Everhood

Jordi Roca, a Spanish developer, and Chris Nordgren, a Swedish author specializing in pixel art and special effects, have formed the perfect combo to create Everhood, an impressive video game full of colors and music.

This peculiar project arises from the mix of two worlds that, presumptively, would not seem to have any connection between them. On the one hand, it is a 2D adventure, while on the other hand, it is a combat game with real-time, rhythm-based action.

With this premise, a psychedelic title is presented by playing in the shoes of a wooden doll with a stolen arm. Our first steps in the world of Everhood will be to follow a little thief. Soon after, a frog with a guitar will stop us to test us before letting us advance through a dangerous reality led by a large golden pig. Yes, everything is as bizarre as it sounds. Confrontations will not have a classic structure, it will be represented as a song and each musical note will be an attack. Our only possible action, at least at first, will be to dodge these attacks.

The general theme of Everhood, and what makes this game stand out, is this peculiar combat system, which makes it a remarkable title that goes far beyond a simple call for users to continue playing. Our character will only be able to move from left to right and jump to dodge, to the rhythm of the music. The creators have taken this idea and given it a new twist in each fight. The result is an experience like no other, a challenging hallucinogenic trip that will try to disorient us with every step we take. Of course, if the lights and strobe effects bother you, you should avoid playing, so don’t fool yourself... It's crazy!

Each rival has their own quirks based on the musical genre they represent and there is a wide variety of styles, ranging from disco to flamenco. All with songs composed with exquisite taste, absorbing themes that we could easily listen to on a loop when we're not playing (in fact, the soundtrack is available on Spotify).

But, if representing different musical genres wasn’t enough, the creators of Everhood have also shaped the combat style for each of them. That is to say, every time we face an enemy, it is very likely that we see different tricks, whether it is to reverse the controls or to turn off the lights from time to time so that we cannot see the attacks.

The combats are one of the most important parts of Everhood, but other aspects also stand out and have practically the same importance in the game. One of them is the story. The plot shows us that it is not going to be a simple pleasant walk through a fantasy world: the game breaks the fourth wall just before starting and asks us to abandon humanity to embrace immortality. Dialogues are as strange as they are bitter, between absurd humor and philosophical reflection.

Everhood's depth and surprising moments do not end with the plot and combat mechanics, but also extend to other playable aspects that are presented in the form of mini-games. During the adventure, we will find unique interactive sections with original mechanics that have little to do with what we do during the rest of the game. It's a laudable way of adding variety to the whole, and you can tell that a lot of work has gone into making these alternate segments work properly, without giving up other important features.

In short, this psychedelic experience presents us with a different game that will allow us to have some fun, and at times, drive us crazy because of its complexity. It is highly recommended!