Evil Island: Curse of the Lost Soul (Box Review)

As President of the Armchair Empire, one of my favorite things to do is opening new games. There’s an air of Christmas about it, a feeling of anticipation too: Will the game be any good? I may never be able to offer any opinion on Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul because when I opened the box there was no game to be found. The manual was there and it does make good bathroom reading but it sure doesn’t stop the hurt of opening the box and finding no game. I emailed Fishtank’s PR department and was informed I’d been sent the "office copy" and that they "wondered where the box went." Mystery solved. But they also said they wouldn’t be able to send another copy because they were out of them. In a bit of a quandary, I wondered if I should even make mention of Evil Islands (EI). The PR department’s heart was in the right place so, "What the hell," I thought, "I’ll review the box."

If you’re looking for gameplay, intense 3D RPG action, an aural experience, or fun you’ll be sorely disappointed with the EI box. However, if you like good looking screenshots, artwork, and tempting descriptions of what could be in store if you actually got to play the game, you’re in luck because the EI box delivers on all counts. For example, the back of the box describes, "100+ hours of gameplay", "3D Real-time world with free-moving camera and easily customizable interface", "Over 300 monsters each with individual animation sets", "Multi-player support for up to 6 players over LAN or Internet", and "Revolutionary, graphically based weapons and spell creator." Doesn’t EI sound like fun? Opening the front flap adds further to description extolling "80 mind-bending quests" and a "rich storyline." If the text isn’t enough to convince you to buy the game, the screenshots coupled with the text should. The big screenshot on the inside flap shows the basic layout of the battle screen. It shows that you can "target attacks for maximum effectiveness" and "control a party of up to 3 characters." EI could possibly be the best game ever created! You should be almost in a frenzy by the time you get this to the cash register!

On the technical side, the box for EI brings nothing new to the table. For one, it’s a box – plain and simple. The artwork and layout are very good. So much so, that it’s very noticeable on the shelf. I especially like the "E" in Evil Islands shaped like a dragon. But the box itself . . . there’s nothing new. It’s got the ESRB rating in the 

bottom left corner, the minimum requirements on the bottom of the box along with the ISBN number and the UPC code, and the requisite developer and publisher logos on the back. The size and shape are comparable to other boxes on the market. The text is free of spelling mistakes.

Gameplay can only be achieved if 1) you throw it at someone or 2) you light it on fire. Throwing it at someone brings up the replayability since you 

can do it again and again. It’s not heavy enough to cause any (permanent) damage but watch out for paper cuts. As intense and thrilling as it might be dose it in lighter fluid and set it ablaze, you can only do it once. The included manual is fairly thick (70 pages) and makes for easy bathroom reading. Sure, I’ll never use the knowledge in those pages but it helped me through the fallout from eating three French loaves in a day.

For the computer game box fanatics and casual art collectors, get Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul. (Your copy may come with an actual game!) I can’t speak for how good the game is, but the box is pretty nice even if it sticks to convention.

Reviewed by Omni