a death can seemingly come out of nowhere and feel unfair. There is clear intentionality in the communication of information
When only a few enemies in the wave remain, they are highlighted with a blinking red square around them. This differentiates them from room hazards. Similarly, the only element marked with green are greenoids, meaning they stand out well in the kaleidoscope of colours. These small details are proof of the care and thought that the developers put into the game.
The small scope (and by extension, simplicity) of Evil Egg helps it achieve its goals with such precision and care. Although, if one were to cite a potential flaw of the game, the simplicity proves to be a double-edged sword. The simplicity proves to be a double-edged sword
On one hand, the low weapon count, artifact variety and singular mode of gameplay prevent overwhelming the player. This applies to both newbies and score-hunters alike. It does not take much time to completely fill most of the sections in the codex, meaning new players can pick the game up with relatively little friction. Also, players need not remember hundreds of different item effects, unlike in, say, The Binding of Isaac, which means they can make room decisions quicker and strategise more effectively. On the other hand, for someone who needs something more than a score to increase or a codex to fill, there is little else here to keep them going.
The enemy variety is nevertheless strong considering the simple gameplay. Memorable ones include the tanky vampires, the gnomes which revive one another if not killed fast enough, and a challenging threat hidden all the way at level 20 for those with the ability to get there.
Evil Egg sticks to its simplicity loud and proud, and for that it deserves praise, though it is certainly not something that will please all. It knows its audience and gives them the tools to have a good time. For those that do decide to stick around, they will find an undoubtedly well-crafted experience.
Rating: 9/10
Want more? Check out these articles:
Riddlewood Manor, Where the Only Thing Scarier than Suzie is Getting Stuck on a Puzzle
Comments