Doodle God Evolution is not a particularly good game. From starting the game to completing its various puzzles. It is a relatively uninspiring puzzle game. The game’s central premise is to combine multiple objects, elements, and other beings to form new ones. An example would be to mix water and wind to create a storm or a human and a sword to create a warrior. Creating a new object, element, or being helps you form new ones, progressing individual story arcs and challenges. Thus the puzzle element comes in to find the different combinations to complete stories and challenges. In a nutshell, this is the game.
A puzzling experience
Despite the potential in this puzzle mechanic, unfortunately, the mechanics are just dull. The games puzzle mechanics do not evolve nor get more interesting. I found myself playing a few levels than taking a break, with no real incentives to come back. Although it may be incredibly charming for kids, it will not suit a more vast audience. At best this is a puzzle game for children. Although this isn’t necessarily bad, its puzzle mechanics are uninteresting, making it not a particularly good kids game either.
However, it is worth mentioning that the game does have an interesting variety of puzzle stories and challenges. The primary mission is to be a god in combining elements to create the world and build industrialised society as we know it. It also has other challenges, such as killing the dragon and reinventing the world’s most remarkable technologies. The music is also very appealing with an adventurous ring to it. It does make you feel like a God, although with weak puzzle-solving powers. In this sense, as highlighted before, the game does have potential; unfortunately, its boring puzzle mechanics hold it back.
Furthermore, on the Xbox Series S were I tested the game, the graphics seemed not up to scratch and the controls where inadequate. To combine elements and other objects/ beings, each side of the controller controls a particular element making gameplay both fiddly and as a consequence, frustrating. However, this is most likely just a console problem. Thus, Doodle God Evolution is most likely better suited to mobile and smaller handheld devices with smaller screens boosting graphical fidelity and better controls that use touch rather than a controller. Nevertheless, this game should have had better optimisation for its console variants.
Verdict
All in all, Doodle God Evolution is an okay but not great game. Despite having promise, with great music and variety in challenges. Its rather uninspiring puzzle mechanics holds the game back. At best, this game is for kids and is suited on mobile and handheld devices.
