On November 30, 2023, Neverland Entertainment released the “bullet hell Metroidvania” game “TEVI” for PC via the Steam store and Nintendo Switch. Both platforms are currently available for purchase at a 10% discount in celebration of the release.
Developed by the Taiwanese outfit CreSpirit, we’ve been seeing a massive influx of these eastern developers outside of Japan focus on providing content aimed towards actual consumers versus media developed in western countries, TEVI is no exception.
The game is a 2D side-scroller action-adventure game featuring gorgeous pixel artwork with the main protagonist being a girl with rabbit ears named Tevi, the game can also be described as being apart of the so called “Metroidvania” genre as well.
But given the character’s design featuring “bunny girl” tropes the inspiration from Rabi-Ribi is quite obvious, because Rabi-Ribi was also created by the same studio.
Despite being Taiwanese, CreSpirit is true to form with a flushed out cast of somewhat prominent Japanese voice actors, with the main character of “Tevi” being voiced by Lynn of whom I personally recognize for her performance as Mafuyu Kirisu is the adaptation of We Never Learn: BOKUBEN, aside from Tevi we have the game’s rival character “VENA” being voiced by Rie Kugimiya the voice behind Taiga in Toradora.
The character of Celia is voiced by Youko Hikasa who was the lovely voice behind Highschool DxD‘s Rias Gremory alongside being the voice of Mio in K-On!!, the character of Sable is voiced by Natsumi Fujiwara who has had prominent roles in such adaptations as Black Clover and Jujutsu Kaisen.
And finally the character of “ZEMA”, the protagonist’s father is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita whom you might recognize as voicing Rudeus Greyrat in Mushoku Tensei among many other prominent roles such as Gintoki Sakata in Gintama.
TEVI incorporates two different attack styles: “Melee Attacks” and “Long-Range Attacks,” the latter enabling players to unleash “bullet hell” patterns akin to popular shooting games. Advancing through the game allows players to unlock new shooting types, emphasizing the importance of sustaining combos with suitable bullet patterns based on distinct situations.
Throughout the game you’ll navigate across expansive maps in search of key items that enhance your action abilities. For example, areas initially inaccessible due to limited jumping ability become conquerable after acquiring specific key items.
It’s proclaimed that the game has over 300 different items and equipment pieces scattered around waiting to be discovered, aided progression and access of hidden paths adding an additional layer of depth to the game.
TEVI doesn’t just feature a solid cast of voice actors, as the game has collaborated with renowned composers from the past, such as Triodust, Oli Jan, 3R2, and more, boasting a collection of over 70 original songs delicately crafted for the game which is proclaimed to offer a total playtime of over 30 hours excluding exploratory completion.
With over 20 unique bosses, 40 whole areas to explore and the aforementioned 300+ abilities and equipment pieces to collect there’s seriously a lot of sustenance with TEVI, this isn’t some cheap short and forgettable 2D side-scroller, TEVI is truly a genuinely game in its own right.
I have a soft spot for these kinds of games, and only two weeks ago we finally got our hands upon Inti’s YOHANE THE PARHELION -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE- which launched to a fairly positive reception, we ourselves covered its demo a month prior.
I cannot lie when it comes to the fact that I’m easily pleased by quality pixel artwork and animation, which is the main allure of TEVI, because there’s just a lot more to be found with this particular title, more exploration, more bosses, more story, more everything. So it comes as no surprise to me to witness that the game has been getting equally stellar reviews from the niche audience of individuals of whom adore these sorts of games.
Because they’re not very technical, nor are they very advanced, they appear primitive and that doesn’t mean a goddamn thing because games like TEVI are immensely fun, they’re satisfying to play, the pixelated aesthetic really harpers back to a time when gaming wasn’t infested with woke propaganda or live service bullshit but instead it takes us back to a time where developers actually gave a damn about not just the product that they are making but also the consumer as well.
Call me biased, I don’t really give a shit. What I truly care about when it comes to video games is entirely self-enjoyment, it’s seemingly a blue moon occurrence when a video game releases in this modern era that actually provides true felt entertainment and fun, if you’ve played Rabi-Ribi and enjoyed that you’ll love TEVI, if you’re a fan of these sorts of 2D side-scrollers you’ll more than likely enjoy it.
Hell, if you’re sick and goddamn tired of the mundane “realistic” / “cinematic” filth that’s constantly pushed out in the gaming industry, consider giving TEVI or perhaps any of the other aforementioned titles a consideration. If you end up liking them as much as I do, buy the damn game because CreSpirit and especially Inti Creates are two studios that actually deserve your purchase unlike the majority of the current gaming world.
