Negative Gamer Review: Evasive Space (WiiWare)

The Wii is good for two things: casual gamers and waggling. Though it does have its share of admirable titles, whether they come on actual discs or via the Wii Shop Channel, that’s all I can think of when I look to my Wii’s lonely corner of the room. To refuel my lost interest in the little console that could, I have gradually been looking into WiiWare titles. Most recently, thanks to Akinai Games, I was given the chance to try the newest entry into the library, Evasive Space. What seems to be a simple concept isn’t executed as well as it could have been, because it’s riddled with flaws.

For a title where you’re expected to maneuver from point A to point B while collecting power-ups and avoiding collision, the game is deceptively difficult and frustrating. Does it crash and burn or does it evade…really well?

In space, no one can hear your ship crash.

Evasive Space is billed as a classic shooter – a throwback, if you will. I found that this was very much not the case, as the game plays out more like Xbox Live Arcade’s Shred Nebula. Taking up the mantle of Konki, stellar guardian, it’s your job to navigate expansive levels akin to cosmic mazes. Along the way the path is littered with time bonuses, power-ups, and stranded comrades. The term “shooter” is lost on me here, as there is no shooting in the game – only evasion. Hence the title, Evasive Space. As you guide your ship through each area you’re timed and faced with claustrophobic areas to navigate. What seems to be a simple concept isn’t truthfully executed as well as it could have been, but what’s there can definitely be enjoyed, especially if you like evading and space.

Each stage is colorful and crafted beautifully. A lot of work went into the production values, and that is very readily apparent. Twinkling blues, greens, pinks, and other colors are prevalent in the many areas, and the game runs smoothly with no hiccups. However, as we all know, looks can be deceiving.

To get your evasion on, the controls are quite simple. Just point the Wii Remote at the screen and keep a lead finger on the B button to navigate. While this should, in theory, work reasonably well, it comes off feeling as though perhaps simply using an analog stick or even the D-pad would have worked better. With that said, there is some real weight to your diminutive ship. However, the game does suffer from a bit of overcompensation. It’s extremely touchy, and even holding the button for one second longer than is needed will send your ship hurtling into a wall. Since time is of the essence, one wrong move like this could mean the end for you. You’ll fail the level, and you’ll be sent back to the very beginning – much like the system schools should implement. Because of this, finishing even a few of the mazes is an exercise in true patience and precision, neither of which are my bag. Perhaps it’s just my own lack of skill, but it took 20 tries for me to successfully complete the first maze. I am quite ashamed to admit this. Heed my warning – if you pick this game up, you WILL be forced to practice and practice in order to meet stages’ time goals. Truthfully, if this is something you enjoy, this isn’t something that was done incorrectly with the game, but to have been marketed as a classic shooter that can be enjoyed by all, the way the game presents itself is backward.

Going, going…gone.

Aside from touchy controls, Evasive Space is a sadistic ass when it comes to withholding level design. You are never once given a complete flyover of a stage before you are forced to navigate. No, instead you just hope for the best as you zoom through small, unforgiving nooks and crannies. A simple touch of the D-pad to get a look at the level in its entirety would have been especially helpful here and would reduce the amount of SHEER FRUSTRATION one feels from trying to reach the goal of the stage. Would it have been so hard to award a sneak peek at the level ahead so one could plan for a course? Hell, you get a flyover in golf games, and we all know no one wants to play golf.

As if it weren’t enough that you aren’t allowed a look at what’s to come, sometimes you will be faced with random obstructions that appear simply to annoy you. You can be cruising along just fine one moment, building momentum, then BAM! You hit a wall. This is teeth-grittingly obnoxious, and one of the reasons I almost did toss my Wii controller through the poor television in front of me even though I was wearing the wrist strap and using the controller wrap. Because it is still possible to do so. So this poor construction forces you to have to retry virtually every single level until you have the map memorized in order to make any real progress. If you have a photographic memory, you should be quite well off. I can only assume this was a design decision made in order to lengthen the time spent playing the game, which in actuality should only take 5-10 hours to complete should you be a whiz at navigating without knowing what in the hell is coming up next.

More reasons to evade Evasive Space:

• Only 20 levels included, which means 20 different-looking mazes to elicit a hair-pulling response from the player.
• 1,000 Wii points seems a bit steep for a game with virtually no variety except for palette-swaps of earlier stages with different layouts.
• Offline multiplayer is flimsy.
• Music is uninspired and repetitive.

If you’re okay with going over a level thousands of times before reaching the end WHILE being timed, then Evasive Space is a good choice. It’s hard to deny how much work was put into the gorgeous visuals and production values but if you’re looking for an old-school schmup, this isn’t a good contender. Especially since you don’t even shoot anything. It could have been a much better effort on a different platform, and that could be the most disappointing aspect of the entire ordeal.

You should play this game if…

You’re  a masochist who enjoys replaying the same levels over and over to memorize them.

Final Score
There was a lot of potential here but alas, it was wasted on touchy controls, obnoxious level design, and repetitive mechanics. If you’re keen on replaying the same levels over and over, then you’re guaranteed to have a blast. Other than that, evade, stat.

(What does this score mean?)