For anyone that's an anime fan, they've heard of Neon Genesis Evangelion, or simply put, Evangelion. This is one of the most influential and original anime series ever made. If you haven't heard of it (how?!), an organization called NERV recruits teens to pilot giant mechas called Evangelions to fight beings called Angels. The main character is Shinji Ikari, the son of NERV's director, and the series follows him as he battles against monsters and his own personal issues.
The series has garnered international popularity and acclaim, expanding its universe through merch, advertisements, collaborations, and, of course, video games. In this list, we will explore which ones are the best Evangelion games.
Updated on March 1, 2023, by Axel Bosso: While there haven't been any new announcements in the series since the last movie launched in 2021 (mostly because it is supposed to be the end of the series), we thought it was a good chance to update this list and keep looking for the best Neon Genesis Evangelion video games. Unfortunately, most of these titles remain unaccessible to this day, but you can at least watch gameplay and check them out.
10 Neon Genesis Evangelion: First Impression
First Impression is the first video game based on the series. It came out in 1996, with a new edition released a year later and a DVD version in 2004. This title launched before the series actually ended, so aspects of it are pretty much different.
The EVA pilots fight against an enemy called the Unnamed Angel and Shinji loses his memory during the fight. You have two ways of playing: a combat mode where you fight against the Angel, and a scenario mode where you can make dialogue-based choices. It's a decent experience, though it's short, only about 30 minutes long.
9 Neon Genesis Evangelion: Second Impression
Second Impression is the sequel of First Impression, which launched in 1997 for the Sega Saturn. In this game, a new student named Mayumi joins Shinji's class and he tries to overcome his shyness and befriend her.
This is pretty much a visual novel that allows players to choose Shinji's dialogue and do other activities. The other part of the game features a battle against a new Angel enemy called the Insubstantial Angel. The only way to defeat this Angel is by destroying its core, which has a sinister origin.
8 Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is the only game in the series that launched on the Nintendo 64. It follows all the major battles you watched and love, and it even features anime footage from the original series.
You will take control of EVA Unit 01 through a series of 13 missions facing off against the Angels. Plus, it includes a mission that is completely original from the main story. Each level has its own set of unique tasks and challenges that can be pretty hard to accomplish, even in easy mode. When you're done with them, you can try out a simulation mode set up like a first-person shooter and a Versus mode against the PC or a friend.
7 Rebuild Of Evangelion: Sound Impact
Other than its gripping story, relatable characters, and the EVA units, what the Evangelion series is known for is its amazing music. Both classical scores and original sounds throughout the soundtrack make Evangelion what it is. So making a music/rhythm game out of it doesn't seem all that weird.
Sound Impact is a PSP game that takes visuals from the Rebuild films and remixed compositions of classic Evangelion songs to create a pretty challenging game with six different modes and 30 individual tracks to play through.
6 Secret Of Evangelion
Secret of Evangelion is a game that was originally launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2006. Later ported to PC and the PSP, this is an investigation RPG title that will have you collecting clues everywhere.
You take on the role as an original character named Kenzaki Kyouya, a NERV intelligence agent who is also an old college friend of Kaji. It is up to your skills to interact with the various characters in the series to uncover the mysteries surrounding Kenzaki Kyouya. The course of the story changes depending on the amount of information attained.
5 Evangelion VR The Throne Of Souls: Berserk
Ever wanted to experience exactly what it would be like to be an EVA pilot? Well, if you're going to Tokyo and visiting Shinjuku Kabukicho, you can have that experience with the VR game Evangelion VR Throne of Souls: Berserk.
It's one of the VR games featured in the "VR ZONE" attraction. Up to four players can experience being submerged in LCL during synchronization, fighting against the 10th Angel, and experiencing the uncontrollable force of an EVA gone berserk. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone visiting Japan.
4 Neon Genesis Evangelion Online
Neon Genesis Evangelion Online was a mobile game that came out in 2016. It was a hack-and-slash game where players controlled a team of three EVAs, traversing through a map of Tokyo-3 and fighting against waves of enemies.
You were rewarded for completing levels with loot, which included items to upgrade your EVA pilot and power up the moves of the EVA units. There were even special moves where EVAs would team up together to deliver massive amounts of damage to an opponent. Unfortunately, Evangelion Online closed its doors sometime in 2018.
3 Neon Genesis Evangelion: Battle Orchestra
While the heartwrenching story of Shinji and the rest trying to overcome their own issues of self-worth, connecting with others, and dealing with childhood traumas are perhaps the most important themes that make Evangelion such a gripping series, some people might know the series for the heart-pounding battles between the EVA units and the Angels.
Battle Orchestra lets players reenact their favorite fights and create their own epic showdowns. This is an Evangelion fighting game where you can control every Eva Unit and Angel in the series. It gives off Super Smash Bros vibes with its 2D characters and 3D backgrounds and environments.
2 Shinseki Evangelion 2 Evangelions
Shinseiki Evangelion 2 Evangelions is a Japan-only PS2 game that came out in 2003 and was relaunched in 2006 for the PSP. This title is based on extensive interviews with the series creator Hideaki Anno.
There are two modes; one allows players to take control of the EVAs and fight Angels. In the other one, you go through a story that allows you to play as different characters from the series, which includes the EVA pilots, NERV staff, and even the lovely Pen-Pen. You'll unlock more characters as certain events are triggered and you make progress.
1 Evangelion: Breaking Dawn
While most of the games on this list are difficult to find or impossible to play nowadays, Evangelion: Breaking Dawn is one that is available to everyone. This mobile RPG lets you collect different EVA units from throughout the whole series, including the movies, Rebuild and ANIMA, and use them to battle through different stages. It also features an original story created for the game.
Unlike many of the Evangelion video games in this list, you can customize your EVA pilot with different outfits. Then, you participate in PVP battles against players from all over the world in either 1V1 or 3V3 battles.