Evergrace is one of the four RPGs available at the launch of the PS2 (the others are Orphen, Summoner and Eternal Ring, the last one from the same developers of Evergrace). From Software decided to enter the market of videogames for PlayStation 2 with three games: Evergrace, Eternal Ring and Armored Core,

From the very beginning, Evergrace was a PS2 project. Somewhere during the development, it was decided to restart from scratch and release it for PsOne because of the vast market around the old console. After a while, the developers realized the game was too ambitious for the PsOne and decided to port it back to PS2. This explains why Evergrace is still partially tied up to the style and logic of the first Sony console and absolutely unable to take advantage of the possibilities of the new hardware or to reach the graphic effectiveness of some games for PsOne (Dino Crisis 1 and 2, Resident Evil 3, or Final Fantasy 9). Yet, this little RPG has its own good points, many ideas that, if fully developed, could have created a truly memorable and original role-playing experience.

Darius and Sharline are the two heroes of Evergrace; their destinies, apparently separated, are actually part of the same story. Darius has been an orphan since he was a kid, and his misfortunes (his parents' killing, a classic RPG theme) are apparently caused by a cursed crest he bears on his right hand. The legend tells that those born with these crests on their body are destined to suffer the worse catastrophes and bring unhappiness and bad fate to those who surround them. Darius, seeking revenge against those who have destroyed his family, departs on a journey. One day, he gets lost in the forest of Billania - his search for the truth behind the sign on his hand begins here.

The cute red-haired Sharline is also a crest-bearer, another cursed outcast. Suddenly, one day, she is transported to the kingdom of Rieubane.

The game is introduced by a beautiful movie that shows the lost kingdom of Rieubane; the movie is good enough to make the mouth of hardcore fans of RPGs water, but it sets a standard that the rest of the game is unable to adhere to. While you are asked to choose one of the two characters when you begin the adventure, during the game you will be able to switch character and play the story from a different point of view by using save crystals. The stories of Darius and Sharline are separated, but they intertwine at many key points of the game.

It is just too bad that both characters are badly developed, and dialogues are often unable to explain the true reasons behind their actions. From the very shoddy beginning - where basically both heroes are magically transported to a magical kingdom in some sort of magical place - to the unimpressive end, Evergrace delivers a predictable, weak storyline that pale in comparison with average RPGs available on other older platforms.