Doodle Devil 3volution | PS4 Review

Taking on the evil side of creationism, and placing you in the role of the Devil's advocate JoyBit's, 'Doodle Devil 3volution' aims to have you recreating all the world's evils through the evolution of grouped elements. You'll find yourself pairing elements such as the forbidden fruit from Eden, humans, the seven deadly sins, knowledge, and so much more as you bring to fruition the flipside of faithfulness. You'll delve into darkness with three modes of play including the traditional main mode, a demon battle mode, and a slot machine fitting of the devilry at hand. Along the way the devil, and his snarky attitude will chime in with snide remarks as you make mistakes. Dropping onscreen quotes from famous people, and even celebrities when you make a proper match. Obviously quotes tied to the groupings, and their sinful subject matter. It's a fun little experiment in evil doings, and will test your knowledge of said evil things.

Sectioned off in three modes of play you'll find the original Doodle Devil experience, a Demon Battle mode, and a Devil's Slots Machine for added replay value. With the main mode of play, and the return of the original Doodle Devil experience comes a new currency reward system that not only allows for the purchase of hints through an in-game shop, but also the unlocking of demons for the new Demon Battle mode. In it you'll be unlocking new elements, and pairing those elements two at a time to create groups, and ultimately finish the campaign. Your efforts are rewarded with demons that can be used in the Demon Mode as well as a currency that can be used to purchase keys to unlock said demons. That, and hints that will help you in completing all elements and groups.

All of the element, and grouping in Doodle Devil 3volution is done on an open book style interface with avatars representing the various collections of elements. You'll find avatars like a Yin Yang symbol which is home to all the natural elements such as water, fire, and and earth among other similar things. You'll also find an Avatar depicting Leonardo da Vinci's 'Man'. In it lies elements related to everything human. With the other element collections comes their own specific avatar, and related elements. All unlocked, and revealed through the pairing process. Allowing you to pair things, and create new things from those pairings. It's simple fun, and can either be a trial and error ordeal or a hint driven completion depending on how you want to tackle it.

Beyond the campaign lies the Demon Battle mode. In it demons you've unlocked through the main campaign are made accessible for play. Initially though they are all locked up in cages except for Baal. Using keys bought in the main mode of play you can unlock them, and take them through the mapped gauntlet as you face off against the other demons using a trinity of elements (Fire, Air & Earth) as a means to deal damage RPG style. Basically joining elements at the cost of mana to get certain effects. Some of which do more or less damage depending on the demon target. Your moves, and the opposing demon's moves are automated. Your health, and mana limited. Selecting the appropriate element to maximize damage to the opposing demon is the key to earning coin, and hints for use in the main mode, and elsewhere. There is one other catch, retrospectively, and it lies with the ability to heal after you're defeated for a price. That, and the number of demon's you'll face off against in each given fight which varies, accordingly. A crucial thing to understand is that each demon has a certain amount of attack power, health, and mana making your choice of demon all the more important. In regards to demons you'll find the likes of Cthulhu, Medusa, a Succubus, and several other denizens of the damned. Colorfully, and cartoonishly represented through an animated portrait with JoyBits' signature art style.

Lastly, is the Devil's Slots which is exactly as it sounds. It's a devilishly themed slot machine that takes pairings from them main mode, and uses them for different tiers of payouts. It is basic gambling with in-game currency as the reward. You can pick your gamble for each of the three slot rows, and even enhance your luck for a price. The payouts you bank can then be used in the shop for other modes' features. At base level it is a simple time waster for those of you who are into that sort of thing. Don't be surprised when the devil mocks you or teases you into gambling all your funds away.

For extras you'll find the game offers a kid's friendly feature involving a parental password that uses images. It will censor some of the more suggestive, and adult features making it more kid friendly. If that is possible given the nature of it all. It's something extra that some parents may or may not be okay with.

The Verdict ...

This game, and the series it hails from is known for it's over the top humor, and interesting take on creationism. It is simple in nature, but does present a decent challenge if you play through it without cheating. Along with the Demon Battle, and Devil's Slots modes it adds some extended replay value not available in the original release. The added fact that they snuck in a password feature to censor the less child friendly features is also something worth considering. Overall it's a budget game. Don't expect something profound in the way of gameplay, but do expect a somewhat polished experience with an updated presentation that is fitting for the PlayStation 4. It's not without it's flaws though as you will find that the left thumbstick navigation in the Demon Battle mode can prove problematic as targeting elements is oddly troublesome. Hopefully it is something that can be patched. If it can I think Doodle Devil 3Volution alright for what it is.