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0 Have you ever asked yourself, “What would you get if you mixed fairy tales, paper-thin characters (literally), and a charming, colourful aesthetic?” No, me neither, but thankfully developer Sleepy Castle Studio did, because now we have Escape from Ever After!
This is the developers very first title, and oh wow, does it look like a great debut! Escape from Ever After is a turn-based action RPG, and is available now for PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S.
Like A Storybook Come to Life!
Let’s not shy away from the obvious: Escape from Ever After is clearly a homage to the classic Paper Mario titles. As someone who absolutely adored Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for GameCube, I’ve been looking forward to this since its announcement! But will this have the same magical charm as the game it takes inspiration from? Or is this a tale best left untold?
The story centres around Flynt Buckler, an average fairy tale hero. On his way to face his nemesis, the evil dragon Tinder, Flynt finds Tinder’s castle has some new occupants. Namely, Ever After Inc., a corporation that has invaded the land in order to plunder its resources. Down with capitalism!
Flynn decides that the best way to stop the sinister company is from within. So, he and Tinder form a begrudging team and take on jobs at Evert After Inc. in order to take them down! It’s a light-hearted, comical tale that’s sure to please young and old alike. The writing is clever, and makes you care for these outlandish characters you’ll meet across each world. There are some darker moments, such as when you explore a world based on H. P. Lovecraft’s works, but it’s still family-friendly fun.
Wandering Written Worlds
As is the case for most RPGs, gameplay is divided into combat and exploration. Lets focus on what happens when not fighting, first. Roaming environments and solving puzzles is the order of the day, and Escape from Ever After is a wonderful game to explore! From towns to dungeons, each self-contained area is elaborate and full of things to see and do. Not everything can be discovered on the first journey, though, and you’ll need to return to previous areas once you’ve unlocked more abilities in order to collect everything.
There are plenty of environmental puzzles that require both party member skills and some critical thinking. The majority of them are well thought out and not too challenging, providing a nice break from combat. However, several puzzles seemed to rely on guesswork rather than logic. This led to some frustrating moments where I was unable to progress and for the life of me, couldn’t figure out where I was going wrong. I’m a big lover of the puzzle genre, and there are some satisfying ones to solve here. But the few that did stump me left a rather negative impression.
Everybody Was 2D Fighting!
Most turn-based games see you selecting an option from a menu and sitting back to watch the action play out. Not here! It works similarly to the previously mentioned Paper Mario turn-based titles, or the Mario & Luigi series. Timing is everything here, as you’ll need to have fast fingers to hit button prompts for both attacking and defending.
Combat itself can also be seen as a sort of puzzle. Enemies come in all shapes and sizes: flying, stacked on top of one another, shielded, and so on. Some spiky enemies will even damage you if you land a melee attack on them! There are on-screen button prompts for your attacks, though mitigating damage from your opponents requires a keen eye to study their animations. There’s also the choice of which two party members you want in battle at any one time. This adds another layer of strategy, as their various special moves are all useful in their own way. Overall, it’s a fun system that rewards players that do more than spam regular attacks, where experimenting with different characters and skills feels rewarding.
There’s little in the way of new mechanics being added, though. Outside of unlocking new skills and learning how to deal with new enemy types, combat remains the same throughout your journey. This isn’t necessarily a negative point, although I did find my attention slipping during later fights, where some enemies had far too much health. As I said, it is a fun battle system, and the animations seen throughout were always a treat to watch.
Graphics & Audio
Take one look at the screenshots, and you’ll see just how beautiful Escape from Ever After looks! Its rich, vibrant colour palette really pops off the screen, showcasing the game’s brilliant visual design. The whole thing is just an absolute joy to look at, the mixture of 2D and 3D visuals is a true treat. It’s not just the lovely looking environments, though, as the character designs are also whimsical and charming!
This praise also extends to the soundtrack. Whilst there is no spoken dialogue (honestly, in this case I think it works to the games benefit!), the music heard throughout is often upbeat and playful. Each tune does a great job in creating atmosphere for each area, with the overall package being an absolute gem to look at and listen to.
As for performance, I came across zero issues during my time with the game. No slowdown, crashes, clipping, and so on. Feels like somewhat of a rarity in the current gaming landscape!
Longevity
There’s plenty of content here to keep players busy for a good amount of time. My final play time was around 26 hours, and that’s without 100% competition!
There’s also a Trophy for completing the game on hard difficulty, which is no easy feat when facing off against certain bosses! The rest of the Trophy list isn’t particularly demanding, but a second playthrough is recommended for the Platinum!
Final Thoughts
Escape from Ever After is not just an indie homage to Paper Mario, but a genuinely great game in its own right. From its charming visuals and range of likable characters, to its witty and often hilarious writing, there’s a lot to love here! Despite my attention waning in the later sections due to dragged out fights there’s no doubt the combat system is solid and enjoyable.
If your a fan of RPGs, but want something a little less intense than titles such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or have fond memories of the older Paper Mario games, then this is an easy recommendation from me!
With all that said, I’ll be giving Escape from Ever After the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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