Evolution 2

THE BAD:
lingering problems from the first one

SUMMARY:
It all started with that acid-resembling animation intro sequence with an obviously spiced Japanese computer voice saying E-S-P. Didn't it sound like A-S-P to you too?

Mag and his friends have returned for another adventure. Evolution 2 takes our heroes to Museville, a community featuring Society Headquarters, whose President Whitehead dedicates his efforts at uncovering the archaeological past through various relics. Cyframes, again, cameo as the link among past, present, and future. Since Mag was so skilled at uncovering mysteries in his last adventures, by all means, he's right for the job. In the meantime, Chain reprimands Mag, telling him that this whole number-one adventurer business shouldn't get to his head.

Well, it would all work fine and dandy if Carcano, leader of the thieves stationed near Museville, wouldn't try to hijack some of the precious Appraisal Items. Curse him.

So you've got to deal with him and secure some more items. That sounds easy enough, doesn't it?

The claustrophobic element of the prior Evolution title has been subtly dealt with. Museville has much more to offer than the weary Pannam Town. You can cruise down the street to visit your standard fare weapons, items, and Cyframe upgrade stores. Or, you can help that poor little guy at the fruit stand by buying some of his wares. You can have a drink (of milk) at the pub, peruse the Society's museum, or try your luck with the lottery. The programmers also opened up some of the houses. While the citizens may not have much to contribute to your tale, you can still rummage through their things. Hey, you can even meet the Society temp secretary who claims that Fight 182 is no longer in existence!

Unfortunately, you're still caught in the same loop of town-ruin-town-ruin. What eases the dungeon hacking issue in Evolution, though, is the Tower of Despair. It opens up after your first meeting with President Whitehead, and you explore it and fight the baddies within to bulk up on your ability points. Again, those points go toward learning new skills; pick them off one-by-one or save for more powerful techniques, your choice. The Tower unlocks itself in ten-floor increments. After exploring the Tower and picking up a rare treasure (well, not that rare) on every tenth floor, journeying and completing another ruin will unlock an additional ten floors. You'll "beat" the Tower at Floor 50, but it's not a requirement.

The game also opens up with a more enthralling storyline. Linear meets a strange boy named Yurka who befriends her and shares her powers. They discuss their "uniqueness" in the world, and sooner rather than later, our heroine becomes entangled in a plotline all her own. Granted, this leaves little character development for everyone else -- Pepper, Chain, and Mag tend to make more of a grand cameo appearance than anything -- but it's a significant improvement above hacking away at the family debt.

You'll notice some tweaking in combat. Characters maintain similar fighting styles to their first appearance. Gre's still the gun-toting, cuisine-cooking butler. Pepper's trusty laser gun and sensual vibe get her through many a tough battle. Timid little Linear is the healer, again. I still noticed two improvements. One: while the character molds remain roughly the same, characters demonstrate a little more versatility and refinement than last time. You'll see it best in Linear and Gre. Linear shows how adept she is with her frying pan; she hits harder and strikes faster. While Gre's age has finally caught up with his technique, his healing, cuisine, and support functions have been adjusted to make him a more well-rounded wingman.

Furthermore, Mag and Pepper (and someone else who I won't disclose -- hint, his name begins with C) have a better selection of Cyframe parts. The Cyframe system has been updated to account for size and functionality of parts. Someone like Chain can wear Heavy Blade Parts; it takes up three slots (out of a max five), but makes up for its bulk by providing some of the hardest hitting techniques. Unlike the first title in which upgraded parts only hit harder, these modifications enhance your character's stats. And once you find several parts for the choosing, it really feels as if you have better control on what kind of fighter you wind up with.

And a quick side note: I just noticed how quickly technique points go in this battle. I think the programmers tweaked this variable to give the game some additional difficulty. Instead of pounding away with the same techniques, you need to utilize better strategy.

Pretty environments and voice acting that retains the original Japanese script with a solid localization effort, and you've got yourself a significant improvement. Evolution 2 delivers quite a full game without the boredom and tediousness of scraping together debt funds. If you liked the first one, well, you'll definitely stay glued to the second.