Retro Blog: Secret of Evermore

There are a massive amount of Role Playing Games out there. I'd like to play and beat plenty of those, especially from the NES and PSX gaming libraries, but as we know, these games tend to last quite a while before you are even able to beat the game, regardless of side quests. So the time to spend on a potential rich RPG must be well chosen.

Many of the RPG's also play the same fundamentally. But there are some noticeable sub genres sticking out. Examples are traditional turn based, action based and strategy based ones. Each of them come with their own rules regarding RPG gameplay and how various systems, elements and objects work in each title. Some are simply designed and easily picked up if you are familiar, others demand a very deep learning curve. I know of at least 3 RPG titles that took me and many others 1 hour before we understood the majority of how the game is played.

As it stands, RPG's are here to stay. They are well known for detailed or deep storylines, gamelength, various strategies and themed music. Not all of them are a joy to play. And personally, I have begun to dislike random encounters in general, but perhaps I will speak more about that aspect another time.

I'd like to focus attention onto a classic SNES RPG now. At least, that is my humble opinion, because this game isn't exactly cherished by a vast amount of fans. And the prime reason for that is because of a certain franchise which shares the same basic gameplay. More on this further down the post.

Secret of Evermore is an action RPG about a boy and his trustyworthy dog, who through a freak of circumstances enter the world of Evermore, divided into 4 sections which are Prehistoria, Antiqua, Gothica and Omnitopia, each with their own currency, where anything but humans attempt to kill you in battle. As you are acquinted by your main character, you notice how he likes to refer to fictional movie titles at certain moments. And as for the dog, well, he has a mysterious ability to forcefully morph into another form the moment you enter a different section.

The story is about escaping this mysterious world, and uncover the Secret of Evermore, which is the fact that all hostile creatures in Evermore happen to be mechanical, created by a malfuctioned butler robot named Carltron. As a kid uncovering this twist, I must say, I was pretty surprised to get to know this from regular enemies found in RPG's.

The game comes with the effective Ring System, as far as I know first introduced in Secret of Mana, another title created by Squaresoft. As you access this system, it lets you rotate through many things, including obtained spells, armor, weapons and items. You can purchase most of those things, however to acquire spells, you must first find the right ingredients.

These ingredients can range from mushrooms to meteorites, and personally, it was difficult to get all of the spells because of the scarcity of some of those ingredients. Each spell can be leveled up the more you use it. Some of the spells were fun to cast, such as a giant fist slamming onto the enemy, and from key characters you can even get some special spells connected towards them.

Leveling goes the same towards the weapons the boy uses in combat, and like in Secret of Mana, there are delays in the boy and dog's attacks in order to charge up for the next attack. The difficulty is fairly normal and friendly for gamers of all age, but there is a certain boss that can only be defeated with Alchemy (spells), so be warned. The enemies and bosses were both well done and most of all, the bestiality was quite varied.

I think that the best factor towards Secret of Evermore, like pretty much any great videogame, is the music itself, created by Jeremy Soule. For me, it happens to have the most atmospheric soundtrack on the Super Nintendo, it even acknowledges some of it's sounds as ambience in the Official Sound Track. Not only that, but some of the songs in it are very well connected towards the given location. Some of the most memorable and beautifully composed are Collosia Chamber 1, Ivor Town and the very last song, Return to Podunk (but only if you have played and beaten the game). Admitted, the soundtrack isn't large, but a few of those songs are definitely worthwhile to hear. Nothing else on the SNES sounds the way this soundtrack does.

The story itself and it's characters aren't as memorable, but they are not generic as well. I really liked the setting and immersion each section had to offer. Combined with the music and the many secrets scattered around the world, I have wished for a remake or a sequel to be made towards Secret of Evermore for a long time...but it has never happened and probably never will.

Which is very shameful, when also looking at Secret of Mana and it's Japanese sequel Seiken Densetsu 3. Square-Enix nowadays will either port or remake as many Final Fantasies or Dragon Quests as possible, but they do not even attempt to bring out an excellent action RPG like Secret of Mana or Evermore anymore!? The money does not float towards those kind of games and thus, I am sad.

Lastly, the prime reason why Secret of Evermore has been neglected and pushed away as a bad RPG by many is because of it's status as being the reason why Seiken Densetsu 3 was never released in the West. That is what Squaresoft itself stated back in the day. It happens to be a replacement towards another great game. It is also, in fact, an American RPG, created by the American section of Squaresoft. Not that that really matters, because the gameplay here is just as terrific, but it does stand out as being pretty much the only American RPG on the SNES.

It has a bad reputation for being this odd decision of a replacement. But for me, Evermore will always be one of the best RPG's I have played, for it's remarkable setting, immersive soundtrack, mysterious nature, underappreciated status and gameplay just as good as the Mana franchise. There are many RPG's indeed, but to find your favorites ones, you must experience and remember each of them in your own way.

Rating: 9.0