History VideoGame / Evolution

The first game, ''The Quest for Sacred Device'', revolved around Mag's [[HubCity hub town]] (which linked to various dungeons via his family's biplane) and a seedy military leader with an interest in Linear. It also had a downscaled port for the UsefulNotes/NeoGeoPocket titled ''Evolution: Eternal Dungeons''.

''Evolution'' (known as ''Shinkisekai Evolution'' in Japan) is a bipartite [[EasternRPG JRPG]] originally released for the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast in 1999. It was developed by Creator/StingEntertainment and published by {{Creator/Ubisoft}} in North America and Europe. In Japan it was published by ESP (Entertainment Software Publishers).

The game had one sequel, ''Far Off Promise'', and a CompilationRerelease for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube Gamecube]], ''Evolution Worlds'': this adventure saw Mag and company going on the road. It was set in a far-off town connected to dungeons via a new railroad network. An optional third-person view was added, unlike the original which was strictly [[TopDownView top-down]]. Once again, Linear found herself a target, this time of a [[WhiteHairDarkHeart white-haired villain]] with a shared lineage and a hatred of humanity. The ending wasn't exactly open-ended, but a few plot threads were left hanging (mainly to do with Linear's origin), and a follow-up seems unlikely.

* Superboss: The Tower of Despair has Izmail, the boss of the 50th floor. [[spoiler: The basement floor has Navarin, a stronger variation of Izmail, at the end of a BossRush.]]

* BonusBoss: The Tower of Despair has Izmail, the boss of the 50th floor. [[spoiler: The basement floor has Navarin, a stronger variation of Izmail, at the end of a BossRush.]]

** Chain's father is never seen in-game and she's instead watched over by Easter and Kashim. Her comments in the Dreamcast version, however, suggest that Chain's parents are merely traveling abroad rather than actually missing. The Dreamcast magazine comics subvert it with Chain's father making occasional appearances.

* MissingMom: Mag's mother is never shown. Same with Chain.

* PerpetualPoverty: {{Downplayed}}. The Launcher Family is popular among other hunters in that they have an horrendous debt to pay to the Society, so Mag has to WorkOffTheDebt to keep his BigFancyHouse. Luckily, the Gun Family averted going through this by doing the opposite, but it's still kind of pathetic they now live in a bus.

* CoolLoser: The Launcher Family is popular among other hunters in that they have an horrendous debt to pay to the Society, so Mag has to WorkOffTheDebt to keep his BigFancyHouse. Luckily, the Gun Family averted going through this by doing the opposite, but it's still kind of pathetic they now live in a bus.

* OffModel:
** A rather weird thing involving Mag's white jacket: Mag in the original ''World of Sacred Device'' did not have a jacket. The jacket was introduced in ''Evolution 2'', which is what Mag's model in ''Worlds'' is based on. The FMV sequences from ''World of Sacred Device'' were never updated to reflect this, meaning that Mag's jacket "vanishes" whenever an FMV plays. Making this even more odd is that the english boxarts for ''Worlds'' portray Mag without his jacket, despite being a new render.
** Ironically, Linear suffers from the ''opposite'' problem, as the title FMV is based on Evolution 2... meaning she is wearing a jacket she no longer has.

* BareYourMidriff: Pepper wears an outfit that does this.

* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: The final dungeon suddenly has a liking to having big dinosaurs roam the halls.

* RecurringTraveller: The game practically calls Chain and Pepper from the shadows once the Launcher trio travels to Museville so the party doesn't have to keep Gre for the third slot.

** [[spoiler: And then there's the fact Yurka is also an Evolutia.]]

* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Prof. Whitehead]] tends to be really nice towards Mag and the rest of the characters, but he's secretly trying to obtain ultimate wisdom all for himself.[[spoiler:Whitehead ends up feeling guilty for using Mag and for trying to finish his plan. He feels so guilty for helping Yurka achieve his goals that he offers to help Mag and co. as much as he can.]]

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:With no need to find the keys with the unconditional help of Mag's actions, Yurka disposes of Whitehead.]]

* DarkSkinnedBlond: Yurka, with white hair thrown in for good measure.

* WikiRule: [[http://evolutionworlds.wikia.com/wiki/Evolution_Worlds_Wiki Here it is]].

* FlavorText: A surprisingly robust amount. In the first game, Mag comments on whatever he's looking at. In the sequel, the flavor text and conversations with the townsfolk are instead for whoever is in front of the party. There's even even cases where certain characters will have drastically different reactions to certain object or even [[UpToEleven react differently to objects that you'd think would share the same text as something else]]. [[spoiler: In both games, most of the flavor text changes towards the end of the game [[ContinueYourMissionDammit where the party tells themselves to focus on finding Linear]].]] ''Worlds'' varies it depending on what part the player is in.

* SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity: Usually boss floors always lack any monsters besides the boss itself and contain both a save point and a warp point to exit the dungeon, usually across from each other. While less so in the first game (due to Mag's comment upon arriving at the last floor which clues in the player), this is moreso in the second game which hides an Upgrade Kit close by for good measure. [[spoiler: The Society Dungeon breaks this rule a bit, with the bosses being a floor above the safe points and the first warp point [[CheckpointStarvation appearing after the boss]].

** ''Evolution 2'' does away with level scaling for the main game, but uses it in the [[NostalgiaLevel Tower of Despair]].

* WhatTheHellPlayer: Some of the FlavorText chastises the player for looking too heavily through other people's stuff.

* ButThouMust: There's no way to take Linear off the party to ask another member to join during ruins exploration [[spoiler:unless she's kidnapped]]. {{Justified|Trope}} in that Mag promised his father to not leave Linear alone.

* VendorTrash: Appraisal items are items specifically designed to be turned into the Society for money (or potentially an item). The second game has a list keeping track of what items have been found and allowing the player to read the item's FlavorText even after handing it in.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Mag, Linear, and Chain are 16, 17, and 15 respectively. None of them look even close to their age. Lampshaded somewhat with Chain who is annoyed at her height (or lack of).

* SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity: Usually boss floors contain both a save point and a warp point t exit the dungeon, usually across from each other. While less so in the first game (due to Mag's comment upon arriving at the last floor which clues in the player), this is moreso in the second game which hides an Upgrade Kit close by for good measure.
* TankGoodness: [[spoiler:Mag and Linear face a big one as a boss and then run away from an army made entirely of smaller ones. Later Mag and his rescue party face another big one as a boss while trying to get to Linear. Weirdly enough, both Forest Depths and Crypt Maze have tank-like bosses that are not related to the dungeon element-wise. The latter does employ an ice attack though, but that's it.]]

* WhatTheHellPlayer: Some of the FlavorText chastises the player for looking to heavily through other people's stuff.

* {{Meganekko}}: Nina of the Society fits this.

* AdaptationExpansion: The one scene that was ''added'' to ''Worlds'' draws attention to Linear's mysterious powers, which were generally glossed over in the original game. [[spoiler: This is presumably to foreshadow Linear's true nature of Evolutia.]]

A novelization of of the first game was also released... [[NoExportForYou in Japan.]] A series of [[GagSeries gag strips]] also ran in the Japanese Official Dreamcast Magazine, the first 36 of which were also released with the ''Evolution 2'' strategy guide (once again, in Japan).

* BareYourMidriff: Pepper wears an outfit that does this

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Pepper pulls this out when saving Mag and Linear from the boss of Blaze Ruins.]] After that, she can be recruited for dungeon missions at the bar.

* BonusDungeon: The Tower of Despair, accessible once you reach Museville. It's unique in that enemies give little EXP but more TP than usual, making it ideal for grinding skills. The limit of how many floors one can go through changes each in-game day in sets of 10 (up to [[MarathonLevel 50]] [[note]]though each 10 marks a checkpoint that the player can start at next time[[/note]] and there is a unique prize at the end each time. [[spoiler: It also has an underside, accessible on a NewGamePlus, with the same amount of floors.]]

** Linear is like this during the main campaign, and must always be in your party no matter what until the postgame. Before the postgame during the TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, you are required to have at least two other characters in your party at all times, and Mag must be one of them while Linear cannot be for story reasons

** [[spoiler:After Linear is persuaded back into returning to Mag's side, Yurka, while still in the Ulticannon, starts to wonder why he's feeling jealous all of a sudden.]]

* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:Eugune's Mech during the rescue attempt, but only in ''Worlds''; In ''World Of Sacred Device, he's the FinalBoss.]]

* [[spoiler:DistressedDamsel: Poor Linear will never have a chance to fight the final boss on both parts.]]

* EnergyWeapon: Pepper's weapon of choice.

* FinalDungeonPreview: In ''World of Sacred Device'', Mag and Linear are summoned by the 8th Imperial Army, prompting them to visit their warship on day 2. [[spoiler: Later, Mag's party [[BattleshipRaid raids it]] to rescue Linear.]] ''Worlds'' [[DownplayedTrope downplays]] it; The scene instantly cuts to the ship's throne room, not allowing the player to explore it.

* LethalLavaLand: The Sheol ruins is located inside of a volcano, complete wit lava in the upper floors.

* MysteriousWaif: Linear. You never get a full explanation as to what exactly happened to her or why she's mute in the game, but she certainly has a lot of mysterious air about her.Mysteriously shows up one day, is timid and quiet, [[spoiler:turns out to be Evolutia...]]

* FingerlessGloves: Mag, Chain and Pepper wear these. Curiously, Mag's pinky and ring finger ''are'' covered.

** Mag's parents also get in on it: Mag's Father is named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RUR-5_ASROC "Asroc Launcher"]] while his mother is named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UUM-44_SUBROC "Subroc"]].

* LevelScaling: This can be the games biggest helping point or massive flaw depending on how you look at it. The bosses scale much faster than the player, and the final boss, Eugene's battle mech, is the biggest threat, the higher level you are the more impossible he is to beat, and he will always be above your level. This is no longer an issue in the remake.

* NostalgiaLevel: The Tower of Despair in ''Far Off Promise'' is modeled after the dungeons from ''World of Sacred Device'', bringing back the rougelike random floor layouts and only having checkpoints at specific floors. It also prioritizes enemies from the first game rather than ones from the second game's dungeons.

* PlayableEpilogue: The original game gives you one bonus dungeon (which is one of the five you didn't pick during the game), the ability to freely choose dungeons and the ability to take Linear out of your party.

* RankUp: For the second part of the game, Mag's achievements are recognized by the head of the Society, prompting him to take more quests around the main HQ,

* BadassBeard: Carcano sports one.

* BonusBoss: The Tower of Despair has Izmail, the boss of the 50th floor.
* BonusDungeon: The Tower of Despair, accessible once you reach Museville. It's unique in that enemies give little EXP but more TP than usual, making it ideal for grinding skills. The limit of how many floors one can go through changes each in-game day in sets of 10 (up to [[MarathonLevel 50]] [[note]]though each 10 marks a checkpoint that the player can start at next time[[/note]] and there is a unique prize at the end each time. [[spoiler: It also has an underside, accessible on a NewGamePlus, with the same amount of floors.]]