Evil Twin: Cyprien's Chronicles

"This game is evil indeed"

Evil Twin is a platformer that was seemingly released at the last minute by UBI Soft, one of the few companies that still supported the DC after it was discontinued last year. This game was rumored to be cancelled right up till its unexpected release. UBI Soft should be thanked I guess for releasing the game but maybe it was better left on the drawing board.

Graphics and sound- the game does shine in these two departments. The voice acting is quite good and there is a fair amount of it. The music is excellent. The visuals are DC caliber. This is one of the best looking games on the system in my opinion. It seems to run at a reasonable clip. I didn't encounter any real slow-down.

Gameplay- Having read the graphics and sounds comments you might wonder how I gave the game a 6 out of 10 overall. Well, this is where the game falls flat. The instruction manual doesn't match the actual controls of the game. Obviously it was printed before the game was finished as there are many glaring errors. With trial and error you can figure things out but it inexcusable I think for this to happen. The control scheme is poor. None of the configurations really work well and you can't assign buttons to actions yourself like you can in some games. I really feel all games should offer customization features. The controls also don't seem very responsive. You can be hammering on buttons and sometimes that action is slow to happen, if it does at all. The game basically has a tutorial as you go through the first section made tougher by the fact some of the commands on-screen are wrong too, much like the instruction manual. Lastly, the game is buggy. Example: I have finished levels only to be transported to the next level and have my character disappear into thin air thus ending the game. If you weren't able to save prior to this you will have to repeat everything up to that point. Hopefully you were able to save just before but if you don't have the camera to use at certain points to save you are screwed. I suppose it makes it more challenging than being able to save anywhere, anytime but I prefer the latter. The in-game camera is not your friend either and can be a chore. Cyprians alter ego, his Evil Twin, as the game title suggests, has Super Moves that are pretty cool but have to be charged. With the sometimes unresponsive controls this part of the game can be frustrating as well.

Storyline- To tell you this would be a ''spoiler'' in my opinion. Suffice it to say the story is above average. Cyprian (the main character) is not one of the more loveable characters you will come across in gaming. He definitely has an attitude.

Buy or rent? I'd say rent first, if you can. This game is an import and may not be possible to rent beforehand. At full price the game is too expensive to buy given its problems. If the price were to drop $30 though it is probably worth it. There is some fun to be had but I think you have to be forgiving. The game will tee you off and sometimes delight you but it may be more the former.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/19/02, Updated 06/19/02