Digital Doggie Biscuit

Digging Up An Old Bone

It is not a perfect relationship, as a number of difficulties plague this duo. Like it or not, the dog is still a dog. If combat becomes particularly hectic, the dog may get scared and retreat. In fact, if you are not attentive to your companion's health and forget to buff him regularly, the dog might grow scared of combat altogether and run away at the first hint of danger. When frustrated enough he will even try to break away from you, hiding behind rocks to slow your progress. At other times he may become distracted by a particularly canine longing despite more pressing matters: Certain spots of ground must be dug up, and some smells absolutely require investigation.

This behavior can be frustrating, but it accurately portrays how a real dog might act. Treat them badly and they will become quarrelsome, if not hostile; let them find something that catches their interests and they'll take after it with abandon. But in spite of these quirks, dogs are invaluable companions. Capricious as they might be in laxer moments, frantic as real danger might make them, they will complete the course and defend their master because, more than anything, they trust him to take care of them. The sentiment is the same in Evermore: When the boy is in mortal danger, the dog will drop everything and return to the fight with renewed fervor. He and the boy are comrades, no matter the hardships they endure, and so they will look after each other to the bitter end.

Evermore is simply one of the best games at capturing the emotional core that exists in a healthy bond between people and their pets, yet few games since have tried to replicate this experience. Though far from perfect, the methods it uses to suggest this core relationship give the duo a quiet dignity that modern pet simulators lack. For all of its failures on other levels, it succeeds so well in such a novel category that its place in the annals of design history should be assured. Surely, it deserves a second glance - at least then some new dogs might learn an old trick.

Austin Price is a freelance writer and the author of the webcomic Garage Raja. Currently studying English at Centenary College of Louisiana, he divides his time writing, reading and squeezing in the odd videogame.