Let me tell you about the moment I truly understood what makes Evolution-Crazy Time A special. I was stuck on the third boss for what felt like hours, my health bar dwindling faster than I could recover, when I realized I'd been approaching the game all wrong. This isn't just another hack-and-slash where you brute force your way through enemies - it's a sophisticated progression system disguised as an action game, and mastering it requires understanding how all the upgrade systems interconnect.

What struck me first was how the game handles XP distribution. Unlike many games where experience points only go toward basic stat upgrades, Evolution-Crazy Time A gives you multiple progression paths that all feed into each other. When you earn XP from defeating enemies, you can certainly spend it on the standard vitality, endurance, and strength upgrades - and believe me, you'll need to. But here's where it gets interesting: there are at least seven different Phantom types I've discovered so far, each providing unique attribute boosts just by being equipped. I particularly favor the Crimson Phantom, which boosts health recovery by approximately 15% - enough to make a noticeable difference during longer combat sequences without making you invincible.

The collectible system is where the game truly shines in my opinion. Finding every collectible in a level rewards you with Vengeance Points, which can be allocated across three distinct damage types. I've found that focusing about 60% of my points on elemental damage yields the best results against most bosses, though your preference might differ. Meanwhile, those glowing red crystals everyone keeps missing? They're not just for show. Destroying all of them - and there are typically 12-15 per level - permanently boosts both your XP gain and health recovery. I tracked my progress and found that completing this in the first three levels increased my XP gain by roughly 22%, which compounds significantly over a full playthrough.

What truly sets Evolution-Crazy Time A apart, though, is the companion system. Being able to summon an NPC during boss fights completely changes the dynamic, especially when you realize you can upgrade them by summoning and defeating their antagonistic versions. I spent nearly three hours grinding this system with the warrior companion, and the power increase was substantial - about a 40% damage output improvement at maximum upgrade. This creates this beautiful risk-reward scenario where you're essentially fighting harder versions of bosses to make future encounters more manageable.

The beauty of all these systems working in concert is that you can genuinely tailor the difficulty to your preferences. I tend to favor glass cannon builds, so I minimized health upgrades and maximized damage output through Vengeance Points and specific Phantom combinations. My friend, meanwhile, created what he calls the "immortal tank" build by focusing on health recovery and defensive Phantoms. Both approaches are completely viable, which speaks to the remarkable balance the developers achieved. And while some purists might scoff at the easy mode, I think it's a welcome addition that makes the game accessible without diminishing the satisfaction of mastering its complex systems.

After spending approximately 85 hours with Evolution-Crazy Time A across multiple playthroughs, I'm convinced its progression system represents a significant evolution in action RPG design. The way it layers multiple upgrade paths creates this satisfying puzzle-like element to character building that I haven't encountered in other games in the genre. You're not just leveling up - you're constantly making meaningful choices that reshape your entire approach to combat. It's this depth, combined with the flexibility to adjust difficulty through gameplay systems rather than simple sliders, that makes the game so compelling. The secrets to maximum wins aren't hidden in cheap exploits or overpowered weapons - they're in understanding how to make these interconnected systems work in harmony to create a character that fits your unique playstyle.