A Western only Square action RPG with offbeat Americana mood. Obscure but polished, off the beaten path of the genre.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player12+
Description
Action RPG developed by Squaresoft USA in which Alex and Emma explore Evermore with a faithful dog. Published by Square, released in the USA in 1995. Alchemy system creating spells from collected ingredients, real-time combat, three distinct eras and soundtrack by Jeremy Soule. The only RPG developed by Square's American team.
Secret of Evermore review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Jeremy Soule's first major project, the music deploys an orchestral score of stunning cinematic breadth for the console, from prehistories to distant futures. Each world is adorned with an immersive, spellbinding theme. This early sonic mastery already heralded the composer's prestigious career.
North American run of the only RPG developed by Squaresoft in the United States, designed by the Redmond team and long debated by fans as a Western alternative to the studio's Japanese RPGs. The NTSC-U version is the original strike, with Jeremy Soule's founding soundtrack and the game's own alchemy system. Desirability rests on this singular historical status within the Square catalogue, sought boxed complete by enthusiasts of the studio.
Is Secret of Evermore still worth playing in 2026?
Secret of Evermore is the only action RPG developed by Square's American team, with a resolutely Western, offbeat tone, crossing eras that pastiche genre cinema. Its alchemy system, where you combine ingredients to craft spells, pleasantly departs from JRPG conventions, carried by Jeremy Soule's fine soundtrack. Often compared to Secret of Mana, it owns its singularity. For fans of unusual action RPGs, it is a little-known adventure that genuinely deserves rediscovery today.
