Rant and Rave: Alpaca Evolution

An alpaca is a domesticated animal that is indigenous to the South American Nations of Bolivia and Peru. Resembling a llama and by extension Kuzco from The Emperor’s New Groove, this hooved mammal is part of the family Camelidae and is a cousin of the llama and the camel. These quirky creatures are mainly bred for their hair, which is used for wool.

People are probably asking themselves “Okay.. so what do alpacas have to do with my life?” Well sassy pants, there is this new game called Alpaca Evolution, and it is amazing.

Alpaca Evolution, a Japanese interactive game by COCOSOLA Inc., features, well, as the title implies, an alpaca evolving. At first glance, the game seems pretty decent, presenting only a group of these furry creatures grazing in a green meadow; however, the real fun begins on the first tap.

The gameplay is fairly straightforward. The player assumes the role of an alpaca that one day becomes mutated and now has the ability to ‘absorb’ other alpacas in order to gain experience points, and evolve into a stronger form. As the game progresses, the mutated alpaca grows stronger beyond the point that any mortal can defeat it.

It is also good to note that it has a similarity in gameplay when it comes to some games that are famous in the smartphone platform. These are the games that require the player to exhibit one virtue, patience. This has something to do with the spawning period of the alpacas. This also makes it a tad more realistic (like 0.001% more) and at the same time it is a game that doesn’t take up huge chunks of a person’s time. Play it then study, read, play other games or maybe even absorb actual alpacas, then play it again, it actually, in a sick twisted way, complement daily activities.

Alpaca Evolution also provides gamers a breath of the freshest air amidst the countless First Person Shooters (FPS) and Real Time Strategies (RTS) that are famous in today’s gaming market. Seriously, who has heard of an animal absorbing its own species and then evolving into stronger more insane looking creatures? Anyone who answers yes is probably lying or actually does the practice.

In terms of music, the game employs a classic 8-bit style similar to the ones used in 80s and 90s games, which gives it a comical feel when matched with the stiff animation. Unfortunately, the songs and sound effects are repetitive and can get annoying pretty quickly.

The game does not have much to boast in terms of graphics, relying only on 2D drawings with choppy animation sequences. It does, however, take advantage of its sketchy presentation by showing the unsettling forms of the alpaca and the unique ways it absorbs more alpacas while noting that these alpacas have human-like faces.

Overall, Alpaca Evolution takes advantage of a cute, harmless mammal and transforming it into a strange, cadaverous entity bent on assimilating its fellow species, making it a unique guilty pleasure that anyone with a high tolerance for disgusting things would want to play. The game may not be a blockbuster hit, but it is a great way to kill some time, and maybe even ‘kill’ some alpacas.

Alpaca Evolution is available for free on Android and iOS devices.

Rating: 3.5