Even the Ocean for Mac

A simple platformer with a socially relevant moral

It’s easy to be impressed by the high-quality graphics and reality-bending of modern triple-A games, but sometimes, it’s nice to come across a simple game whose merits lies in its engaging story and interesting characters. Even the Ocean is one such game. Developed by Sean Han Tanio and Marina Kittaka and published by Analgesic Productions. Even the Ocean is an adventure game presented in 2D pixel graphics. In the game, you play as Aliph, a power plant technician who gets roped into an adventure where she must save her city while trying to balance the light and dark.

Graphics and Gameplay

Both the graphics and gameplay of Even the Ocean seem to be highly inspired by retro 80s games like Metroid and Castlevania. The pixel graphics are nice and clean, but the background and cutscenes are rendered in a more painterly style which makes the whole experience a bit jarring. That said, the pixel graphics and backgrounds by themselves are very well-made, and there’s nothing about their quality that affects the gameplay. They just don’t blend well together.

The gameplay is the standard 2D platforming mechanics that were popular in the 80s such as in the aforementioned Metroid and Castlevania. This style of gameplay is very simple, but it is effective. It’s fun and challenging, and it’s not frustratingly difficult. What sets Even the Ocean apart from other Metroidvania games is the concept of light and dark energies.

Light and Dark Energies

Even the Ocean’s unique mechanic is its focus on the balance between light and dark energies. Collecting energy for speed and weapons in Metroidvania games is not special. What’s special in this game is that you have to collect two kinds of energies and you must maintain a balance in order to proceed through the levels. You can also use energy to jump and move faster. More dark energy allows your main character Aliph to move horizontally faster while having more light energy allows Aliph to jump higher.

Problems and Concerns

There are two main complaints usually directed towards this game. One is that it is too easy. There are little to no variety when it comes to the level designs so players aren’t challenged very much. There are also save points at every turn in this game which just eliminates all the stakes. If you’re a hardcore gamer really looking for a challenge, this might not be a good title to pick-up. 

The other complaint is that it’s way too text-heavy. The dialogue is too long and commonly filled with jargon that’s difficult to understand. The game could have benefitted from a script editor that could trim down a lot of the unnecessary fluff in the text.

Simple, Fun, and Easy

Even the Ocean is a worthwhile RPG. It’s not that difficult which makes it an easy challenge for most gamers. Hardcore gamers might want to sit this one out, though. The dialogue might have needed a bit more editing, but it’s not that awful. The story is engaging and has morals that are very socially relevant in the world today. Definitely