Published by: Agetec Developed by: Agetec Da Introduction: Is there really a story line in this loosely classified RPG? Supposedly... something about the Rieubane empire, a crazy scientist named Morpheus, and top secret experiments in the Human Research Laboratory. It doesn't really matter. The plot could just as easily been left out of the game which is basically an action title - the gist is to figure out the correct weapons and armour to use while fighting the bad guys. Nothing earth shattering here, just some fairly annoying gameplay. Da Sound: High on the list of annoying features is the sound. "Turn it off! Turn it off!" That is one of the first things I did. Discordant notes in repititious melodies droning on and on, voices in cut scenes not synching with body gestures, neverending bleeps and blips; you get the picture. Da Graphics: The graphics department is the only adequate part of this game. The ground textures are all similar and fairly basic but the creatures and buildings are nicely rendered. There are no major glitches - no clipping or draw-in which can make other titles difficult to play. While there are no problems visually there's also nothing thrilling enough to make the game worth purchasing. The levels themselves are also very sparse. Da Gameplay: Evergrace is supposed to be an RPG but only has minimal RPG elements. Anyone wanting an indepth plot, or the ability to mold characters as they gain experience should look elsewhere. Gameplay basically consists of working your way through levels and overcoming encountered monsters by determing their weaknesses and equipping yourself in an appropriate fashion. Weapons and armour have "palmira" types associated with them making the bearer stronger offensively or defensively in different catagories of magic. Evergrace is played from two different viewpoints - that of the two main characters, Darius and Sharline. At any "save point" you can choose to switch between them. A nice feature for when you get stuck with one character and want to do something different for a while. A save point appears as a large crystal and is the only location where you can save the game, go to the shop, or change characters. There is one save point per area. The shop becomes very important but having to keep running back to it when you want to save or fix an item makes the game tedious. As you fight your equipment loses its effectiveness so you'll need to pay close attention and be sure to go to the shop to have the item fixed before it breaks or you won't be able to afford the repairs. If you're fighting a tough beastie you might have to change armaments numerous times to ensure nothing breaks. This along with the need to run all the way to the beginning of a level to save or fix something is completely irksome. Da Conclusion: With annoying sound and bothersome gameplay Evergrace is a title that you don't need to worry about missing. True RPG fans would be much happier picking up a different title. This along with the need to run all the way to the beginning of a level to save or fix something is completely irksome. Graphics: 8 Sound: 4 Gameplay: 5 Tilt: 4 Overall: 5.2 Evergrace was reviewed by DA GAMEBOYZ Freya