Secret of Evermore

"Tiny likes irony! So do I."

Reading through the other reviews here, I was surprised how polarized the responses to this game were. People really hate it! This was surprising to me, as I think it's a really terrific, original game. I can understand how some RPG purists might not like how it breaks from the usual swords-and-sorcery subject matter, or its irreverence and humor. Maybe these are the same people who gag during the opera scene in Final Fantasy 3, who knows. But having played and enjoyed other “canonized” platform RPG's and RPG-hybrids like the Final Fantasy games, Chrono Trigger, ActRaiser, SoulBlazer, Secret of Mana, and, of course, the Zelda games, I can say with some confidence that Evermore is truly unique.

Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, Evermore keeps the same basic template as Mana, which has drawn some cries of “rip-off.” My feeling is, well, if it ain't broke don't fix it. It's a good template for the precise reason, I think, that it prevents the hack ‘n slash habits we gamers often fall into. You're forced to fight more intelligently, relying on strategy rather than sheer pulverization. (It also seems more realistic, too. I have no first-hand experience with fighting goblins, but I'd imagine if you're constantly whacking away you'd get pretty tired after a while.)
The game builds on another element of Mana, but in this case it's a huge improvement. You've still got the sidekick, but rather than being a nuisance, as the girl and sprite very often are in Mana, the dog in Evermore actually adds something. For one thing, he doesn't get stuck; if you walk too far he automatically catches up with you, weaving around whatever obstacle is in his way. More than that, he sniffs. If an alchemy ingredient is hidden nearby – and there are tons of them scattered throughout the game – he'll smell it. The companions in Mana often reminded me of those small, easily excitable dogs you sometimes see, the ones that are so, so happy to see you their tails make their entire body shake and it looks like their eyes are going to burst right out of their skull. Your companion here actually is a dog, and a smart one at that. He's the force of the intuitive, the non-rational, but as there's so much hidden in this world, that turns out to be a benefit.

Story
While I like how the storyline pushes RPG conventions in new directions, at the same time I feel like it could have been pushed even further. I don't mind that the stakes are ostensibly smaller here than in other games; the fate of the world doesn't hang in the balance. Well, the fate of a world hangs in the balance, but there's the possibility that it could all be the figment of our hero's imagination, or someone else's. Dr. Ruffleberg's? Or Elizabeth's, or Horace's, or Camellia's? Are all their imaginations fighting for supremacy? Does this new intruder cause the imaginative topography of the world to shift?
There's a lot of potential for playing with the realness of the world of Evermore that isn't realized, which is disappointing in a game that's so concerned with media constructions. In a really wonderful running gag, our hero compares various aspects of the game to corny B-movies he's seen. Even here, though, I wonder if the real frame of reference isn't video games. The game mashes together a bunch of tropes from RPG's and adventure games more generally. You've got the “time travel” element, nicely skewed in that the different time periods exist simultaneously in the same world. You've got the different “types” of worlds, too: The primordial jungle full of dinosaurs, the pyramid, the castles, the space station. There's something knowing in the way the game deploys these tropes, though, and I think it has to do with the hero. He's guileless, and most of the time he's a dupe; he's so eager to get home that he's willing to do anything for anybody, even (especially) the bad guys.
Too, there's an element of irreverence that, I think, reveals a degree of self-consciousness. The dialogue here is some of the sharpest and funniest I've ever seen in a game. Another reviewer suggested that the humor here is distinctly American, and I think that's right on. The humor is sarcastic and ironic; I particularly have in mind the guards' quips in Nobilia. (“I'm guarding the statue. It's a very important job. I used to guard a shrub.”) Actually, the Nobilia market captures a lot of what I really like about the game. There's the humor, of course, but also the complexity of the trading system, which is kind of overwhelming at first. And there's a little grace note involving the prophet. If you talk to him enough times, he tells the hero he's a character in a video game, and may “the powers that be” strike him down if he's lying. You, the player, are given the option of turning him into a basket, goat or chicken. In other words, the powers that be are you. Of course, you also have the option to spare him, for which you're rewarded. Or should I say, the hero is rewarded; the powers that be have left him alone. You the player return to invisibility in the moment it's confirmed that this is, indeed, a video game. The powers that be haven't struck him down, so he must not be lying, right? There are a lot of layers to this moment, and I think this points to the intelligence with which the game was made, not to mention a respect for the player.

Graphics/Sound
I don't have much to say about graphics other than they're as great as you might expect from a Square game. I did notice, though, that human figures were particularly well-rendered here, compared to other games. The sound is really excellent and evocative. The music is generally quite good; I like that it doesn't go right for the bombast like other games do, particularly during castle scenes. The music here seemed to play a much greater dramatic role than it does in other games. For instance, in Ivor tower, a citizen tells you early on that it's the happiest place in Evermore. The music, though, tells a different story, being exceptionally tense and repetitive. When you get to Ebon Keep, the desolation of the place is undercut by very tranquil music. Some of the best scenes, though, are those that don't use any music at all, leaving only an aural backdrop of sound effects. It's ominous and creepy in a way a minor-key dirge could never be. Once again, I think this bespeaks a real respect for the player. The game doesn't beat you over the head and tell you how you should react; it trusts that you'll get it.

Play time/Replayability
It takes less time to complete the game than it does “bigger” games like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy 3. Part of this, I think, is because once you get The Obligatory Airship, there isn't anything else to do outside of the necessary tasks. Part of the fun of, say, Final Fantasy 3 is finding out-of-the-way curiosities that you can only find with the airship. Evermore doesn't have anything like that, which is disappointing. (From what I've heard, the game was rushed onto the market, which might account for the lack of side quests.) Nonetheless, I think replay value is high. As I mentioned, the dog smells all kinds of hidden goodies scattered throughout the world. If there's all that there, how much more might there be? The sense of wonder and curiosity the game inspires is palpable. Glancing at a walkthrough, I see tons of alchemy spells I missed. How? Where were they hiding? There may not be many other side quests, but the lands you do get explore are so intricately made that, if you go back through them, you'll be rewarded for your efforts.

Hopefully, I've given you a good sense of why I like Secret of Evermore and why a fan of RPG's would find something of interest here. If I have any objections, it's only because the game doesn't quite meet its own potential, which comes from its tremendous originality. Definitely worth playing, definitely worth seeking out.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/23/05