Ever 17: Out of Infinity

Written by Jason Young  on June 26, 2006

Review: Love is in the air... well, not really... more like dread, death, and an impeding sense of doom.

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Simply put, Ever 17 is one of the best games you've never heard about. Part of Japanese Publisher KID's Infinity series, the game was released in the United States in December 2005 by Hirameki International. However, previous knowledge of the series is not required as Ever 17 is independent of any other game in the series, much like Square-Enix's Final Fantasy. The game is a stirring piece of literature filled with some of the best character development, storylines, and art that you'll ever find in a dating-sim; though to call it one would be a misnomer. Rather, it should be labeled as an adventure story with romance in it.

Ever 17 is a romance game that has its roots grounded as a Japanese Visual Novel. For those not familiar with the genre, Japanese Visual Novels are games that you play through reading, listening, watching, and choosing. Much akin to the old УChoose Your Own AdventureФ books you read during middle school, most of the interaction in these types of games consists of choosing between two choices that will ultimately determine what happens during the course of the game; and of course, which girl you'll end up with.

In games of this genre, story is essential. It's the only reason to play these types of games period. You better enjoy reading to fully experience this game, as its pretty much all you'll be doing, other than the occasional Уchoice AФ or Уchoice BФ prompt. In fact, it's best not to think of it as a game and instead look at it as an Уinteractive novel.Ф Heck, even the box labels it as such.

So if all the game has for it is its storyline, does Ever 17 have a good one? Thankfully, it's one ofЕ if not the best storyline I've ever experienced in a game. The game's premise is simple. Seven people are trapped unexpectedly in an underwater amusement park called LeMu on the manmade island of Insel Null near Tokyo, Japan. Funded by the German-based Leiblich Pharmaceutical Company, LeMu consists of three different sectors that reach a depth of 167 feet underwater. If being trapped 167 feet underwater wasn't bad enough; food, air, and water are in limited quantities and external oceanic pressure is expected to collapse the structure within 119 hours. Not to mention the little mysterious virus that's lurking underground as well. Talk about the senior graduation trip from hell.

The player gets to choose between two male protagonists with completely different backgrounds. One is optimistic university student, Takeshi Kuranari and the other is an amnesic youth named УKidФ. During the game's exposition, the player experiences the events leading up to the incident through both characters. Takeshi becomes separated from his group and attempts to run around LeMu trying to find them. While Kid on the other hand is eating an ice cream cone and is trying to remember who he's waiting for. From there, the events spiral into an inevitable collision and a blackout scene where the player has to make the decision of which character to choose.

The story is divided into two different perspectives with the two paths presenting different sides of the story. During their adventure, five female characters are introduced. From the beautiful and elegant Sora to the stoic Tsugami, players will be interacting with some of the most unique and most developed characters they'll ever encounter in a video game.

Though both perspectives center around the story of the group being trapped in LeMu, the stories are varied enough as Kid is able to interact with characters that only appear as minor characters in Takeshi's story and vice-versa. Takeshi is the only one of the two main protagonists who can interact with Tsugumi and Sora, while Kid gets to talk to You and Sara. Also included are minor differences in how the characters deal with their endeavors and the inevitable crisis at hand; guaranteeing a different playthrough each time you restart.

As the player grows closer to each of the female leads, their backgrounds are revealed and the relationship between the protagonist and a female character grows. Each of the females has two unique endings, one УgoodФ and one УbadФ (depending on the choices you make), lending the game with a lot of replayability (in fact over 100 hours worth). Adding to the game's brilliance is that each of the endings are unique. You won't be able to understand everything that's going on in the game without going through the ending with each character at least once. In fact, the storyline where everything gets tied together isn't accessible until you finish the story with each girl at least once. I personally found myself playing through Takeshi's endings first and then Kid's. With over thirty hours on my belt, there are still a lot of questions that I want answered regarding the secrets of LeMU and about the characters themselves. With each of the characters becoming more and more developed as you progress though the game, Ever 17 is a game that's guaranteed to keep you up playing past your normal bedtime hours.

Specifically, the game's strength comes from the fact that it's incredibly well-written. Players will be sitting at the edge of their seats, waiting for the next twist, turn, and curveball thrown their way. With Ever 17 representing one of the best and most realistic human dramas played out in a video game, players will find themselves getting attached to the characters early on, making some of the later moments in the game very depressing and absolutely touching. I personally found myself welling up during some of the game's key moments due to my fondness of specific characters.

While most of the text appears clearly with an excellent translation, there are some grammatical and spelling errors such as УyourФ and Уyou'reФ, as well as several translation errors. For example, some sentences appear without spaces between them at times. However, unless you're extremely picky with your translations (or you're an English major), you probably won't notice them at all.

Visually, I found the art amazing. Inspired by other Japanese anime, each of the characters self-standing portraits are drawn beautifully. While there are only a limited amount of character portraits during the game, they all help the player to fully realize the emotion and feelings each of the characters are going through at certain times. Aside from the portraits, the backgrounds are done just as well. Though they're drawn in 2D and remain static throughout the game, the backgrounds still provide something pleasant to look at, even when there aren't any characters on-screen. Occasionally, the player is treated to a fully rendered illustration of each character, which I personally find breathtaking. The amount of detail that the artists spent drawing each line shows and helps the player to realize the emotional impact of a given scene.

Furthermore, Takeshi Abo adds to the emotional quality of the game through a stirring and haunting musical composition. Each of the tracks is beautifully synthesized to suit the various moods of the game. Every track reflects the increasing tension from the group's scenario, even the more cheerful tunes. From the opening theme, СLemu-Far Away Continent of Lemuria', the stirring music is certainly orchestrated well enough to appeal to the inner emo in all of us. Additionally, with anime seiyuu's (voice actors), such as Yuu Asakawa of Love Hina lending their voices to the characters in the game, the characters are literally brought to life. Aside from the excellent voice acting, the sound effects are well done and come through clearly to help create a sense of spatial depth.

After finishing the game at least once, players are treated to extras abound. Wallpapers, screen savers, and sound files become unlocked after you finish the game with each girl which are guaranteed to be an interesting conversation starter; especially when your mom or fiancщe walk-in. For those who are looking to play through the story without the beginning couple of chapters, a shortcut mode is included to help players speed through the game.

All in all, Ever 17 is one of those rare games that's hardly found in today's society of first-person shooters, online worlds, and fighting games. It's a stirring story that presents the power of video games as an interactive medium to artfully tell a story and get the player totally engrossed with its characters. While I can't personally recommend the game to every gamer out there, those who are willing to be patient and read will be treated to an experience unlike any other. Like a good book, Ever 17 is guaranteed to have you playing, thinking, and reading even when you aren't playing the game. And that's something that few games provide.