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Eve of Extinction Feature

Derick Dela Fuente

00/12/0000

From the developer of WWF: Smack Down comes a very Japanese looking tile, which is billed as a puzzle solving adventure for PlayStation 2.

The first thing that will strike you if you are a football fan is that the player you assume, Josh Calloway, looks remarkably like a young David Beckham, with hair! Once again we are treated to the now familiar backdrop story to the game of the would be hero working for a multi national conglomerate, Wisdom Inc, he soon finds out the true nature of his employers business, when his young, blond and beautiful girlfriend disappears in mysterious circumstances. Yes, Wisdom Inc. is a purveyor of evil and is creating a deadly weapon of mass destruction, named The Legacy, by fusing the essence of a human soul with a crystal! Far fetched, eh!? As you will easily pick up, it is your job to not only find your girlfriend but save the world from the endless horrors it could face!

Yota Wada, the producer, started off the normal banter by expressing that Eve of Extinction (EOE) is best described as a fighting action adventure game being developed by Yukes in Japan who have been developing games for over eight years. EOE is very story influenced and all the puzzles that are on offer are environmentally based. As present the game is still in development so they are unsure how many levels the end game will have but needless to say many!

Back to the main plot, after finding out about his employees, Josh soon becomes an ex one. Having found out that his girlfriendâs soul is part of the Eve of Extinction (EOE) experiment, his main priority is to find her she also happens to be an employee of the company. Finding her body to bring back to normal is the first task, sorting out the crystal/s and their dastardly creation will follow.

A lot of EOE interest revolves around the four main features/components of the game â“ motion capture cut scenes and interactive cut scenes with lip syncing, an advance weapons finding system, the games innovative puzzles and platform game atmosphere. Finally the various and strong looking settings from New York to deep jungles of South America.

The cut scenes in the game are long and allow the player to not only understand what is going on but convey a strong ethos throughout and the varying changes in locales present even more cut scenes. A feel of Resident Evil and Final Fantasy comes across not in the story line but in the formulised way the game has been put together. Obviously this a method that is well regarded in Japan and with the good animated forms and free roaming real time 3D action it manages to focus the player on what they should do. There are few moments when there is nothing to see or do!

Set in the contemporary world, the game has a lush feel and combines elements from martial arts, Japanese manga, Hollywood action and the cut scenes using the games 3D engine which are almost seamless in transition with the actual gameâs setting.

At the start of the game the presentation is more like a tutorial so you will know what has happened and also find out your next objectives. The first setting will see Josh trying to get âthe Legacyâ from within a suitcase and having achieved this you will find you are a marked person. The âLegacyâ, which is best explained by calling it a holder, allows you a lot of power. As you move around you will find crystals which when found go into the holder and turn a weapon like a sword into a more powerful one. Each crystal inserted will produce different weapons!

Most of the action and puzzles are straightforward in understanding what you must do but actually achieving this is slightly harder. As with the action scenes, as well as cut scenes, where some are actually interactive, a great deal of time will be focused on hitting various buttons on your pad! It is not mindless tapping away for there are many hidden subtleties! Even within an interactive cut scene you must tap in to avoid danger! You canât just sit and watch! Keeping tabs of your onscreen health is essential!

Weapons (crystal activated) on hand to use include swords, whips, axes, each with special qualities, but getting to understand the control pad and what each weapon does, along with their special moves (these special moves are quite detailed and add a lot to the actual game), is a priority.

EOE has many distinguishing features, one is that the fighting abilities grow and are varied as the game progresses. The fact it mixes many gaming ideas along with pleasing environments are others. For what seems a straightforward game it remarkably has lots of hidden complexities which are easily understood. For instance you can build compos and the better you get, the more options are opened up. To utilise a special with a weapon requires first that you must move it in a certain pattern but all will become obvious as you play! Yota: âThe advanced fighting system is impressive. You in effect start at level one and there are limited combo moves so with more experience by using the weapons the level increases and unlocks more moves. At present there are five levels and you can mix different weapons to produce differing combos!â

It is not all about fighting or confrontation but that is a large part, itâs about finding things and solving puzzles with some âtomb raideresqueâ platforming, jumping around and cavorting! Getting to certain spots on the screen could mean some clever jumping and precise movements but first you must find the best line and in some instances there is a number of routes! Text on screen will assist and this comes from âthe Legacyâ. This acts like a computer and gives you hints and guides you through the level!

Yota: âA good deal of in game puzzles are solved by the use of a weapon so you will need to know each of the properties of the weapons to solve the puzzles. EOE offers more quality fighting, jumping around, more adventure and diversity in locales than any other title I know!â

Only one small gripe in what appears a very accomplished looking game! No Blood! Why?? Well it is to ensure that the German market will not be offended!

Adventure, fighting (with bosses), puzzles; fast reactional play, (RPG elements â“ learning to use your weapons)- what more could you wish for? Weâve only touched on this game and there is a lot lot more