Secret of Evermore

"Overlooked and underappreciated, but really quite good."

Being the first game produced in America by Squaresoft, Secret of Evermore (a spinoff rather than a sequel to Secret of Mana) is very different from anything else the company has made. For the most part, this is a good thing. Evermore gets a bad rap from people who are too entrenched in the “norms” of Japanese RPGs and aren't willing to embrace anything different.

The plot revolves around a boy who follows his dog into an old mansion and inadvertenly is sent into a computer-generated world. He learns that the creators of the world were trapped in it thirty years ago and embarks on a journey to return with them to the real world. It's a simple story, and by no means is it as epic as most RPGs, but something different is always good. “Epic” RPGs aren't necessarily the only ones that can be entertaining, and the story that Evermore tells is done in a fun and lighthearted way.

One of the more refreshing things about the game is that the second playable character is the boy's dog. While I mostly found myself playing as the boy because of the better range of his attacks, it gave me a kick to occasionally slip into the persona of a canine and go around biting some bad guys. The inclusion of the dog also adds depth to the exploration element of the game. The dog can help sniff out alchemy ingredients that the boy needs to cast magic. Almost every villager in the towns will say something different to the dog than to the boy, and some of their responses are quite humorous.

The gameplay for the boy closely follows the formula set by Secret of Mana, with real-time fighting, circular menus, charging of weapons and the like. The alchemy system is a unique departure from the traditional “MP” system in most RPGs. Making the spells useful is still incredibly time-consuming, unfortunately, but the payoff is good when you get some worthwhile spells. While not as many weapons can be found as in Mana, there are enough to keep it interesting, although I found myself using the spear the most often because of its range. The bazooka that becomes available in the last quarter of the game is a lot of fun to use.

All of this makes Evermore seem like an okay game, but the thing that I think many players miss, and what makes Evermore so very unique and enjoyable, is the mood created by the combination of the visuals and music. Many of the locales in Evermore can be described as truly haunting, particularly in the medieval region. There is some really beautiful music that has been composed for this game, and it serves to complement the atmospheric mazes such as an abandoned castle, an archaeological dig site, and a crashed pirate ship turned into a bar by the citizens.

Much of the normal bouncy music of adventure games has been replaced by scores completely composed of sound effects which, even with the limited capabilities of the Super NES, are enough to send chills up your spine. The lush jungles really feel like jungles, and are accompanied by animal noises, rustling leaves, and babbling brooks. Fields are silent save the gentle breeze and the swaying blades of grass. It all makes for an experience that is easy to become submerged in.

Secret of Evermore has its own unique flavor that is often overlooked by players. If you enjoy exploring new worlds that will stay with you for a while, Evermore will delight you. It is the aesthetic value of the game that makes it truly worthwhile.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99