RPG Eve of the Genesis Review

When the world is in peril (is it ever not?), the task of saving it falls on an unlikely band of heroes. Of course it does. RPG Eve of the Genesis is about as Old School as an RPG can get without actually having been made on a console or computer released prior to early to mid-90s. It’s a quality that will no doubt thrill fans of the simple yet nostalgic pseudo-genre, but everyone else used to more complex mechanics, stories, characters, and pretty much everything else might not find it all that exciting.

In this particular rendition of the old World in Jeopardy scenario, things take a slightly Matrix turn. Long ago a race of machines managed to overthrow the humans, leading to oppression and all that nasty stuff. Mankind was eventually able to kick them to the curb, or rather into another dimension, but they’ve remained vigilant for the machines’ return ever since. So naturally about five minutes in it starts to look like the big bad bots are back in town. Effat and Harty (and eventually Clia, and Viper) set out on a mission to investigate and before long they’re neck-deep in robot demons. And yes, those are really their names.

The most impressive element of RPG Eve of the Genesis, aside from that awesomely contradictory title, is also the most obvious. The graphics aren’t necessarily super-advanced but they have a great style and lots of color. At least for the more detailed enemy sprites. There are some interesting visual designs here that are a lot more creative than some other examples I’ve come across lately. Everything else will most likely be love it or hate it depending on what camp (“Classic” versus “Modern”) a player resides in.

Everything else about RPG Eve of the Genesis is incredibly by-the-numbers. Combat is turn-based, individual character skills are fairly straightforward, everyone fits into a more or less typical class, towns are nothing more than temporary hubs to buy slightly better gear and rest, the story isn’t too terribly complex, and so on. Now, while I like to think of myself as an appreciator of old school RPGs I just couldn’t find much enjoyment here. Everything just feels too simple, and not in that casual but addicting iOS fashion.

RPG Eve of the Genesis would probably make a good introductory RPG for iOS users looking to dip a toe in the genre, but it’s not really for hardcore veterans. It’s possible that die-hard Classic RPG lovers will enjoy the uncompromising simplicity of it and the familiarity of the story, but everyone else might want to consider looking around a little more for their next role playing fix.