The Sandbox Evolution review
:: PLATFORM GODPrice: Free
Version: 1.0.0
App Reviewed on: iPad Air 2
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The Sandbox Evolutionis exactly what would happen if someone made a game where you create a world that you then can play around in. With a clever and deep elemental interaction toolset and easy-to-grasp controls, The Sandbox Evolution is a treat for those that want to have a blast while creating and sharing their own worlds.
More than a god game
The Sandbox Evolution is a complicated game to describe because of how many ways its tools are worked into different modes of play. First and foremost, the game is a creation tool, complete with elements, objects, animals, and other things that you can pepper throughout an environment to create interesting interactions, carefully planned levels, or just something that looks cool.
More than that though, you can actually play your creations with characters or upload them for other people to play, making The Sandbox Evolutionfeel a little akin to Super Mario Maker.
It's elementary
What helps make The Sandbox Evolution's creation tools so neat is the fact that all of the game items can combine and interact with each other in expected (and sometimes unexpected ways). You're taught very early on that water and soil make mud and that stone in water eventually turns to sand. From here, things can get really complicated to the point that you can build levels that include player-activated switches to force elements to interact with each other to create some really dynamic experiences.
Add to this the fact that there's a huge variety of things in The Sandbox Evolution-- from unique characters to different tile sets -- and it's easy to see how you might lose good chunks of time just experimenting with everything.
Freemium creations
Unfortunately for The Sandbox Evolution, its status as a free-to-play game can make it pretty frustrating for those that don't want to pay for all of the game's items and tools. Although it seems like you can eventually unlock everything in the game without paying a cent, some items can only be bought with a specific type of rare currency, which really dampens your creative abilities if you're unwilling to pony up.
The bottom line
The Sandbox Evolutionis almost everything you'd expect from a game that's trying to be a sandbox. The pure number of things you can do with its tools is extremely surprising, while remaining pretty simple and straightforward. Even simply using free tools and unlocking things as you go, The Sandbox Evolution is a fun playground to play in.