Nintendo may be focusing the vast majority of its time and effort on the gorgeous The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but the company has several other games on display at this year’s E3. One of them is a brand new IP from the director of the original Final Fantasy trilogy, and if other games have you down with their gritty violence and depressing stories, Ever Oasis is your, well, oasis.
Developed by Grezzo — the studio behind both Zelda 3DS remakes — and director by Koichi Ishii of Final Fantasy and Mana fame, Ever Oasis sees protagonist Tethu traversing a vast desert overtaken by a force known only as “Chaos.” Friendly creatures have been turned into ravenous enemies, and by creating the titular Oasis, he — or she, depending on your preferences — hopes to restore peace and life to the corrupted region.
But Tethu is not alone. While the combat and dungeon layouts resemble Zelda quite a bit, you’ll be able to control several different characters, called “Wanderers.” The Wanderers have different combat abilities and weapons from that of Tethu, whose attacks primarily use the wind, but they’re also necessary for solving puzzles. To reach a hidden area, for instance, the Wanderer Roto can turn into a small pellet, while Miura can use her spear as a tool to clear away pieces of debris. You’re free to switch between your party members at any time, and when facing larger enemies and bosses, it’s essentially required.
In addition to your followers and other friendly creatures roaming your Oasis, which functions as a home base and save point, are shops known as “Bloom Booths.” Unlike many other RPGs, you won’t be buying your items here. Instead, you bring back what you have acquired from your adventures and the items are sold to other creatures by the shopkeeper. Water, which effectively functions as the game’s currency, is also used to plant seeds that eventually turn into Bloom Booths.
No release date has been given yet, but Ever Oasis looks like another title to add to the growing “great 3DS RPGs” list. With Grezzo’s development pedigree, it’s all but a guarantee.
