Evolution was a RPG series that came out on the Dreamcast. The first game probably holds the record for one of the shortest modern RPG ever made. It received a sequel, while longer it failed to improve on many things that made the first one repetitive. In a last attempt for the series, Ubisoft released Evolution worlds on the Nintendo Gamecube, a compilation of the 2 games in the series. Did Ubisoft correct their mistakes with the Gamecube version, or does it ultimately fall flat like its previous titles?
The main character is Mag, he is part of the launcher family who are great treasure hunters who have been searching for the ultimate Cyframe Evolutia, but as of late the Launcher family has fallen into debt. You accept missions to seek out treasure for the society and pay off your debt. Paying off your debt is the main focus of the game for the most part, there is a back story to a mysterious girl but, it’s very plain and will most likely be forgotten for the most part. You will find better stories in some of today’s first person shooters probably.
Evolution uses a turn based system that’s similar to Xenosaga’s turn based system. Faster the unit the farther up in line they will go. The combat is very simple and other then some flashy special moves there isn’t much to keep you interested. Combat just feels uninspired and boring. The game’s difficulty is overall easy, although you may have some close calls. There’s a weapon upgrade system but it’s nothing special. Unfortunately the combat is probably the best part of Evolution worlds. The worst part of Evolution Worlds is what you will be doing most. That would be, the dungeon crawling.
Dungeon crawling in Evolution Worlds is a bore. Areas are basically hallways and that’s it. They made a wall and floor texture and pasted it around the entire dungeon. They are repetitive, have no real design. There are a few tricks here and there, but usually their there to annoy you. The Length of these dungeons at times can be insanely long. It can take 2-5 hours to climb some of the dungeons. Most of these dungeons only have 1 save point, and that’s at the very end. Its ridiculous how long these dungeons are. This really kills the game and sucks out any fun you might be having while climbing these Dungeons (skyscrapers).
Graphics in dungeons are horrendous, their just square rooms and halls you run around. Character models look okay and some enemy models are recycled with different colors. Otherwise the game looks decent for a Dreamcast game. There was little improvement if any made when brining the game to the Gamecube. CG cut scenes appear every once in awhile but they look blurry. Music is for the most part forgettable, minus one good song in Evolution 2. Voice acting at times can be strange but overall actually fit the game very well. Characters were expressed well for what little personality they had. Some reuse of sound effects sounds awkward at moments, for example having a vacuum type sound for falling down holes.
The game is about 18-25 hours. It’s not worth the 25 hours you may spend on it. It’s Dull, uninspired and lengthy Dungeons kill the game experience. There are more things you can do such as collecting appraisal items and climbing a tower (yes a even longer tower). These give the game legs after you beat the game, but chances are you won’t want to come back and do any of it. The uninspired dungeons design and graphics really just make this games length feel even longer then it should be. Overall Evolution Worlds is just not good at all. Maybe if you are a dungeon crawlers fan you will enjoy it. Otherwise stay away, you can spend your money and time on much better RPGs.
Only the most desperate Dungeon Crawler fan should pick this game up.
Score: 5.0
(Box Art and Featured Image Source: Evolution Worlds Wikia)
