By Anni Simpson on September 13, 2013 at 11:00am
I’m going to deviate from the norm here and review an older game that I haven’t seen talked about since it was originally released in 2008 by Zaratustra Productions, an odd little gem called "Eversion".
“Eversion” is a platformer similar to other giants in the genre including “Super Mario Brothers.” “Eversion” even opens with a scene directly from the original “SMB” – your character, a flower named Zee Tee. Your goal is to save the princess of the Flower Kingdom. Sounds familiar, right? That’s about where the similarities between “Eversion” and the other classics die. Officially, the game is a “horror platformer.”
“Everting” is what makes this game different. Everting allows you to instead twist reality at defined points in a level. Eventually, you run across a patch of space that’s just a little different. The music warps, and the colors change … just for a second. In those small spaces of strangeness, you want to evert. When you do, you are transported to an alternate reality where the world gets just a little bit darker, a little bit sadder. The flowers in the background wither, and the blocks you jump across are a little morose now. With every new layer, you uncover a world that is increasingly horrible and terrifying.
Game Play
“Everting” is what makes this game different. Everting allows you to instead twist reality at defined points in a level. Eventually, you run across a patch of space that’s just a little different. The music warps, and the colors change … just for a second. In those small spaces of strangeness, you want to evert. When you do, you are transported to an alternate reality where the world gets just a little bit darker, a little bit sadder. The flowers in the background wither, and the blocks you jump across are a little morose now. With every new layer, you uncover a world that is increasingly horrible and terrifying.
The major problem I had with gameplay is the dying. You die. A lot. The simple controls mean that there isn’t a lot of tightly-controlled movement. Slight changes to your game play can easily propel you into the ocean or into the face of a cute (flower bulb?) of an enemy. I took a while to get used to the controls.
To compensate, levels are relatively short, especially in the beginning. This would be irritating in any other game, what would have appeared to be a sad attempt to lengthen a short game, but not with “Eversion.” When you have to go back to gather gems from earlier parts of the level, the game play and by extension your strategies to get around the level have changed. You completely make use of the space provided to you. Although it was time-consuming to return back to places you’d been already, it made each level a continuous challenge.
Design
My favorite part goes without saying: eversion is interesting. It’s an innovative way to make a lot of use out of a little space and force you to think about what objects can be useful to you to clear the level.
I also really loved the increasing darkness in the game’s mood. It starts out cute, almost to a degree where the upbeat pitch and hopping animations make you want to slaughter a unicorn in protest. However, it doesn’t stay that way. Changing the pace and the mood keeps the game interesting.
Up to this point, I haven’t really explored the “horror” aspect of this game. I cannot stress enough how terrifying the design gets fairly early on. Specifically, I’m referring to the hand that jumps up from underneath you to destroy you in a screaming fit of evil. I’ve never had a platformer jolt me from my chair until this game. And it just kept going..
Music
Considering the game – at least in part – is a return to an earlier generation’s play style, it makes to use an 8-bit soundtrack. Without considering eversion, it is a very simple game which doesn’t need a complex, beautiful score to highlight how deep and meaningful the game actually is if you think about it. As you evert, the music changes with you. Each alternate reality has its own soundtrack, which gets increasingly creepy and “evil” as you progress through the worlds.
Conclusion
This game is either a great way to kill a few hours or completely lose your head in a rage, because you died again. I originally played this game in 2008 at the suggestion of a friend (spoiler: I think it was Brad). Every once in a while when I want to smash my head against the keyboard, I return to it.
The reason this game is a gem is just how shockingly clever and strange the title is. It takes a core set of game mechanics and transforms them into something fascinating. “Super Meat Boy” was infamous for its difficulty (and just how grotesque it was). This is not that. I like interesting, thoughtful deviations from the norm. We’ve all played mind-numbingly frustrating platformers, but I don’t usually see “different” platformers. (I guess it’s been a good month for that. Lucky me!)
This is both. And it’s worth every hour you drop into it. It’s currently available on Steam for a bank-breaking $4.99.
