Ever Oasis

 3DS
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 107 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 107
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 107
  3. Negative: 11 out of 107
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  1. Miyu
    Jun 27, 2017
    9
    Pro:
    +cute details, likeable characters, fitting soundtrack, the desert graphics
    +managing the economy of your oasis is addtictive: recruiting villagers, helping them to open their shops, harvesting, crafting + fun dungeons, clever puzzles + convinient travel system, like warping + fun combat system cons - i whish there were more oppurtinities to customize - only 3 different    Pro:
    +cute details, likeable characters, fitting soundtrack, the desert graphics
    +managing the economy of your oasis is addtictive: recruiting villagers, helping them to open their shops, harvesting, crafting
    + fun dungeons, clever puzzles
    + convinient travel system, like warping
    + fun combat system

    cons
    - i whish there were more oppurtinities to customize
    - only 3 different tribes
    - you're only allowed to take 2 villagers with you to fight- while everyone has one skill, some dungeons require more skills and you have to return to clear the dungeon completely
    - plot might be too shallow for you if you're a fan of jrpgs

    Okay, first of all, I'm a huuuge fan of simulating games with rpg elements: Fantasy Life (favorite game), Rune Factory, Harvest Moon or Animal Crossing. I love collecting stuff, crafting and building cute little economies while I'm able to customize my world.
    So of course I picked this game up!
    I'm not disappointed. I'm a sucker for cute details and this game has tons of them! I think they put a lot of efford into making the world so beautiful and the characters so likeable.
    The story somehow reminds me of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. You're defending your oasis from the evil (the chaos). In order to do that, you have to make your oasis grow by getting travellers to stay in your oasis and built their shop. You're the one providing their stock, btw :D The bigger your oasis, the stronger you get and you get to explore more places, as you recruit more seedlings with different skills (digging, mining etc). The dungeons are fun and clever, without being frustrating. I enjoyed solving the puzzles and fighting the monsters.
    I'm only at 12 residents right now but about 20hrs in because there is so much to do and I love that you can decide what you want to do: exploring, collecting materials, doing requests, crafting and so on. Only thing is, I whished they gave us more oppurtunities to customize our oasis or character and made the other characters a littler deeper- sometimes it feels too shallow and I can't even tell who is who bc no one really stands out- but this is of course only my opinion.
    If you liked the games I mentioned in the beginning of my review, you'll love this game! It    … Expand
  2. HellRay
    Aug 19, 2017
    10
    It has loads of rewarding gameplay and you can choose where you want to go without being too linear.
    Ever Oasis has beautiful art direction and a simplistic user friendly crafting system.
    Although the characters aren't too deep but many are lovable in their own way depending your preferred type of character. The battle system is fun and challenging with many customization for your ideal    It has loads of rewarding gameplay and you can choose where you want to go without being too linear.
    Ever Oasis has beautiful art direction and a simplistic user friendly crafting system.
    Although the characters aren't too deep but many are lovable in their own way depending your preferred type of character.
    The battle system is fun and challenging with many customization for your ideal team but many missions call for a changeup so you won't be stuck with the same old min/maxed team build you found on a website.
    Ever Oasis encourages you to strategize and plan your battles which is something I love in a game like this

    I'd say its a great game for the 3DS/2DS and can't recommend it enough.    … Expand
  3. Sabrozongo
    Sep 30, 2018
    10
    este juego es fantastico tiene una de las mejores historia su jugabilidad, los paisajes, se siente muy vivo el mundo y cada personaje tiene su historia te encariñas con los personajes se los recomiendo este juego ya estoy esperando la secuela de este grandioso juego
  4. Manri
    Jul 28, 2020
    8
    This game's really charming, it's like a mix of Zelda and Animal Crossing. Looking for residents, expanding your stores, garden and oasis overall is addicting. The dungeons, although few and far between, are mostly well crafted and interesting. Unfortunately, changing partners to solve puzzles with their unique abilities is a bit of a pain, because you have to return to the oasis manyThis game's really charming, it's like a mix of Zelda and Animal Crossing. Looking for residents, expanding your stores, garden and oasis overall is addicting. The dungeons, although few and far between, are mostly well crafted and interesting. Unfortunately, changing partners to solve puzzles with their unique abilities is a bit of a pain, because you have to return to the oasis many times and if you sent them to explore either you waste the invested resources to bring that particular partner back, or wait until they're done. Aside from that, I really enjoyed it.… Expand
  5. starry_chaos_
    Nov 28, 2020
    10
    Ever Oasis is one of that game that is underrated.
    The atmosphere is just amazing, even the texture of the sand is great O^O and the music are just perfect, like the chara-designs.
    The only things that disappointed me were the fact that the game is way too easy, no challenge, the final boss was just lame. Even if he's cool, he was just weak. Also, there is way too much characters to    Ever Oasis is one of that game that is underrated.
    The atmosphere is just amazing, even the texture of the sand is great O^O and the music are just perfect, like the chara-designs.
    The only things that disappointed me were the fact that the game is way too easy, no challenge, the final boss was just lame. Even if he's cool, he was just weak. Also, there is way too much characters to develop them correctly. Like, I like a few of them, but there's some quest where you learn things about them, but it never goes further.

    But I would like to mention something. This game has a great message. It's not told clearly, it's really cryptic, but it's a so nice and true message about kindness and forgiveness that you can't miss it.

    And finally, people that are doing maths to optimize your gameplay, this game isn't for you. I played it without thinking and I enjoyed it so much ! Just appreciated the atmosphere, the music and the game in general like me, and you will just adore it !

    (That game stole to Breath Of The Wild the place of "favourite game" in my heart, by the way)    … Expand
  6. TheLinkgirl
    Oct 12, 2021
    9
    If I could say one game deserved more love than it got, it's Ever Oasis. In ever possible way, the game released on the wrong platform at the wrong time. Since the Switch released that year, and all eyes were looking away from the 3DS, releasing a game like Ever Oasis on the 3DS was guaranteeing it would fail. Were the game to release on the Switch, it might have had a chance at success.If I could say one game deserved more love than it got, it's Ever Oasis. In ever possible way, the game released on the wrong platform at the wrong time. Since the Switch released that year, and all eyes were looking away from the 3DS, releasing a game like Ever Oasis on the 3DS was guaranteeing it would fail. Were the game to release on the Switch, it might have had a chance at success.

    The game incorporates elements from all over: town management, Zelda style exploration and dungeons, a party consisting of 3 characters like the Mana series, and many different weapons to craft and use. The desert environment might feel like a strange idea, but I personally love it. Desert environments in games are some of my favourites, but the game manages to make every location feel like it's still unique with some minor and major differences between every area. Each part of the gameplay feels solid, and the game gives you a reason to care about every little bit, since they effect each other in their own ways.

    I do have some things I don't like about the game - the story is definitely not anything amazing, and unfortunately you can't freely control the camera unless you've got a New 3DS. Despite these little hiccups, Ever Oasis is my favourite game on the 3DS, and it's a shame that it did so poorly.    … Expand
  7. Tazcat2011
    Jun 23, 2017
    8
    The game has a fun gameplay loop and the characters are very cute looking. This is another fine game from Grezzo and is a must-buy for fans of Fantasy Life, Animal Crossing, and Zelda as it blends elements from all three into a very fun game. Try the 20ish minute or so demo on the eShop, as that is a great taste of what the game is like.
  8. Dadedido
    Apr 19, 2018
    10
    Cute little game full of life and sadly a hidden gem in the 3DS library, RGN aside its a solid game.
  9. taghbu
    Jul 6, 2017
    0
    Repetitive, little variety and lots of tedious grinding. Unoriginal, takes ideas from better games and never quite figures out where the gameplay should focus. Limited combat options. No plot.

    Gets a zero because of constant bugs, including save corruption. Hard pass on this one.
  10. tiagoyukio12
    Oct 31, 2018
    8
    The story isn't amazing, and swapping characters to solve puzzles or collect resources gets annoying after a while, even with the aqua gates teleportation.
    I liked the game though, it had been a while since a 3ds game kept me playing until the end of the main story. Evolving your oasis feels rewarding, and the combat is fun
  11. DraygenKai
    Jun 26, 2017
    8
    This game is probably the best 3ds game to come out in awhile. That being said I give it a solid 8. Although I liked so much about this game, the fact that chaos can attack randomly and you can't get rid of it until you complete the story is off setting. I hate it when stories rush completeion. I just want to enjoy this beautiful game, and explore and make new friends without having toThis game is probably the best 3ds game to come out in awhile. That being said I give it a solid 8. Although I liked so much about this game, the fact that chaos can attack randomly and you can't get rid of it until you complete the story is off setting. I hate it when stories rush completeion. I just want to enjoy this beautiful game, and explore and make new friends without having to worry about chaos reappearing. As for the micromanaging? Not that bad once you get some tribe members. They can gather materials for you. The combat is smooth and feels great. There are many times I feel like I'm playing monster hunter 4 again. I also love the variety of characters and weapons so if u get bored, just switch fighting styles! Also with the aqua gates you can immediately go back to town and switch out your party members, then head right back to the exact point you left. This makes exploring so much easier than similar games! This game is pretty great, and is in my top 3 3ds games, with rune factory 4 and monster hunter generations.… Expand
  12. valveyy
    Sep 14, 2018
    9
    This is a very cute and charming game.
    I got very attached to my Oasis and its residents, it felt rewarding to get new residents and level them up.
    The game has decent customization, you can choose different roads, plants buildings and more for your shop. Sadly, later on there won't be enough space for all residents to run their shop and some will be left doing nothing. There are a lot    This is a very cute and charming game.
    I got very attached to my Oasis and its residents, it felt rewarding to get new residents and level them up.
    The game has decent customization, you can choose different roads, plants buildings and more for your shop. Sadly, later on there won't be enough space for all residents to run their shop and some will be left doing nothing.
    There are a lot of clothing options for your character as well.

    The story is quite simple.
    So is the combat, it mostly consists of dodging and repeating your favorite combo.
    The dungeons are a bit linear but they are filled with cute puzzles, for which you often need to go back to your Oasis and swap squad members but the teleport makes it fast enough that I did not find it annoying.
    When you have a lot of shops running, you might find it a little difficult to keep up with all of the material requests.    … Expand
  13. Robinvalmoris
    May 22, 2019
    10
    Simplemente una joya oculta de la 3ds, vale muchísimo la pena.
    Totalmente recomendado a quien desee darle la oportunidad. (No se van a arrepentir)
  14. BrownKnight
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Surprisingly good, didn't expect much but actually a game with just lovely environments and characters. Fun and simple to play, the gameplay gets a bit repetitive but will be enough to keep you playing it.
  15. Trey82
    Feb 28, 2020
    4
    Such disappoint.
    Feels like Jak and Daxter meets secret of mana. Plus town building straight out of breath of fire 3. (The one with the fairy town)
    The combat feels smooth and polished. The enemies are unique enough to not be groanworthy, cookie cutter style baddies. The music/sfx is perfectly fine. It just fails in the execution of it all. Build a town? Easy. Build a shop and    Such disappoint.
    Feels like Jak and Daxter meets secret of mana. Plus town building straight out of breath of fire 3. (The one with the fairy town)
    The combat feels smooth and polished. The enemies are unique enough to not be groanworthy, cookie cutter style baddies.

    The music/sfx is perfectly fine.

    It just fails in the execution of it all.
    Build a town? Easy.
    Build a shop and level up the shop by restocking it? Nice. Except super grindy.
    Find new characters to accompany you? Nice.
    Find that you have to constantly switch one you are with? Ugh.

    The story and idea of an oasis as a spring of life, and the bond between you and your water fairy.. is great.

    It just never amounts to anything. The town doesnt ever geto the point where it can make you OP if you spent enough time, there. The restocking and various tasks get tedious, quickly.
    (Proper tedium = rune factory style)
    The story and characters are very simple. It would be nice to hear more from any of them, but its kind of a one shot deal and some smalltalk, after the fact. (Like Chrono Cross' cast, save for the main 3)
    The skills on your villagers are.. ehh. It really doesnt matter. One guy can use a staff in a contrived way to hit switches. Another can dig. So on and so forth, like breath of fire's cast abilities, but without the ease of switching easily.
    The 3d is good, but that goes without saying.
    The character customization is lacking.
    The feeling of exploration is 50/50 ~ its nice to reach a new place, but the enemies, treasure and skill requirement (dig, staff, etc) halt the pace and slow it waaay down.
    I love secret of mana, evermore and Seiken3.
    I love Ratchet/Clank and Jak/Daxter.
    This game is like gas station coffee.
    "Dont pick a fight with that coffee, its too weak to fight back!"    … Expand
  16. Simoss13
    Mar 22, 2020
    8
    This is a hidden gem for the 3ds.
    The game is about building and upgrading an Oasis (village), seeking dudgeon's, crafting upgrades and meeting people.
    The combat in the open world is very satisfying and the people although generic over time have a great story to follow and makes you feel compelled to help them. You can change characters in combat and tests the abilities which is fun.    This is a hidden gem for the 3ds.
    The game is about building and upgrading an Oasis (village), seeking dudgeon's, crafting upgrades and meeting people.
    The combat in the open world is very satisfying and the people although generic over time have a great story to follow and makes you feel compelled to help them.
    You can change characters in combat and tests the abilities which is fun.
    The dungeons are fine, just wish there were more of them and they were shorter with slightly more puzzle solving. The puzzle solving is aspect might be more of a personal choice, but they had their own charm.
    I feel the other races you meet and villages of those races were under used having a lack luster story and should show the protagonist connecting all the races again.
    When the game falls short is crafting upgrades and trading. The materials and placing items to characters can be very tedious and slows the game down. This is a small component is seeking the merchants to do a trade or buy materials, this was too complicated for such a minor section. There is too many materials and I shouldn't need to note the trade/materials to get items for upgrades or for a shop.
    Also the maps on where to go for a quest is at times vague and frustrating not knowing where to go, especially in the end game.
    I had fun in the game, it wasn't perfect but definitively a good, verging on very good ARPG. I hope they improve my issues and made a HD sequel on the Switch    … Expand
  17. ThePSButton
    Apr 8, 2020
    6
    Una experiencia bonita y entrañable que no destaca ni propone realmente nada nuevo.
  18. ItsTamo
    May 28, 2021
    7
    I had quite a bit of hope going into this game. Mana series developer with some Zelda experience on the sleeves. Why not? But I was genuinely disappointed.

    The level design of this game, especially the dungeons is very unsatisfying. Let's say you found a location within a dungeon that's locked out at the moment, requiring certain item to access. I come back later on in the game with    I had quite a bit of hope going into this game. Mana series developer with some Zelda experience on the sleeves. Why not? But I was genuinely disappointed.

    The level design of this game, especially the dungeons is very unsatisfying.
    Let's say you found a location within a dungeon that's locked out at the moment, requiring certain item to access. I come back later on in the game with that item, expecting to unlock a quest or item or a new part of the map. Nope. Wrong. Right away you are met with another blockage that stops you from proceeding due to some story element. I think the game wants the players to explore and experiment, but never rewards you enough for doing so.

    The currency is broken. I initially really liked rebuilding the town, earning money, etc. But there's no incentive in upgrading the stores or earning money, because I can't spend all my money on anything else. The cash is overflowing and I can't buy anything because there is nothing to purchase. There's no satisfaction in managing the town and making money. The economy balance is the worst I've seen in a management sim, let alone a video game.

    The pacing of the game is slightly dragged. It wasn't my cup of tea but I can see people not minding it too much.

    The party and quest system is really terrible. It locks you with only 1 quest at a time. Sometimes that quest requires you to drag around some low-leveled villagers, requiring you to beat certain parts of the dungeon or some high-leveled monsters. This means that you'll have to go back-and-forth to change out that single-allowable party slot to have the party members required to finish the segments of the dungeon, and force the low-leveled villager (who gave you the quest) to fight in an impossible battle. I really don't get this. Why not let you use the money to level up the low-leveled villagers? Why design the quest so that you'd have to travel back and forth for a certain item just to proceed in a dungeon for a single quest?

    The degree of freedom in the game is overall disappointing, for both the dungeons and the towns. I'm really sad to see my high expectations crumble. I was very excited to play this game at first.

    I still see some good things in the game. It was cute and the idea itself was quite great. I would love to see a new game in the franchise, but it will need quite a bit of polishing. The game was perfectly playable and enjoyable for first 25 hours, but I never bothered to see the ending.    … Expand
  19. frick42064
    Sep 27, 2022
    5
    This game is one of the last major games to be made for the 3ds, and it came out right in the thick of the Switch's first year. I recommend it, but with some pretty huge asterisks. The game's main feedback loop is fun, but it's the same thing for the entire 20 hour run time.

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best 3DS Game of 2017
9
#9 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2017
11
#11 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. RPGamer
    Aug 29, 2017
    70
    Many times while playing Ever Oasis I wanted to improve my settlement, which is an addictive pastime. Tracking down all the recruitable characters is a task that must be pursued into the post-game period, and I'd like to continue doing so. The game isn't all about building up the oasis though, and the combat engine isn't enough on its own to entice players. This is still a charming title though, and worth investigation by the many players who haven't attempted it yet.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Aug 24, 2017
    90
    Ever Oasis is an elegant masterpiece of an adventure that excels at combining so many concepts and ends up crafting a truly fabulous 3DS game. [Issue #29, p. 75]
  3. games(TM)
    Aug 10, 2017
    60
    Good, but may leave you thirsty for more. [Issue#190, p.82]
See all critic reviews »