TEVI Review – A Hop, Skip, and Jump With Bunnies & Bullets

TEVI on PC

Video video games have lengthy since turn into some of the moldable mediums of contemporary storytelling and world-building, and it could solely make sense that anime, one other in style medium with related traits, would come to mesh each collectively and create some exuberantly magical titles. To date we’ve seen all completely different sorts, from the emotionally riveting, to action-packed adventures, to the comedic and shamelessly whimsical. CreSpirit’s TEVI proudly embraces a lot of these large traits in a fiercely tight, cheerful hug, and all of it works stupendously.

The impassioned builders behind TEVI, which embody Ein Lee, Waero, and GemaYue, are not any strangers to this eccentrically-styled area of interest of anime-inspired video games. Their inventive historical past is adorned with a lot of beloved titles corresponding to Rabi-Ribi and Final Command. TEVI joins in with them as the newest 2D, side-scrolling Metroidvania journey, and impressively the largest one but from this staff in nearly each sense. As followers need an increasing number of high quality content material from these specific sorts of video games, myself included, TEVI completely delivers it on a cute, animal-shaped silver platter.

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The sport begins off by providing you with the choice to choose from a whopping six problem tiers, from ‘Cakewalk’ as much as ‘Knowledgeable’ in your first playthrough. The very best problem is inaccessible most definitely till you beat the sport a minimum of as soon as, per custom. Afterward, the sport opens with a mysterious flashback sequence on the burning Palace of Ana Thema, and shortly establishes varied phrases for us to (hopefully) keep in mind, from the “Key of Mud”, to “Elysium”, to “Astral Gears”.

Oh and a land known as “Az” and an Empress named Dahlia. It’s sort of quite a bit to soak up so quick, however it’s important to remind your self that at its core, this recreation is supposed to be an thrilling, bullet-flashing joyride, so simply buckle in in the interim and take the story because it comes.

After a dramatic outro with the Empress, we’re then swiftly taken again to the current, and launched to a younger, quirky woman named Tevi (ahaa), who stands out not only for her humorous and mischievous persona, however the undeniably lovely rabbit ears poking out of her outsized hat. Her entire, very cosplay’ready look definitely hearkens to the standard eccentric fashion aesthetics seen in anime, and belief me, this recreation performs to it full drive throughout your complete solid.

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As we discover out, Tevi has purposefully gotten herself captured by a gang of bandits generally known as the Golden Arms, and considered one of their members named Ribauld makes his boisterous acquaintance, with a robotic arm and bear ears as well. Can’t say precisely how intimidating this makes him versus an precise bear, however the entire trade between them is hilarious sufficient, with him obliviously revealing the situation of the key treasure that Tevi is definitely there in search of. After he leaves, her intelligent ruse of the frightened and fragile woman shortly drops, revealing one which’s as a substitute totally assured and unimpressed by the thugs who clearly can’t hold a secret.

Tevi thus units out on her mission (now in lovely pixelated type) to search out mentioned secret treasure, permitting the participant to take management from right here on out. Issues begin off easy sufficient, with determining the best way to navigate the surroundings and carry out fundamental talents. For the reason that sheer variety of fight talents and different gameplay mechanics does add up over time, I discovered myself actually preferring the controller for the sort of recreation over the keyboard and mouse. It in the end will depend on what you’re snug with, however if you wish to follow the keyboard, it’s possible you’ll be spending a little bit of time remapping plenty of issues.

Regardless of that, nonetheless, the gameplay itself feels remarkably easy and fluid for a 2D side-scroller with multi-tiered ranges to maneuver. Executing strikes and assaults towards enemies feels polished and near-perfectly responsive, with little to no delay, which is a should in a recreation with a mess of combos. The combos themselves are sometimes easy sufficient, and touchdown them in succession feels splendidly satisfying. Within the off-chance that you just occur to neglect the best way to do one although, there’s no want to worry as merely going to your character menu (“Choice” on controller; “Esc” on keyboard) shows your complete listing of named combos you’ve realized so far within the recreation.

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On that word, the performance of your complete Character Menu system, particularly in a recreation with so many interactive components and objects to make use of, is fortunately fairly easy. As seen above, you may have your character’s degree, fundamental stats (HP & MP), together with all of their unlocked talents displayed under with useful descriptions for what they do. As you deliver extra get together members on board, you’ll be capable to swap characters as effectively to see all of their specs at any given time.

Alongside that’s your Gadgets (or Stock the place key objects, gear, weapons, and consumables are saved), your Sigils (these present varied perks to your character out and in of battle), your Crafting Menu the place you craft upgrades and prepare dinner up delicious desserts for buffs, your interactive Map which is a lifesaver, and eventually your Pocket book which catalogs occasions, areas, and lore you might have missed earlier than.

Quickly sufficient, you begin bumping right into a literal smorgasbord of characters that, whereas buddy or foe, are essentially the most colourful bunch you may probably consider. Simply on the visible aspect, every notable character is intricately designed with the trademark eccentricity that Tevi has, from their number of animal options to each element of clothes. Granted, not all of them have fluffy ears and a tail. People who do are generally known as Beastkin, whereas others embody People, Magitech, and so forth. As for what Tevi is strictly, I’ll merely say that her bunny ears play a particular function.

The sport boasts a formidable roster of over 50 characters with voice acted dialogue, and all the ones I’ve heard up to now go above and past with their personas, particularly your two main sidekicks Celia (seen above) and Sable, in addition to Tevi’s father Zema. Each phrase is spoken with unwavering aptitude, and it retains your consideration fairly effectively, even within the extra long-winded conversations. It brings a much-needed persona buff, so to talk, to characters who in any other case can come throughout as technically “flat”. That’s, whereas not essentially boring or uninspiring, flat characters are usually comparatively predictable in nature, and their private arcs have a tendency to not change a lot over the course of occasions. It’s by no means unusual within the realm of anime, so it’s not too stunning to search out that right here.

Nevertheless, it’s one thing that actually doesn’t inhibit the sport all that a lot. If it had been a narrative-driven one, it could be a difficulty in that case, however that is nearly the antithesis of intimate storytelling. It’s an adorably humorous, fast-paced, bullet hell metroidvania romp that is aware of that it doesn’t must get dramatic, and admittedly it could be a bit bizarre if it did.

One other feather in its bunny cap is the fantastically inventive degree design. Each space is solely distinctive with completely different characters, enemies, interactives, and maybe better of all is that they’re all seamlessly interconnected. You may actually step from one space proper into one other in a blink, and the map simply lets you understand which one is which, and even offers the general proportion that you just’ve explored in every one. To make issues even simpler, you need to use teleport hubs that may take you to some other hub you’ve a

When you’re fearful that you just’re going to expire of locations to see too quick, Tevi really has fairly the journey in entrance of her with over 40 completely different areas in all from begin to end. That scale of exploration, once more in a 2D sidescroller, is equal components spectacular and admirable. It reveals that the event staff wished to go all out for Tevi’s journey, from the informal drop-ins at retailers to the deepest expeditions and fiercest of battles.

On prime of all that, each space options its personal distinctive and memorable soundtrack piece that completely accentuates the given vibe. Even some cutscenes and boss fights get their very own musical quantity additionally, so regardless of the place you go or who you stumble upon, unbelievable tunes will observe. The precise OST has over 70 authentic tracks, which is a legit accomplishment for a single recreation.

As I progressed via the story, the expertise solely obtained greater, flashier, and significantly cooler. The boss battles scattered via do effectively to check you on the skills you’ve realized, and push you to get strategic with every part. A few of them do get fairly difficult, and it might probably take a number of tries to search out that excellent sequence of mixtures to clench victory.

When it comes to replayability, I do really feel like TEVI firmly checks that mark off as effectively. In fact with a number of difficulties, dozens of explorable areas, secrets and techniques to search out and a lot extra all through the sport, that may be solely anticipated. It has to not solely be technically be replayable although, it has to really feel that means, and TEVI has given me that feeling up to now. Whereas I haven’t closed the e-book on my first run simply but, I’m anxious to find something I’ve ignored, and all the pieces that’s nonetheless ready to be discovered.

Not solely that, Tevi is actually a really gratifying character to play as, with all her charisma, silliness, and naturally her bunny-tier agility and battle dexterity. A lot of the sport’s solid was very entertaining to look at and work together with, although I nonetheless felt like Tevi saved a very good chunk of the highlight all through, for higher or worse. A part of me needs that a few of them had been a tad much less trope’ish, and that some conversations felt much less like winded filler and extra significant to take a seat via. I discovered it a bit ironic that even on the primary run, actually all dialogue includes a ‘Quick Ahead’ button, and even a ‘Skip’ button if the primary possibility isn’t fast sufficient for you.

Nonetheless, TEVI isn’t solely a brilliant enjoyable and well-constructed addition to the metroidvania area of interest, I feel it’s additionally undoubtedly serving to to usher forth the modernized 2D side-scroller renaissance that’s respiration new life into essentially the most basic format of gaming. Growth groups throughout the globe are contributing an increasing number of to it, and I’m so glad to see that CreSpirit is constant to do what they do greatest, and having little Tevi paved the way.

Concerning the writer

Stephanie Watel

Stephanie Watel is a contract author for Twinfinite. Stephanie has been with the location for a number of months, and within the video games media trade for a few yr. Stephanie usually covers the newest information and quite a lot of gaming guides for the location, and loves gardening and being the chook girl of the neighborhood. She has a BA in Writing from Tempo College in NY.