Evony: The King's Return
Get on Play Store"Evony: The King's Return" is a 4X game with puzzle-solving elements, set in a medieval fantasy world. The game features awesome music, but can be very grindy and filled with bugs. Despite some technical issues, it offers a humorous tone and the opportunity to build and expand your own empire. The game encourages exploration and offers a variety of different experiences.
Phone
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game has engaging graphics and a variety of gameplay elements.
- It offers a strong community aspect through alliances, allowing players to connect with others from around the world.
- The puzzles, when available, can be fun and provide a nice break from the main gameplay.
- The game is heavily pay-to-win, making it difficult for free-to-play players to compete.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, especially during important events.
- The advertising is misleading, portraying the game primarily as a puzzle game when it is mostly a strategy and city-building game.
- monetization3,380 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players expressing frustration over misleading advertisements that portray it as a puzzle game, while the actual gameplay is primarily focused on city-building and strategy. Players report being bombarded with in-game ads and pop-ups urging them to make purchases, leading to a perception of the game as a cash grab that requires substantial financial investment to progress. Overall, the consensus is that the game's monetization strategy is aggressive and deceptive, detracting from the overall experience.
“The in-game purchases are designed to seem like amazing deals, but you can get by fine being free-to-play.”
“You don't have to spend a dime on in-app purchases, which I like.”
“No ads, not too repetitive, good in-game chats, plenty of social interaction, not too expensive - you can probably spend as much as you want, but you actually get something for your money, not just a chance at a reward!”
“The monetization is outrageously shoved in your face.”
“The developers keep responding that their ads match the gameplay, it does not.”
“The ads are classic bait and switch!”
- stability766 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized due to frequent glitches, crashes, and lag, particularly during critical gameplay moments like battles and server events. Players report significant losses of progress, resources, and troops due to these issues, often without adequate support or compensation from customer service. Overall, the persistent technical problems detract from the gaming experience, leading many to advise against spending money on the game.
“No glitches for me.”
“Almost no glitches.”
“Also, the game for me isn't buggy, for the most part.”
“I have lost 2 accounts, main & farm, from glitches - months of communication screenshots and still nothing was resolved.”
“The lag and glitches in battlefield or server war can see your account wiped and all your hard work (and money if you are a paid account) gone in seconds.”
“The game is a buggy mess; I experienced errors and glitches within the first 5 minutes of the game.”
- gameplay589 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game has been widely criticized for being misleadingly advertised, with many users noting that the actual experience diverges significantly from what is shown in promotional materials. Players report a lack of clear instructions and guidance, leading to confusion about game mechanics, while the core gameplay is described as a tedious city-building and resource management system rather than the engaging puzzle elements highlighted in ads. Additionally, issues such as lag, repetitive mechanics, and a heavy reliance on microtransactions contribute to a frustrating experience, leaving many players feeling disappointed and misled.
“Gameplay has a variety of aspects that can take you into your own personalized direction.”
“Evony's core mechanics are almost the exact same as the rest of the RTS games, but it has so many extra features that it adds its own unique take on this genre.”
“I enjoy the gameplay with my alliance because you can benefit tremendously and you have more opportunities.”
“The game lacks clear guidance, making it hard to understand even the basic mechanics.”
“Blatant false advertising; the gameplay shown in ads is literally less than 1% of actual gameplay.”
“The gameplay itself is sluggish and repetitive.”
- graphics377 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals and attention to detail, while others criticize the graphics as outdated, glitchy, and not reflective of the advertisements. Many users express disappointment over the disparity between the graphics shown in ads and the actual in-game visuals, often describing them as poor or mediocre. Overall, while there are commendations for certain artistic elements, the consensus leans towards dissatisfaction due to technical issues and misleading marketing.
“Great game, excellent graphics.”
“The graphics and attention to detail of the game are some of the best I have ever seen in any game to date.”
“Graphics are awesome, super legit for a 'free' game.”
“The graphics are absolutely terrible and the puzzles are lame.”
“The graphics are so poor compared to what the ad shows; in fact, much poorer!”
“The graphics look horrible and the animations look like something I did in 9th grade computer class.”
- story206 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's story is often criticized for being convoluted and overwhelming, with many players feeling misled by advertisements that suggest a focus on puzzles rather than the extensive city-building and questing elements. Users report that the narrative is poorly written and filled with unnecessary dialogue, detracting from the gameplay experience, while the puzzles are relegated to minor side quests. Overall, the story seems to lack coherence and depth, leading to frustration among players who expected a more straightforward puzzle game.
“Love the concept, storyline, and design of the game!”
“Extremely detailed and creative with the characters, storylines, and quests.”
“Good story, amazing graphics; a pay-to-win RPG-based game.”
“The game is giving me game variables instead of the actual item names or quest names and descriptions.”
“The storyline is not in the advertisement.”
“They tried to cram a boring story into a simple puzzle game and it doesn't work.”
- grinding139 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, often overshadowing the advertised puzzle elements. Many players feel that the game is primarily a pay-to-win farming and city-building simulator, requiring excessive grinding to progress, which can lead to frustration, especially for free-to-play users. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a significant detractor, making the game feel repetitive and unfulfilling.
“Free to play is not too grindy, and the microtransactions, at least from the starting point, provide very good value for the dollar spent.”
“This is a pay-to-play game, and if you don't pay, you just waste your time farming or hitting useless monsters.”
“The game is very boring by any standard, and it's non-stop grinding.”
“You have to suffer through an inordinate amount of tedious building just to be able to play a few puzzles.”
- humor46 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the reviews primarily stems from the irony and contradictions in the game's advertising, which claims to be genuine while users experience misleading content and technical issues. Many find it amusing that the game criticizes other titles for false advertising, yet falls into the same trap, leading to a mix of frustration and laughter. Additionally, the absurdity of certain gameplay elements and the developers' responses to complaints add to the overall comedic tone of the feedback.
“It's really funny choosing which buildings to upgrade, what soldiers to train, fighting monsters, joining an alliance...it's been an absolute blast.”
“The ads for Evony that claim that other games have false advertising are hilariously ironic.”
“I love the ads for the game, the puzzles are so funny and I want to play them... but the game is something else entirely.”
- optimization32 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues, including lag, glitches, and unresponsive features, particularly on Android devices. Many players feel that the developers prioritize monetization over improving gameplay stability, leading to a frustrating experience. While some users have noted improvements after updates, the general consensus is that the game remains poorly optimized and resource-intensive, detracting from its potential enjoyment.
“When it runs smoothly, it is a great game but it has so many glitches I'm tempted to just walk away.”
“Glad to see it on mobile but I hope Evony developers keep on improving the app performance as it's still very resource hungry and drains the phone battery very fast.”
“Update: performance issues have been resolved and I can play the game on max settings.”
“Seems like they just use the same code base of the iOS version without making any adaptation or optimization in order to use native features from Android.”
“The gameplay is no longer engaging as it is not optimized well and only lags.”
“Game performance is regularly unplayable (lag, bugs) and the developer will not respond to requests for reimbursement.”
- music27 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its immersive and enchanting qualities that enhance the overall gaming experience. However, some users express frustration over the inability to mute or adjust the music during loading screens and tutorials, which can be intrusive. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, there are calls for better sound control options.
“Love the entire game environment, from characters, design, music, the fun events to the people who are so helpful to lend you a hand to lead a faster growth.”
“The graphics are beautiful, music is enchanting, and I have even made friends in my alliance.”
“Not a big game player, but the graphics are great, music is not annoying, and it is so immersive and detail-oriented that I have been captured.”
“Game forces you to tap on certain things through an absurdly long tutorial while blasting music that you can't shut off because it won't let you access the options.”
“I only can give 1 star because after updating this version, once I click the app, the intro music starts and it is so inconvenient to play in the office.”
“Irritating that even with music and FX switched to silent, it still plays crappy music while loading or updating.”
- emotional11 mentions
- 91 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is heavily criticized for its frustrating mechanics and frequent glitches, which create a sense of hopelessness and distress among players. Many users feel that the game's design manipulates emotions, particularly through aggressive monetization strategies that exploit emotional investment. Additionally, the inclusion of problematic themes and interactions detracts from the overall experience, leading to a negative impact on players' mental well-being.
“On top of that, game mechanics are viciously designed for you to lose in an emotionally entangling way.”
“The price of packages is so high that it truly rakes you over the coals if you become emotionally invested.”
“The game glitches often and the way it's set up creates a very unhealthy environment emotionally.”
“They tried to cram a boring story into a simple puzzle game, and it doesn't work.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Users express that the game's replayability is enhanced by the option to purchase items, suggesting that these purchases can significantly improve the overall experience. However, there is a call for more accessible options to ensure that players of all budgets can enjoy the game fully. Overall, the game's replayability is seen as dependent on these purchasable enhancements.
“Fun game, with a strong incentive to buy items that enhance replayability.”
“The game offers a variety of options that make it enjoyable for players of all budgets.”
“The replayability factor keeps the game engaging and fresh.”
“Fun game, but there's a big push to buy items to make it more enjoyable.”
“Make the game more accessible for players with different budgets, please.”
“None of the games they run ads on are enjoyable.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its enjoyable and relaxing environment, with a community of great players. However, it is also criticized for being toxic at times, marked by bullying and sexist behavior, which detracts from the overall experience.
“Overall a very good game, great people playing and lovely atmosphere for some rest and relaxation.”
“Great game and atmosphere.”
“Don't believe the Evony responses here; they market it as a puzzle game when in reality it's an empire-building war game. The atmosphere can be extremely toxic at times with bullying and sexist behavior.”
“The game claims to offer a rich atmosphere, but it often feels empty and uninspired, lacking the depth and engagement that would make it truly immersive.”
“Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is marred by a lack of meaningful interactions and a community that can be quite hostile.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has been criticized for incorporating elements of racism in the character designs, which detracts from the overall experience and raises concerns about cultural sensitivity.
