EVO - The Search for Eden

"Let the EVOlution begin."

When I first heard about this game I wasn't expecting much since it was a virtually unknown title so I figured it probably wasn't that good. But one day I saw a used copy for sale and noticing that that it was made by Enix I decided what the heck I'll give it a try. Buying the game was a smart move as I was to discover after playing it. Since this game is not well known I thought it would be a good choice for a review and so I now present my review of EVO: Search for Eden.

GAMEPLAY:

The game is an interesting and unique action RPG hybrid. The idea in the game is to evolve your creature into different and stronger forms by buying evolutionary upgrades. These upgrades are bought using evolution points from enemies you have defeated. The RPG elements come in the form of HP and physical stats, which are increased through evolution (there are no experience levels). The action part of the game comes from the 2D side scrolling style of play. There is no separate battle sub screen where you and your opponents exchange hits, instead battle are fought in real time just like in most action or adventure games (ex: Legend of Zelda). This game had very innovative game play, which was unlike pretty much anything else available then or now. I do have a couple of gripes with the game play however, which I feel must be addressed. First off you will sometimes find yourself mercilessly trapped amongst a bunch of enemies with no hope of escape due to the absence of temporary invulnerability after taking damage. The second complaint is that hit detection could have been better especially when you are in weaker evolutionary forms or when facing bosses. Otherwise the game play is very good.

AUDIO/VIDEO:

The graphics are very good and understandably so since the evolution between different forms is the main stand out feature in the game. The enemies are also quite detailed, colorful, and don't suffer much from the dreaded recycled design with a different color syndrome. The music is also pretty good for the most part although it certainly doesn't achieve the legendary status of games like Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger. The music fits the different level themes well and none of it was annoying to listen to.

STORY:

You start out as a fish that must travel through five different periods in time as part of a test to see if you are worthy of reaching Eden and becoming the partner of Gaia the daughter of the sun and creator of the life in the world of EVO. The different chapters in time that you will need to navigate through are the world before land, early creatures of land, age of dinosaurs, ice age, and early man. If your creature can overcome the hardships ahead you will reach Gaia in Eden.

CHALLENGE:

The game offers lots of challenge but unfortunately some of it is negative. The game play problems I outlined earlier are the main source of frustration in EVO especially when facing bosses. From my own experience defeating the Queen Bee at the end of the second chapter was ridiculously hard because my character moved too slowly to dodge the needle attacks and kept missing the target when I tried to counter attack. It must have taken about twenty tries to beat that stupid boss. Getting enough points to evolve and staying ahead of the game can also be a bit tedious but is not nearly as bad as most RPG's so I won't hold this against the game. If you can look past these drawbacks the game is quite fun, which brings me to my next area of evaluation.

FUN FACTOR:

The game is very fun to play the unique concept is what really got my attention and made me realize just how innovative Enix's ideas can be (here’s hoping for a sequel). I kind of wish I had this game back when I was younger since I was really into the whole dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals thing.

REPLAY ABILITY:

Being able to evolve into so many different forms and being able to customize your creatures in so many ways is extremely fun and addictive. No wonder the game lets you save up to fifty of your creations to the game pak’s memory. This generates a lot of replay value.

TO BUY OR RENT?:

Good luck finding a copy of this game especially if you live in the U.S. or Canada where it was not widely produced (thanks to Enix who wasn't interested in the North American market). But if you do happen upon a copy it is definitely worth a look. Overall this is a very good action RPG despite its flaws. If I could I would give the game an 8.5 out of ten but since GameFaqs won't accept fractional scores I'll be generous and round up to 9.

If your looking for more good titles from Enix to add to your Super NES library I suggest Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, Actraiser, and Ogre Battle.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/27/02, Updated 08/04/02