Everlands review

Every now and then a mobile developer comes along that knows almost intuitively how to create truly mesmerising games within the relatively humble framework of the host platform.

Hexage – previously responsible for Android and iPhone gems such as Radiant, Totemo and Buka – is one such developer; it has mastered the art of mobile gaming thanks to a combination of addictive gameplay concepts and lush presentation.

Given the excellent track record of the studio we were naturally keen to get our hands on its latest project, Everlands. Like the other titles we’ve seen so far from Hexage this is one seriously attractive game, with gorgeous cartoon characters and eye-catching high-resolution graphics.

Best described as a fusion between the puzzle and strategy genres, Everlands is all about intelligent placement of your various pieces, each of which represents a different animal.

Each animal takes the form of a hexagon, with arrows on each of its six sides illustrating where it can attack. For example, the spiky hedgehog can attack on five of its six sides, but other animals – such as the bee – can only attack on two.

Taking this into account, where you place your animals is of paramount importance. It pays to use the edges of the board to protect the sides on which your beast cannot attack from. You’ll also want to make sure you attack rival animals from their vulnerable weak spots to avoid receiving a retaliatory gesture.

Each unit has an attack score and a health score. The former shows how much damage that animal can inflict when it enters play, while the latter is slowly depleted as the unit is attacked. Once an animal’s health reaches zero it switches over to the opposing side. Because the aim of the game is to achieve numerical superiority on the board by the time all of the available grid spaces are filled, it’s vital that you transform as many of your foe’s units into allies and avoid having your own animals change allegiance.

The complexity of the gameplay doesn’t end there though. Each unit is blessed with additional unique abilities which can mean the difference between success and failure in each level.

Take the Leopard, for instance; this swift hunter always attacks first, no matter whose turn it happens to be. Similarly, units like the Rat are capable of boosting their power when they’re grouped together and the friendly frog can even heal nearby friends when he is placed on the board.

Because of the sheer variety of different animals available and the scope of their unique talents, Everlands is an incredibly deep game.

It takes quite some time for the staggering possibilities to properly sink in and you may find yourself becoming frustrated as you repeatedly fail a particularly taxing mission.

However, there really is a method to the madness and when you eventually come out on top it’s usually because you’ve mastered the tactical side of Everlands and have placed your units in the most logical formation possible.

The Story mode will swallow up the majority of your time but once this is completed you can engage in the two-player duel element, where you’re given a massive board and a selection of units to deploy.

Sadly this is a “pass and play” proposition where both participants use the same handset rather than a wireless mode where you can play across two devices, but the turn-based nature of the gameplay means this isn’t a massive issue.

However, we’d like to see an online multiplayer aspect integrated into Everlands as quickly as possible because it’s not always easy to find fellow players in your immediate vicinity.

It hardly needs mentioning that Everlands is a visual and aural masterpiece – Hexage’s illustrious reputation should already lead you to expect this.

The hand drawn 2D graphics are bursting with charm and not a single pixel has been wasted when it comes to creating the game’s unique look. Similarly the soundtrack is of a very high standard, combining atmospheric tunes with punchy spot effects.

Naturally, Everlands isn’t going to appeal to the same people who lapped up Buka and Radiant because the gameplay is much more cerebral.

However, if you’re willing to make the effort to fully understand every facet of the astonishingly deep gameplay then you’ll discover a challenging and highly rewarding piece of software that is unlikely to ever be removed from your Android phone’s internal storage.

Everlands is due for release on Android, iPhone and Samsung Bada in July.