Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity
- August 31, 2023
- Sam Atlas
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity" is a creative platformer that encourages players to experiment with transformation and movement combinations to overcome obstacles in sprawling spaces. As the experiment evolves, players can discover new forms and collect resources to increase their maximum potential. The game is centered around the Extreme Evolution Experiment and the various entities that drive it, as the experiment races towards Earth.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique and surreal experience with its psychedelic visuals and engaging gameplay mechanics, allowing for creative problem-solving.
- It features a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere and emotional impact of the game.
- Players appreciate the vast amount of content and the freedom to explore levels in various ways, making it a rewarding experience.
- The visuals can be overwhelming and may cause discomfort or trigger photosensitivity issues for some players.
- The game's abstract storytelling and mechanics can be confusing, leaving some players unsure of their objectives.
- There are reports of technical issues, such as controller malfunctions, which can hinder the gameplay experience.
- music11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many praising the soundtrack as one of the best in video games. Composed by dl salo, the music enhances the atmosphere with ethereal elements, impactful piano hits, and unique sound design, contributing to a distinctive gaming experience. Overall, players find the soundtrack to be a standout feature that elevates the game's overall quality.
“The music is also a huge boost to the atmosphere, with ethereal background manipulations and big piano hits, creating an immersive experience.”
“Best video game I've ever played with the best soundtrack to a video game I've ever heard.”
“The music is also a huge boost to the atmosphere, with ethereal background manipulations, but it also features some big piano hits and distorted noisy grooves. The 'Chunk Temple' theme felt like it was blowing out my speakers and my brain simultaneously.”
“That paired with the killer music it has makes this a pretty unique experience.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a surrealist psychedelic aesthetic that can be disorienting and potentially unplayable for those with photosensitive epilepsy, leading some to liken the visuals to a malfunctioning graphics card. While the art direction is a significant draw, the visuals are abstract yet coherent, and players who can adapt to the style will find the gameplay, which combines exploration and physics-based puzzles, to be engaging. Overall, the unique and chaotic visuals may not appeal to everyone, but they complement the game's intriguing mechanics.
“The visuals and art direction are obviously a huge draw here, but there is also a solid game underneath, combining exploration and ability-gaining metroidvania style with the physics/motion puzzles.”
“Don't let the visuals fool you - once you've adjusted to them, the game is entirely comprehensible.”
“The aesthetic is interesting and coherent - if obviously a little abstract.”
“Married to this is a surrealist psychedelic aesthetic that is definitely unplayable to anyone with photosensitive epilepsy and which is more than a little disorienting.”
“As a friend described it, 'the game looks like my graphics card is dying.'”
“If you like abusing the physics of a game or just like puzzles in general and don't mind the sometimes jarring visuals, I would say you should give the game a try.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay is straightforward yet cleverly designed, offering engaging platforming challenges that surprise players both mechanically and emotionally. While the vivid, psychedelic visuals can be disorienting, the game's goals and mechanics remain clear, allowing for a rewarding experience that encourages personal discovery.
“It's one of those games where thematically and mechanically it feels like any kind of detail feels like a spoiler, given its intention seems to be to piece something together for yourself in both cases, so I won't go too much into it.”
“It's one of those games where thematically and mechanically it feels like any kind of detail feels like a spoiler, given its intention seems to be to piece something together for yourself in both cases.”
“To reduce this game to its most mechanical elements is to do it a disservice, although not much of one since the platforming challenges are very clever.”
“Most games I play don't/can't surprise me either mechanically or emotionally, and this game has done both.”
- story4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as a chaotic and surreal experience, reminiscent of the ending of "2001: A Space Odyssey," which leaves players with vague interpretations and a sense of confusion. While the narrative may lose momentum towards the climax due to overpowering abilities, its eccentricity keeps players engaged enough to see it through to the end. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a mixed bag, offering both intrigue and frustration.
“Maybe the kind of schizo storytelling adds to its appeal to me.”
“The weirdness of the story had me interested enough to make it to the end.”
“As for the story, it's like that scene at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey but for an entire game; I don't know what is going on beyond some vague ideas and interpretations about what it means.”
“Extreme evolution kind of starts to lose steam after a certain point towards the climax because you end up unlocking a few overpowered abilities that just invalidate everything else and make the climax more of a formality. Thankfully, the weirdness of the story had me interested enough to make it to the end.”
“As for the story, it's like that scene at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey but for an entire game. I don't know what is going on beyond some vague ideas and interpretations about what it means. I'd probably need to replay through the whole thing with a team of archaeologists to make heads or tails of it, but then I am kind of dumb, so I don't know.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game primarily stems from its straightforward mechanics, particularly the ability to perform amusing movement combos through form-shifting. This playful interaction adds a layer of fun to the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.
“What's funny about this game is that, presentation aside, it's fairly straightforward mechanically.”
“At its core, it's a form-shifting platformer where you can swap forms at any time, allowing you to chain form swaps to create hilarious movement combos.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be highly emotionally impactful, noting that it successfully surprises them in ways that most games do not, both mechanically and emotionally.
“And... it's also very emotionally affecting.”
“Most games I play don't/can't surprise me either mechanically or emotionally, and this game has done both.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is significantly enhanced by its music, featuring ethereal background manipulations alongside impactful piano hits and distorted grooves, creating an immersive and intense auditory experience that resonates powerfully with players.
“The music is a huge boost to the atmosphere, with ethereal background manipulations, big piano hits, and distorted noisy grooves. The Chunk Temple theme felt like it was blowing out my speakers and my brain simultaneously.”
“The music is a huge boost to the atmosphere, with ethereal background manipulations, big piano hits, and distorted noisy grooves. The chunk temple theme felt like it was blowing out my speakers and my brain simultaneously.”
“The overall atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real sense of immersion or engagement.”
“Despite the beautiful visuals, the atmosphere is undermined by repetitive sound design that fails to evoke any real emotion.”
