Evolva

The game received favorable reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. The game was praised by critics as very innovative, without any major criticisms, other than the high hardware requirements (for the time) and weak multiplayer support. Jim Preston of NextGen said of the game, "The gorgeous graphics and beautiful sound conceal some rather ordinary, if mostly fun, gameplay." Nick Woods of AllGame gave it a score of four stars out of five, saying, "A strong point of Evolva is the quality of the environments created by Interplay. The sense that you're on another planet is apparent and adds to the enjoyment of the game. I'd recommend this game to just about anyone as, overall, Evolva is a good, solid game that will provide many hours of enjoyment." Michael Lafferty of GameZone gave it 8.5/10, calling it "a well-designed action-adventure game that demands intellect and reflexive skill." Barry Brenesal of GamePro said, "Evolva has its distinctive elements-good team AI and great pathing, a wonderful variety of exotic creatures, and a novel application of color over a 3D terrain. But much of the game is simply traditional shooter material with an alien overlay. I kept hoping for something more creative, given the 3D possibilities-perhaps abilities that included flight. Evolva doesn't disappoint, but it doesn't raise much enthusiasm, either." Based upon Evolva, Universal Interactive invited Computer Artworks to make a pitch for The Thing, a game based on the 1982 film of the same name. For the pitch, Computer Artworks reskinned a level from Evolva with an Antarctic theme and a Thing-like creature as a boss fight. The pitch impressed Universal sufficiently, and the deal was signed.