Evil Maze
- June 17, 2016
- ZOV GAME STUDIO
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Evil Maze" is a strategic ARPG where you help a female officer escape a haunted prison maze. Battle monsters, find hidden chests, and open new doorways with collected keys. Look out for secret levels, bosses, and unlock the uncensored patch for an unfiltered experience. Dialogues are supported in four languages.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Evil Maze offers a challenging and engaging dungeon-crawling experience with a mix of RPG elements, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- The game features a retro aesthetic and a variety of secrets to discover, enhancing the exploration aspect and providing a sense of accomplishment.
- Players appreciate the ability to customize the main character's appearance through equipment changes, adding a layer of personalization to the gameplay.
- The controls are often described as clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustration during combat and navigation.
- Many players report issues with the game's English translation, which can make understanding the mechanics and story difficult.
- The game can be punishingly difficult, with some players feeling that the resource management aspect is poorly balanced, leading to potential soft-lock situations.
- gameplay35 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, combining traditional top-down RPG mechanics with exploration and survival elements, but suffers from issues like awkward combat, lack of animation, and poor feedback on damage. While some players appreciate the simple mechanics and challenge, others find the gameplay frustrating and riddled with bugs, leading to a lack of engagement. Overall, it offers a basic experience that may appeal to those looking for a cheap, casual RPG, but many reviewers recommend caution due to its numerous flaws.
“The game combines traditional top-down RPG mechanics with an emphasis on exploration and survival.”
“The gameplay is great and the mobs are cool.”
“I love the combat mechanics on this one; it's kind of like hack-and-slash, not your typical RPG Maker tactical turn-based, here you attack as many times as you want.”
“Gameplay-wise this version is a bit better but still bad; combat is in real time and you get damaged every time you get adjacent to an enemy with no animation from the enemy sprite. All you have to do is spam attack next to the enemy in order to kill them while being careful not to die.”
“Apparently can't enlarge the window this runs in, which is irritating as hell, and the gameplay isn't interesting at all.”
“Bad on so many levels; took less than an hour to rage quit. I bought this game thinking it would be something like Dark Elf, but I slapped myself afterwards for being silly. Dark Elf is actually good as an RPG; this is horrible. It is entirely possible to game over just by using a key on the door, making you have to restart. The fighting mechanics feel awkward and not really planned out as an erotic game; it's just a joke. Even with the uncensored patch, as far as I can tell, the only erotic content is a picture after each level. Bottom line: you can do worse for a dollar, but definitely not worth more than a dollar.”
- story26 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and often implied rather than explicitly explained, leaving players to navigate a simple premise of escaping a monster-filled maze without much narrative depth. While some players appreciate the challenge and secrets within the gameplay, many find the lack of a substantial storyline disappointing, describing it as akin to classic arcade games with little to no plot development. Overall, the story is considered a weak aspect, with most reviews indicating that it does not significantly enhance the gaming experience.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“It surprised me that there are many secrets to be found, and even if I struggled a little at the beginning and the story is really simple, I couldn't stop playing it ♥.”
“There isn't much story in the game except for a woman who wakes up in a 'prison' full of monsters and is trying to get out of it.”
“The story is implied but never explained; you start the game and there's no text explaining the story or why everything is happening, you just start playing.”
“There isn’t really any story in the game; the basic idea is that you have to escape this evil maze and fight monsters along the way, but that’s it.”
“As for the story, there's not much going for it; it almost feels like an old dungeon arcade game with RPG elements.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro 2D pixel art style, with many users noting the use of standard RPG Maker assets. While some appreciate the cute and nostalgic visuals, others feel they are merely adequate and not particularly impressive. Overall, the graphics contribute to an enjoyable experience, especially for fans of old-school RPGs, but they do not stand out as exceptional.
“The graphics are really cute and kind of retro in a very good way.”
“If you enjoy roguelike games with unpredictable challenges, Evil Maze delivers an intense, arcade-like experience with a retro aesthetic.”
“+ nice visuals”
“Where to start with this... oh, I know, graphics.”
“As far as the graphics, sound, and music are concerned, I'm pretty sure everything in the game uses stock RPG Maker assets, excluding probably the main character (and the 'CGs'), but I wouldn't know.”
“Most (if not all) graphics in this game are using standard RTP assets.”
- music16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as generic and reliant on stock RPG Maker assets, with a mix of smooth jazz and epic themes that fit the background well. While some players found the music enjoyable, others noted the lack of variety and the repetitiveness of sound effects, leading to a mixed reception overall.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“The smooth jazz soundtrack, followed by a few seconds of rousing epic music.”
“The music selection fits with the background though.”
“Music is of the generic type.”
“As far as the graphics, sound, and music are concerned, I'm pretty sure everything in the game uses stock RPG Maker assets, excluding probably the main character (and the 'CGs'), but I wouldn't know.”
“There are different music tracks in the area and most (if not all) are also using RTP.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be a standout feature, highlighting its comedic elements such as quirky items and amusing character animations. The blend of absurdity, like the juxtaposition of bouncing breasts in metal armor, adds to the overall lightheartedness and enjoyment of the gameplay. Overall, the humor is well-received and contributes positively to the gaming experience.
“I like it a lot... it's my first time playing this style of game, and it's funny.”
“This game is so funny.”
“This game has many random funny items, equipment, and magic!”
- stability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, control issues, and poor design choices that hinder gameplay. Many players describe the experience as clunky and frustrating, citing glitches that lead to random deaths and a lack of clear instructions. Overall, the game appears to suffer from significant stability problems that detract from its playability.
“This game isn't buggy; it just has unintended features.”
“These are not glitches.”
“No fully released game should be this buggy and clunky.”
“The control scheme is a disaster; nothing is explained, and you just have to guess what keys do what. The English is incomprehensible gibberish in most places. Glitches prevent you from doing anything without dying at random intervals (with no feedback as to why). Text layers overlap each other, and there are myriad questionable game design decisions, such as having real-time enemies when the player is restricted to turn-based movement. There is no true fullscreen, only stretch-to-fill.”
“At first, I thought, what is the problem? This is not a playable game due to glitches or bugs.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in the invisible wall dungeons, which are seen as a low point near the end. However, some appreciate the care put into achievements and secrets, suggesting that there is a rewarding experience to be found despite the overall grindiness. Ultimately, the game struggles to balance its grind with engaging content, leading to mixed feelings among players.
“Invisible wall dungeons are just so tedious, but fortunately it's the only such floor, and it's near the end of the game.”
“Perhaps if the game wasn't so tedious and boring to walk through... then we'd be talking about a game that's so bad it's good and it totally would have gotten a thumbs up from me.”
“[b]Grindy achievement:[/b] no.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its nostalgic feel, reminiscent of classic SNES and PS1 RPGs, while maintaining a fresh and engaging experience that avoids repetitiveness. Players particularly enjoy the character control of "Alma," which enhances the overall ambiance.
“It's cool to control the waifu 'Alma' and experience the feelings and atmosphere reminiscent of old RPGs from the SNES and PS1 era.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is praised for its appealing design and engaging gameplay mechanics, suggesting a strong integration of visual aesthetics and interactive elements.
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, but players find the initial playthrough enjoyable given its price point.
