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Shin Force ~ Dreamcast ~
 Seventh Cross / Seventh Cross: Evolution
Jocelyn
Reviewed
08.13.2002
Publisher
NEC (Japan)
UFO (USA)
Developer
NEC Home Electronics
Format
1x GD
Origin
Import/Domestic
Available
Dec 22, 1998 (Japan)
Dec 23, 1999 (USA)
Exclusive
Yes
Difficulty
Hard
Dimensions
3D
View
Multi 3rd Person
Genre
Simulation/RPG
Player(s)
1
Options
Backup 172
VGA Box
Requires
n/a
Importable
50%
Intro:
     > Let me start by saying that I have not played this game in a while.  I did complete it thricely way back when though.  Seventh Cross is a sort of evolution simulation with semi real-time combat.  You must defeat and consume enemy creatures to gain evolution points to evolve and to generate new parts (legs, arms, heads, and bodies) by manipulating DNA patterns.  You should plan on devoting an entire memory card to saving this game, as it uses 197 blocks.
Graphics:
     > Out of the 40 or so Dreamcast games that I have played, Seventh Cross has the worst graphics.  This has been one of those points reviewers have dwelled on, and while more should have been done graphically, I can't see how they can justify their whining after all their years of praising the Playstation.  The graphics are certainly better than the quality of Playstation.  I will say that I cannot help but wonder how much more of an impact could have been made with better graphics.
Control:
     > Adequate, but it sure could have been better.  You really don't have a whole lot of complexity here.  You use one button for close attack, one for distance attack, and one for expower (kinda like magic).  Once you engage in combat by hitting one of these buttons it continues on auto-pilot.  You watch the combat until completion, or you may cancel the combat to run away.  While I like this system, I think many people would have preferred a more action-oriented system.  I liked the tone this style set and the loneliness of the mood that it helped convey.
Sound:
     > Well, it's not as good as the graphics, although some of it was well done, a lot of it was not.  The worst is the very memorable sucking effect in the shallows areas that sounds just like Maggie Simpson sucking her pacifier, but louder, constant, and much more annoying.  Why?
Fun:
     > Ah, the good part.  This game is fun.  It even has a somewhat interesting story.  There is something about the atmosphere and the mood of Seventh Cross that makes it appealing.  I actually found it to be more frightening than any survival horror game I've seen recently.  You always have a sense of tension that something big and scary is about to pounce on you from behind.  I could still happily play through this game again, there's just something about it...
Bottom Line:
     > While not for everyone, people who want to try something different and who are not action only people should find some fun here.
Ratings:
Overall: 7.3 | Graphics: 6.5 | Control: 8.0 | Sound: 6.0 | Fun: 8.8
~ Jocelyn ~
Necromancer
Reviewed
12.28.1999
Publisher
NEC (Japan)
UFO (USA)
Developer
NEC Home Electronics
Format
1x GD
Origin
Import/Domestic
Available
Dec 22, 1998 
(Japan)
Dec 23, 1999 
(USA)
Exclusive
Yes
Difficulty
Hard
Dimensions
3D
View
Multi 3rd Person
Genre
Simulation/RPG
Player(s)
1
Options
Backup 172
VGA Box
Requires
n/a
Importable
50%
Intro:
     > Seventh Cross was one of the first games for Dreamcast, as it reached Japan in December 1998.  Later on, NEC released a bonus disc in Japan (hopefully it comes here too).  UFO picked up the American rights to Seventh Cross and subtitled it "Evolution".  The game revolves around your creature, which starts out as a defenseless wimp.  In order to gain Evolution Points (EVP), you have to kill other creatures.  Then, you can use EVP to make new DNA and eventually mutate body parts into something else using the nutrients you've gathered.  If you're killed, then you lose mutated body parts and return to a primitive state while retaining your DNA sheet, records, and ability level.  You can play Seventh Cross forever if you wish, but there is a happy ending.

     > I don't recommend importing this game as it would become too complicated.  It's a good thing that UFO has taken the task of bringing us this and other (yet to be converted) Japanese titles.
Graphics:
     > The graphics are a mixed bag.  Mostly simple 3D models are used for the locales and creatures.  However, many of the special effects used for the "Expower" (basically magic) are really cool.  Different levels of Expower become available as you evolve.  These attacks include lightning, fire, water, and death curses.  The view is mainly 3rd person (behind your creature), although various other 3rd person views can be selected for moving and fighting modes.

     > You start out in a pond which is connected to a small lake.  Other locales you'll gain access to are deep sea, swamp, wetland, volcanic, and tropical.  Your sight distance never goes very far, but it doesn't bother me.  Also, most of the environment textures are fairly simple -- probably since this was an early title.

     > Creatures come in all shapes and sizes.  From clams, to sharks, to dinosaurs -- you'll see it all.  Huge boss creatures guard the passage to new locations.  These are definitely the coolest looking creatures in the game.
Control:
     > You begin in the "Protist" stage -- a simple being that can't even attack.  You have to run away or hide from dangerous creatures while picking up nutrients.  After three Protist stages, your character evolves into the "Origin" stage -- another simple being with weak attack capabilities.  From now on every time your Health Points (HP) reach zero, you revert back to the Origin stage while retaining your DNA sheet, records, and ability level.

     > You have six abilities which can be improved by fighting and mutating: AT (attack power), E-AT (attack power of Expower), DEF (defense power), INT (intellectual power), HEAL (healing power), and DEX (dexterity).  In order to mutate, you have to earn EVP by fighting.  Once you have enough EVP, you can select "Evolution" at a save monument and create new DNA for increased levels of four body parts: head, arms, body, and legs.  This is done by making a design using color-coded attributes on a 10x10 grid.  After achieving better DNA you can mutate a given body part as long as you have sufficient portions of six nutrients: water, protein, calcium, fiber, hard cell, and neuro-bio.

     > There are three methods of attack based on your character's abilities and evolution: hand-to-hand, indirect (like throwing a stone), and Expower (magic).  Expower attacks are mainly elemental and have multiple intensities -- all of which use your Expower Points (EP).  Eventually you'll be able to cure, heal, raise shields, and transport with Expower.  Battles are a turn based hybrid of automatic fighting, Expower selection, and attempting to retreat.  This works fine, but real-time battles would be nice in a future sequel.
Sound:
     > The background music is subdued -- good for mood setting.  Although it's decent, It could have been better.

     > Just about everything makes a noise.  Some of them are good (like the fire and explosions), and some can get annoying (like the water splash effect when you wade).  All creatures even make a realistic vocal noise according to the head they have.
Fun:
     > I know the seemingly over-involved gameplay might turn you off.  However, the game becomes second nature once you understand what's going on.  As mentioned before, you start out as a wimp which can be killed by one hit from a crab.  The satisfaction of getting strong enough to kill these pesky crabs is great!  As you access new locales, increase abilities, and evolve, the game just gets more intriguing, sometimes repetitive (killing creatures), and really fun!!
Bottom Line:
     > The more I play Seventh Cross, the more I like it.  The idea of evolving with nearly infinite possibilities is intriguing and ultimately fun.  The two things that need the most improvement are the battles and the environment graphics, but that's just my taste.  Seventh Cross is not for everyone.  Unfortunately, the mainstream reviews of this game will probably concentrate on this fact.  As a result, I'm sure it will not sell as well as it should.
Ratings:
Overall: 8.3 | Graphics: 7.5 | Control: 9.0 | Sound: 7.8 | Fun: 9.0
~ Necromancer ~

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