Ever Oasis is an action RPG from Grezzo, the studio behind the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask remakes, in which the player, as a young Seedling, builds and manages an oasis in the middle of an inhospitable desert. Besides building the oasis, taking in new residents, and expanding its shops, the player also ventures into the surrounding dungeons, where they fight in real time alongside up to two companions and gather materials needed for developing the settlement. Every new resident of the oasis brings their own shop and personal quest line, so gradually expanding the settlement is tied to uncovering each character's individual story.
The game combines town-management elements, where the player decides what shops and services the oasis will offer, with classic action-RPG exploration full of puzzles and battles against desert monsters. Combat is fast-paced, with the ability to switch between characters and their unique abilities, which recalls party cooperation in traditional action RPGs. Visually the game leans on the warm colors of the desert landscape and stylized graphics that look clean and clear on 3DS, accompanied by gentle, atmospheric music that underscores the feeling of the oasis as a refuge amid danger. The individual dungeons are also laced with environmental puzzles that make use of the companions' specific abilities.
Ever Oasis came out near the end of the 3DS's life and was received as a pleasant surprise - an original concept that showed the platform still had something to offer in the form of new IPs even after years on the market. Critics especially praised the inventive combination of building and action, though some players noted the repetitiveness of the later dungeons. Today the title is valued as one of the last standout games for 3DS and an example of the creativity smaller studios were still able to bring near the end of a console generation.
Game 59 of 132 for Nintendo 3DS
