Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

EVAC delivers an almost surgical approach to platforming, trading sprawling levels for bite-sized challenges that test your reflexes to the limit. From the moment you hit the start button, a relentless timer—embodied by encroaching flames—drives every decision. You’re not simply jumping from platform to platform; you’re racing against a living hazard that transforms the level architecture into an ever-dwindling runway.

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The core mechanics are deceptively simple: run, jump, and avoid falling debris or explosive barrels as fire spreads from the left side of the screen. Yet within these constraints, Jonatan Söderström (better known as Cactus) manages to cultivate a palpable sense of panic. Precision timing becomes crucial when floors collapse beneath your feet—one misstep can send you plummeting back to the start, forcing you to adapt on the fly.

Each level is a short sprint, lasting mere seconds if you have the skills, but the learning curve is steep enough to entice repeated attempts. Since the fire’s progression varies slightly with each playthrough, memorization only takes you so far. You must remain alert, as the pace and hazards converge to keep you on edge until that final leap into safety.

Graphics

Visually, EVAC leans into a raw, pixel-driven aesthetic that feels distinctly retro yet oddly unsettling. The most striking feature is the color palette, which cycles at random intervals, bathing the scene in shifting hues of red, orange, green, or blue. This unpredictable chromatic drift amplifies the game’s chaotic atmosphere, making you feel the heat of every approaching flame.

Despite being crafted in just three hours, the environmental details are impressively coherent. Flaming floors glow with a pixelated intensity, while collapsing girders and shattering barrels are rendered with just enough fidelity to convey urgency. The simplicity of the sprites allows for lightning-fast frame rates, ensuring that no visual lag compromises your split-second timing.

Minor visual flourishes—like sparks flying from electrical faults or debris scattering after an explosion—enhance the survival scenario without overwhelming the screen. This minimalist approach keeps the action readable, ensuring that you can spot a collapsing platform or incoming fireball at a glance, even as the palette continues its maddening rotation.

Story

EVAC doesn’t rely on lengthy exposition or dialogue to tell its tale. The narrative unfolds through its premise: a routine electrical fault catastrophically spirals out of control, initiating a chain reaction of fires, explosions, and structural failures. The urgency of your escape becomes the story, communicated through environmental cues and gameplay stakes rather than words on a screen.

Each level feels like a chapter in a disaster movie, with you as both protagonist and audience. There’s a grim poetry to the way corridors light up in flame, steel beams buckle under heat, and debris rains down from above. Without characters to build backstories for, the game’s tension is distilled into a pure, adrenaline-fueled run for survival.

While EVAC’s narrative is minimalistic, it’s surprisingly effective. In under five minutes, you experience the full arc of chaos—from the spark of an electrical fault to the brink of collapse—and that brevity gives the game a cinematic punch. It is storytelling by implication, where each successful dash to the exit carries the weight of lives barely saved.

Overall Experience

Playing EVAC feels like sprinting through a burning building in a daredevil stunt—every jump matters, every second counts, and there’s no room for hesitation. Its compressed runtime and razor-sharp focus make it a standout example of how a game jam concept can deliver a memorable rush. There’s no filler here; every screen is designed to push your skills and patience to the edge.

The glitchy audio track, with its stuttering beats and crackling undertones, pairs perfectly with the visual chaos. It’s less a composed soundtrack and more an electronic heartbeat that accelerates in tandem with your pulse. This auditory backdrop reinforces the sensation of impending doom, making the few moments you get to catch your breath all the more rewarding.

Admittedly, EVAC’s brevity may leave some players yearning for more content or narrative depth. But its succinct design is also its greatest strength—it distills platforming tension down to its purest form. Each retry feels fresh, thanks to slight variations in fire spread and obstacle timing, offering a surprising amount of replay value for what is essentially a three-hour prototype.

In summary, EVAC is a formidable micro-experience that showcases Jonatan Söderström’s knack for high-concept, low-overhead design. Its unrelenting tempo, minimalist visuals, and emergent storytelling create a compact thrill ride that’s perfect for quick sessions or for players who appreciate distilled, old-school platforming anxiety. If you’re seeking a fast, furious test of reflexes wrapped in a disaster-escape scenario, EVAC is well worth the short commitment.

Retro Replay Score

null/10