Binding: Video Game EAN: 0008888260066 ESRB Age Rating: Teen Label: SPIG Manufacturer: SPIG Platform: Sega Dreamcast Publisher: SPIG Sales Rank: 13085 Studio: SPIG
Rating: - This is a Great Game
This game is a great game. Although it is a little light on role playing elements and a little heavy on non scenic dungeons and towers, and battling against monsters in a turn base enviroment (which im not sayin is bad) it is still a great game. The characters are pretty cool, and at some times funny. The game it self was designed to look like an anime, but without the cel-shading technology that is produced in Jet Grind Radio and Jet Set Radio Future (which you all should also check out), and actually I think it would be a great one at that given a little more depth in story line. I think if you love RPGs you should buy it
Rating: - Repetitive and boring...
This game if fun for a while, but there are definitely some better ones out there to choose from. All the dungeons are randomly generated every time you enter them. They're all just long, thin almost above view hallways with hidden traps that connect larger rooms... with more annoying hidden traps. As you get further in the game they become longer and longer. They end up being about 40 floors of doing the same old fighting, finding randomly generated treasures and searching for the stairs to the next level. You may as well not even take the time to level up your characters unless they have huge gaps between them (ie: mag is level 50 and chain is level 30). The monsters only level up as you do. I think the bosses stay 5 levels ahead of you at all times. I know at least the final boss does. I had to level up to 100 just so he would have to reach his max level of 100 and be even with my characters. There are very few (if any) reasons to keep playing once you finished the game. No hidden characters, super weapons or bosses to search for. The game is basically spoon fed to you as you progress. I'll admit, I did have fun with it. But if you want a decent RPG for the dreamcast, I'd suggest you check out Skies of Arcadia.
All in all, The gameplay is pretty boring and the graphics and sound are mediocre.
Rating: - Pure Brilliance!
My friend got this game one day, and we took turns playing it. While my friend was playing, I got the idea that it was a pretty good game, but probably all looks (those graphics, wow). But then I played it, and my mind just went to a different place. It was just too amazing. I started noticing all the awesome features and attacks, and all of it was just a truley awesome experiance. Needless to say I bought it the next morning!
Rating: - Better than average RPG
Evolution was the first role playing game released for the now defunct Sega Dreamcast. Unlike many role playing games, this one can be completed in a relatively short amount of time (16 hrs vs 50+ for many RPGs). While the game has its high points, a number of low points exist as well.
The high points include better than average graphics, a decent storyline, and a wide variety of options available during the battle scenes. Normally the graphics of games released early for systems tend to be average at best. For the most part, this is not true, especially with the "cut scenes". The storyline is above average, but it is nothing compared to the Final Fantasy series' storylines. The battle scenes offer the player a variety of options when using technique points. Some of these options are offensive, some are defensive, and others are simply for laughs (Gre's food offerings to the enemies, for example).
The low points include boring, monotonous dungeons and a weak "big boss". The dungeons, which are randomly generated each time they are entered, are very drab and has the look and feel of some of the dungeon trawling from some of the RPGs available on Sega's Genesis system. Some dungeons contain one or two groups of monsters, whereas others have 20+. The player never knows until they enter the dungeon level. The "big boss" is somewhat difficult to beat the second time, but the character itself is a weasel-like nerd who is obsessed with learning the secrets of Linear, the blonde female character in the game.
Overall, the game is worth playing. Its level of difficulty is fairly low with only the dungeon bosses providing much in the way of obstacles. If you can handle the repetitious dungeons and like shorter RPGs, Evolution would be a good one to play.
Rating: - It needed more Evolution...
First of all, the major highpoint of Evolution was the graphics. They are very good. It was really a good show of the power of the Dreamcast. Everything looks good, especially the characters. They even have facial expressions, which is awesome. The graphics are even greater when you consider how old it is. Terrific. I guess the graphics are outdated now, and obviously they can't stand up to newer games and systems, but they are still great. In the end, I didn't actually care too much. I'm not too much of a graphics man. They have to be extremely bad to detract from the game. Great ones, like in Evolution, add some, but not too much, seeing as how it is an RPG.
The combat system is okay. It has a system in which you can vary whether you stand in the front, back, or middle. If you are forward, you deal more damage, but also take more. You take less and deal less if you are in back. Fairly straight forward. Some special moves and monsters can move you forward or backward, which can really add a tactical element (You know, most games add some sort of tactical elements, except maybe FF).
The monsters are wandering on screen, rather than being random, which I think everybody prefers. If you hit monsters in back, you get to ambush them, if you are hit in back, they ambush you. That is great. What isn't great is the dungeon design. The dungeons are random, which is cool in itself, but it was poorly done. For one thing, they really should have randomly decorated the walls. Every level is the same long, bland march to the next set of stairs. The later dungeons are 40 levels deep. Not too great. Once you get to the end, you get to fight an interesting boss. Which is slightly gratifying.
The character design was wonderful. I liked all of them enough to actually use them all, despite some of them being less good (which I don't do normally). They were cool. The story, however, fell flat. There wasn't much to it. Most of the game was going through dungeons to get money to pay back the Adventurer's Society. That is a nice setup, but they don't do anything with it. It is fun once you actually get to the plot, but it still isn't anything special. This is probably my main complaint. A better story, even with random dungeons, would have done Evolution wonders.
The level up and experience system wasn't anything great. It was fairly standard. You spend points on new special moves, which gives you a sense of progress slightly beyond normal leveling up. You also find new parts for you combat suit things within the dungeon, which all have their own special moves and stats. That is a lot more fun than just buying things. As a side note, I don't really remember the music. It wasn't good enough to stay in my head, or bad enough to distinguish itself.
Everything considered, Evolution was a good twenty hour hold-over until more RPG's came out for the Dreamcast (although, regrettably, not much else came out besides Skies of Arcadia). It was fun, but not spectacular enough to hold its own. The lack of plot and random dungeons were what really forced Evolution down from greatness. If there was anything else out for RPG fans, it probably wouldn't have been successful at all (I don't think it was anyway). Go for it, if you've got nothing better to do. It shouldn't take too long.
- This is a Great Game
- Repetitive and boring...
- Pure Brilliance!
- It needed more Evolution...
