Evo\Wave

$Evo\Wave Game Cover$

About

Evo\Wave is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by MagnaVex Entertainment and was released on March 12, 2021. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Evo\Wave is a 3D platformer featuring LAI-6, an A.I. with a goal to restore the world following the passage of MagnaVex who brought the world back to a retro era.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

$Evo\Wave screenshot$

Skip User Reviews

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 389 reviews

music69 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

music
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
36%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its vibrant synthwave soundtrack, which perfectly complements the retro aesthetic and enhances the overall atmosphere. Many players appreciate the nostalgic vibes and catchy tunes, noting that the soundtrack is one of the game's standout features, although some mention a lack of diversity in tracks. Overall, the music is described as engaging and enjoyable, making it a significant part of the gaming experience.
- “The soundtrack perfectly captures the essence of synthwave, with melodies loaded with synthesizers that immerse the player in a retro-futuristic trance.”
- “Memorable soundtrack: each track matches the game's atmosphere perfectly, standing out as one of its strongest features.”
- “The music is amazing, the player controls feel good, and the nostalgia is real!”
- “There are reviews that praise the music, but I feel it's above acceptable vaporwave-ish background music, enjoyable but not spectacular as if insane money was spent.”
- “The only things that I think are lacking in this game are the over-simplistic combat and the soundtrack that becomes a little grating after a while since there isn't a lot of diversity in the music.”
- “I'd argue that you mute the soundtrack of this game and pull up your favorite synth playlist.”
graphics
113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
47%
3%
The graphics of the game are a blend of retro and modern aesthetics, heavily influenced by synthwave and vaporwave styles, which many players find captivating and nostalgic. While some appreciate the evolving visual quality across levels, others feel that the graphics can be inconsistent, with earlier styles being more appealing than later ones. Overall, the game's artistic direction is praised for its charm and coherence, complemented by a fitting soundtrack, though some critiques mention performance issues and a lack of originality in design.
- “The graphics may not be to everyone's taste, but I really enjoyed them for what they are.”
- “Evo/Wave presents itself as a 3D platformer inspired by the classics from the PlayStation 1 and 2 era, particularly Crash Bandicoot, but enhanced with a synthwave and vaporwave aesthetic that turns it into a visual and auditory feast.”
- “The visuals are charmingly old-school, with each of the three levels 'upgrading' to a more advanced visual style, and the soundtrack complements the vaporwave aesthetic with some extremely chill tunes.”
- “Unfortunately, the graphics are a bit painful to look at, and we have to remember that gaming is a visual medium.”
- “There's not enough in this to make up for the graphics, unfortunately.”
- “Ironically, the game tries to have an 'evolving art style' but the wireframe style ends up looking way better than anything after it, as well as being much more readable than the later art styles.”
gameplay
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The gameplay of "evo\wave" is characterized by smooth and responsive controls, intuitive mechanics, and a nostalgic yet modern platforming experience. Players appreciate the satisfying platforming challenges, collectathon elements, and the game's ability to run well on low-end systems, despite some basic mechanics and occasional bugs. Overall, it offers a fun and engaging experience, especially for fans of classic platformers, with a good balance of challenge and accessibility.
- “The physics and mechanics of platforming feel nice and smooth, while still having a few challenges; the final boss battle was the hardest and did take me a few tries to win.”
- “The gameplay, while not overly complex, felt smooth enough and the atmosphere was relaxing.”
- “Gameplay is solid and smooth, and it also has excellent controller support!”
- “The spin-dash (attack and movement mechanic) is buggy and doesn't always activate on the first try.”
- “Minor enemies present predictable attack patterns that do not pose a real challenge but add variety to the gameplay.”
- “Basic run and jump mechanics, with spin attacks against the occasional enemies, gets supplemented as you go along with the usual double jump, glide, and glitch (turning specific colored blocks/platforms on and off).”
story
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
53%
7%
The story of "evo\wave" is intentionally shallow and absurd, serving as a humorous backdrop for the gameplay rather than a central focus. While it features typical tropes like "saving the world," players appreciate its charm and self-awareness, with many finding the narrative amusing despite its simplicity. Overall, the story adds a lighthearted touch to the game, enhancing the experience without being essential to enjoyment.
- “The plot of 'evo/wave' is intentionally shallow and absurd, revolving around the typical concept of 'saving the world' used as a vehicle for humor and irony.”
- “I loved the story told by the over-it narrator, the style, the music, the humor (besides the cringe), and the gameplay.”
- “The story goes that in the world of evo/core, the oldest and grumpiest AI, Magnavex, has corrupted the central processor mainly as a way to get back at the young for existing and for things being different from what they used to be.”
- “The plot of 'evo\wave' is intentionally shallow and absurd, revolving around the typical concept of 'saving the world' used as a vehicle for humor and irony.”
- “It's incredibly easy to beat, the humor is 90% reddit-tier pop culture references, and the story is (understandably) very barebones.”
- “- the story overall is meh and unforgettable.”
humor
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of self-aware, sarcastic dialogue and numerous pop culture references, often eliciting smiles and laughter from players. While some found the humor to be basic or reliant on internet culture, many appreciated the clever nods to other games and the light-hearted tone that complements the gameplay. Overall, the comedic elements, combined with engaging visuals and a solid soundtrack, contribute to a fun and immersive experience.
- “The narration is pretty funny and all the little hits and nods at other games were fun to find.”
- “The game explores a deliberately shallow narrative supported by its humorous tone and geek culture references, aiming to create a light yet immersive experience.”
- “Absolutely love the narrative of this game, dialogues with a funny and sarcastic tone!”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its nostalgic charm, enhanced by a memorable soundtrack that complements the gameplay. While some players wish for a stronger emphasis on retro graphics as the art style shifts towards a more modern aesthetic, the overall ambiance is described as relaxing and engaging, reflecting a clear love for video game history. The combination of great music and a well-crafted environment makes it a standout feature of this 3D platformer.
- “A fun 3D platformer collectathon, with a nice atmosphere, complemented by great music, that shows a clear love for video games and their history.”
- “Memorable soundtrack: each track matches the game's atmosphere perfectly, standing out as one of its strongest features.”
- “Overall, I think it's remarkable that the devs nailed the atmosphere, and I personally wish it leaned harder on retro graphics and vibes since (mild spoiler) it gets slightly more modern in the art style as you advance, which is interesting but takes a bit from the atmosphere in my humble opinion.”
- “There's only three main levels of increasing difficulty, and a final boss that's just more platforming (which, to be honest, I vastly prefer to the thought of having an actual boss fight). There is a decidedly retro way to how the game plays and is designed, too... attempts at building an atmosphere mashed up against very video gamey video games that definitely has its charm.”
- “The gameplay, while not overly complex, felt smooth enough and the atmosphere was relaxing.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game is generally well-optimized, offering stable performance with a solid frame rate and resolution that adapts effectively across various devices. While the graphics are somewhat demanding, the overall experience remains smooth and enjoyable for players.
- “From a performance standpoint, the game remains stable, with a solid frame rate and resolution that adapts well to different devices.”
- “Stable performance: a consistently smooth experience contributes to comfortable gameplay.”
- “Great performance.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it can feel tedious at times, it is generally considered "good grindy" due to the manageable challenge of collectibles and the opportunity to spend ample time exploring each map.
- “Grinding is just tedious.”
- “If you want to complete the game, it is grindy, but in a good way.”
- “None of the collectibles are challenging enough to obtain that it becomes tedious, but there's still enough to spend a good amount of time on each map.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players appreciate completely free-to-play games for their lack of in-app purchases, emphasizing that these titles offer a risk-free opportunity to try them without any financial commitment.
- “With most of the completely free-to-play games I've played, I believe it's free, so get it and give it a try... it doesn't cost you anything.”
- “The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel intrusive, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content, making it accessible for everyone while still providing optional purchases for those who want to enhance their experience.”
- “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money just to enjoy basic features.”
- “It's frustrating that essential content is locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
- “The game constantly bombards you with ads and offers, which detracts from the overall experience.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players highlight that item collection is a key factor for achieving 100% completion, promoting exploration and enhancing replayability. Additionally, side quests and collectibles, while not essential for the main experience, further contribute to the game's replay value.
- “Item collection is a fundamental element for those aiming for 100% completion, encouraging exploration and enhancing replayability.”
- “The additional content, including side quests and collectibles, significantly adds to the replayability, even though they are not essential to enjoy the game.”
- “Item collection is a fundamental element for those aiming for 100% completion, encouraging exploration and replayability.”
- “Additional content, such as side quests and collectibles, adds replayability, even though they are not essential to enjoy the game.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by bugs, particularly with the spin-dash mechanic, which often fails to activate on the first attempt. Additionally, during the boss fight with Magnavex, players experience glitches that can cause characters to fall off platforms, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The spin-dash (attack and movement mechanic) is buggy and doesn't always activate on the first try.”
- “The only thing I would say is that during the boss level when you have to fight Magnavex, his attacks can glitch the character backwards, causing you to fall off the platform. It's a little annoying, but other than that, it's a great game.”