“When I first saw this game back in 1999, I wasn't sure what to think of it. I was just starting to get into anime at the time and the cover artwork drew me to it. However, I didn't think that anime and gaming would mix all that well, so I let it...”
“When I first saw this game back in 1999, I wasn't sure what to think of it. I was just starting to get into anime at the time and the cover artwork drew me to it. However, I didn't think that anime and gaming would mix all that well, so I let it go. On top of that, I was never a huge fan of fighting games. After receiving it as a gift however, I became excited to discover what this game was all about and I was not disappointed.
Evil Zone (Eretzvaju in Japanese) tells the tale of a being named Ihadurca who can exist in multiple dimensions at one time. She threatened the small world of I-Praseru and the inhabitants were forced to seal her in a realm called the "Evil Zone". Now the seal on Evil Zone is weakening, which forces the denizens of this world to seek out warriors from other worlds to complete in a tournament to determine who will kill Ihadurca. This game puts a heavy focus on each character's individual story. Each story plays out like a ten episode miniseries, complete with episode previews, titles and special artwork along with voice acting.
The game begins with a gorgeous opening sequence and each character story closes with an ending sequence of the same gorgeous artwork but tailored to the character you play. The character models themselves were, considering PlayStation graphics, quite accurate to the animation and have a fair bit of detail. Each stage you play on is not based on a chosen location like many fighting games. Rather, each stage is designed to suit the homeworld or location of the character you are currently fighting. For example: if you are fighting Setsuna, the stage setting is a sunset on the top of a roof in Tokyo. If you are fighting Lie, the stage takes place on a bridge or sidewalk in London.
The music itself is actually really good. The music to compliment the opening sequence is fast-paced and catchy, like a slight electronic tone at intervals. The ending theme is more calm with a sense of sadness to accompany the mood of the situations and characters involved. Each stage theme, like the stages themselves, is tailored for the character. Setsuna's stage, for example, has a fast-paced jazz theme. Lie's stage has a heavy-metal rock theme. The sound, however, can sometimes leave a lot to be desired. While the voice actors have done a good job (Lani Minella herself portrays three different characters) the recording was done horribly. At times you can hear the scratches in the sound or base inconsistencies. They also SOUND like recordings, spoiling the possibility of making the character sound "real".
The gameplay itself was perhaps the most interesting part of the game. Most fighting games have several buttons you push along with directional buttons, which can sometimes be quite confusing as well as frustrating. Evil Zone uses only two buttons, triangle and circle, along with the directional buttons. The distance between the your character and the opponent also becomes a factor as your distance moves are hugely effected by this, including most button combinations. For example, triangle + down close up makes you grab the opponent. The same button mix a small distance away will perform one of two special moves (the second move occurs when you are much farther away from your opponent). The square is simply used to shield, block or maneuver around the opponent quickly, but that's all you really need. Each character also has a "ultimate move" of sorts that is used by charging up to three Power Stocks, which appear like little red crystals at the top of your screen.
There are several different game modes, accessible from the main menu: Story, 1P Battle, VS, Survival and Practice. Most are self-explanatory. Survival is a special play mode in which you fight opponents continuously until you die or call it quits. Also at the menu screen is the text Option, which takes you to the Option Menu. Here you can change the Battle Rank (opponent difficulty), Life Stock for 1P & VS, Stereo or Mono sound, enable Auto Save, Load, Save, Button Config, and Records of Survival wins per character. Also available in the Option Menu is "Extra". This gives you a list of six options worth of extra content. Encyclopedia and BGM (background music) are available by default, whereas the others will be unlocked as you play through the game. This game actually has some very neat extras that I'm sure you would enjoy.
In a nutshell, this game is way better than it has any right to be. It makes good use of the PlayStation's graphics capabilities and treats will a more simplistic gameplay system for a pick-up-and-play feel while still giving anime and fighting fans what they want to see. Although the sounds can sometimes leave a lot to be desired (it's the only part that makes the game feel like a low-budget work), it's generally easy to ignore, especially since you always have the option to skip cutscenes in Story mode if you wish. Highly recommended.”
Maxanda was the last to comment - over 3 years ago... show previous
It is indeed a very fun game. I wish they had it available on the PlayStation Network for those who can't find it online on eBay or some other website of the sort.”
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