I had looked forward to Ever Oasis since I heard the first announcements for it.
The Legend of Mana was one of my all-time favorite games and the same creators were doing Ever Oasis and these were also the same ones who had redone many of the Legend of Zelda games for the 3DS.
I was far from disappointed and the wait was more than worth it.
You start out with a tutorial as a young seedling helping your brother with his oasis that doesn’t feel much like a tutorial at all which is a plus for someone like me as I tend to get bored really fast when it comes to tutorials. Suddenly though, there is a sad twist to the game and you are thrown out on your own where you end meeting Esna, the lonely water spirit and teaming up with her to become chief of your very own Oasis.
Ever Oasis seems to be much like a cross between the Harvest Moon games and the Mana series. There is mining and farming and tending to your Oasis by keeping the shops stocked and your residents happy and satisfied. You gain residents in many a different fashion. Sometimes they show up in your Oasis, but more often than not, you find them during other quests, they visit and then you complete quests in order to gain them as an asset to your Oasis. These same residents can go with you on other quests and they come with unique skills and abilities that you will need to complete certain aspects of the game.
At the same time, there is a storyline which keeps the plot moving forward whilst you are tending to your Oasis. The same Chaos that appeared in the very first part of the game periodically threatens to overtake your Oasis and you must complete certain missions to gain what is needed to keep your Oasis safe. This means that the monotony that some complained about with Harvest Moon games does not so much exist in this instance.
My favorite thing was the ease of which I could put down Ever Oasis and pick it back up with a minimal amount of confusion as to what I had been doing, which is always a plus with my crazy work schedule. Another benefit to the game is that casual gamers should find it challenging without being impossible while fans should find there to be enough puzzles without being bored throughout the entirety of gameplay.
All in all, the world of Ever Oasis offers much to be explored, many puzzles to be solved and many different creatures to defend. I would definitely say it is one of my favorite games of the year.