Secret of Evermore
Reviewed by Adam Butler
Secret of Evermore is one of the best RPG games on the Super NES
system. Coming in close rank is Secret of Manna and Chrono Trigger.
I like Secret of Evermore because of it's unique magic system. I
think the idea of using alchemy for magic is awesome. It adds to the
challenge of the game, trying to balance the different ingredients
for the alchemy formulas.
Graphics 6 out of 10
The graphic in Secret of Evermore is one of the best for the Super
NES System, compared to Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. The
graphics for the magic spells were pretty good, but I think the
magic effects of Chrono Trigger beats Secret of Evermore, however,
the magic effects of Secret of Evermore beats the magic effects
of Secret of Mana.
Music and Sound 7 out of 10
I like the music and the sound effects for Secret of Evermore better
than some of the games for the Super NES System. I especially like the
popping sound effect when you successfully destroy an enemy, because
it assures you of you destroying your enemy. The music for bosses is
also some of the best on the Super NES System. The Sound Effects for the
magic was also pretty good but I think the sounds for Chrono Trigger
beat the one's for Secret of Evermore by just a small amount.
Game Challenge 8 out of 10
I give it such a high score because I liked how it was set up. By
you advancing through four different time periods, each having
there own currency and alchemy formulas that are associated
with that time period. Also some of the bosses were a little
difficult if you were new to this type of RPG. I especially had problems
with Verminator. I thought that he was one of the biggest boss
challenges in the game. Some of the objectives in the game were
also a bit of a challenge. Like searching for the Diamond Eyes.
If you didn't have the alchemy formula to find the hidden path
to the pyramid, you wouldn't have been able to find it easily.
Game Play-Fun 9 out of 10
Like I said earlier, I like the advancing through the different
time periods, to find the last boss. I like the type of RPG game
that this displays, because I like action games along with RPG's
and I like the active fighting that was in this one and in Secret
of Mana. The game was pretty linear as it goes with freedom
on the screen. Also, this is one of those games that have
unexpected secrets throughout it, and they are fun to look for.
One of my favorite elements in the game was the dog. The dog
was not only a good character in the game and the storyline,
but he was helpful in finding alchemy ingredients that were
just lying around on the ground. My favorite form of the dog
was the robot when you get to Omnitopia. Another attribute that
I like about the dog as well as with the main character was the
ability to charge his bark. For the main character, the ability to
charge his weapon to achieve a more powerful attack.
Frustration
Frustration: I had very few frustrations with this game. The
only ones that I guess I had was the fight with Verminator
and the balancing of the alchemy ingredients. However, this is
just my opinion, some people might have great frustration with
some of the game's attributes. For example, in one of the
"dungeons" ( I can't remember the name) you have to flip switches
in the right order so you can pass to the next room. This can be a
frustration causing part of the game, because there are a number
of possibilities. Now don't freak out when I say that there are a
number of possibilities, because there are only three switches,
so if you were to keep trying you would eventually find the right combo.
Replayability 7 out of 10
Replayability of this game is very good, since there are four
time periods, in which you have to advance through. Over time
you might forget where some of the items are. Another factor
in the replaying of this game, is that there are so many different
types of alchemy formulas in the game, that you might not find
them all, and if you play it a second or even a third time maybe
more you would have a better chance of finding all of them. For
me, I could replay this game X number of times and not get tired with it.
Game Value 10 out of 10
Game value, worth the price: It is defiantly worth the price.
Like I said before with the replaying of it, there are four
different time periods to explore and so many different types of
magic and items along with weapons. Like most games, Secret of
Evermore, has a few secrets in it, which includes hidden alchemy
formulas and hidden ingredients, and hidden items.
Overall 8.75 out of 10
My conclusion of Secret of Evermore is that it is one of the best
RPG games out there for Super NES, and I highly recommend it to anyone
who likes RPG games with a lot of choices in it and different weapons.
This is truly an awesome game!!!