Today, Koichi Ishii posted the 4th blog post for Ever Oasis over at Nintendo’s Topics website in Japan. The third one was about the desert world of Vistrahda, but this time around, it’s about the oasis itself that he wrote about.

As explained last time, that world of Ever Oasis was once filled with greenery, with many oases, but it was all in the past. Now, the animals that used to live in the desert have become Chaos monsters, there’s no more crops, and the various oases have steadily declined into oblivion. Now, there’s only a few of them left.

You’re probably wondering where the people not living in the oases are: it’s said they live their life travelling in the harsh desert. During the day, they endure the intense heat, and during the night, they sleep in caves to avoid the powerful and ferocious Chaos monsters that start roaming the desert when the sun sets.

Naturally, they’re not doing that just for the fun of it: they risk their lives in the desert in their journey to find new lands to live in. They are convinced that somewhere beyond the desert, there’s a place for them to live in, and they will walk through the deserts, explore caves, and cross mountains, to find it.

They’re hoping to find an oasis big enough to repel the Chaos, with reliable partners. When they learn that a new oasis has been created, they will travel all the way to it.

Once they have arrived at your oasis, the first thing they see is the entrance (no surprises here!).

At the entrance, there’s a large gate made of trees and plants. Since the oasis is surrounded by a fence, the only way in for travellers is via this gate. That fence is made of large sage leaves, and is deeply rooted in the earth. A common belief is that sage has the power to ward off evil, which explains why it’s used for the gate and the fence surrounding the oasis: it prevents Chaos from entering.

Once you’ve crossed the gate and gone up the slope, there’s one thing you simply cannot miss… a giant, beautiful tree. That tree was born from the protagonist’s seed, and is actually the source of the power protecting the oasis. There’s always a rainbow around that three, and it covers the whole oasis. Just like the sage, it helps ward off Chaos.



An interesting detail about that rainbow is that it’s not a “natural” rainbow: it also glows strong during the night, and basically serves as a lighthouse for travellers.

At the base of the tree, you can find a beautiful spring. You can also see the Bloom Booths lining up the road going from the entrance of the oasis to the tree. If you walk on that road, you will hear the bright voice of people chatting, which is quite the relief for travelers who have been walking under the harsh sun of the desert. Oh, and let’s not forget the delicious smell of food for the various Bloom Booths that sell them!

Next: the Fountain Plaza.

The Fountain Plaza is quite literally the first place you get to visit. You can find plenty of people there, from travelers to long-time resident. A place with such a large amount of precious water in the middle of the desert is quite a miracle in itself, so it’s no wonder the place is always pretty crowded.

When you enter the oasis, your very body can feel the moisture in the air, and you can see the look of relief on the face of travelers. But do not think of going straight to the fountain and drink, or you will sully the water with sand and dirt. You first need to wash yourself, your hands included.

When you head into the desert, you get dehydrated, and your heart is weakened by fatigue. And then, that weakened heart can succumb to the Chaos more easily. It’s for this very reason that water is so precious in this world: not only does it allow you to avoid dehydration, but it also soothes your heart.

Travelers frequently throws aqua gems into the fountain, to show their gratefulness. In a way, they’re wishing for the oasis to keep going for a long time.

By the way, the spring at the base the giant tree is not the only place you can find water in the oasis: it’s also circulating around. Fun fact: as the oasis grows, the water sparkles all the brighter!

At the Fountain Plaza, you can find some peddlers, who sell valuable plants, weapons, and more. They travel around the desert world to find items from various places and tribes to sell at their shop: that’s how they make a living. Naturally, the more people visit your oasis, the more peddlers will come to sell their wares, and this will all be pretty beneficial to it.

Next, we have the main street.

If you keep going on the road from the Fountain Plaza, you will end up on the main street, which is the busiest part of the oasis. There, you can find plenty of colourful Bloom Booths, large and small, but also partners, travelers, residents, and many more.

The piece of concept-art above shows what Koichi Ishii had in mind when thinking of people living in the oasis.

In the first blog post, he talked about his desire to make a game about people living in the desert. The oasis is precisely the place he wanted to create, where people live strongly. What sets those people apart is that they do not live only for themselves: due to the harsh environment they live in, they’re more than welcome to cooperate, to help each other. They do not even need words: a smile is all they need to understand each other.

For Koichi Ishii, the oasis is a place where you can simply enjoy life, and forget the harshness of the outside world. This is what you can create, protect, and nurture in Ever Oasis.

The next blog post for Ever Oasis will be about the Bloom Booths: those special shops found in the oasis. They sell various items, including decoration elements.

Ever Oasis (3DS) comes out on June 23rd in Europe and North America, and July 13th in Japan.

Source: Nintendo