Calum Petrie reviews Echo…
From my first impressions of the trailer I was expecting Echo to be a totally new experience. It has been a while since I immersed myself in a single player linear experience, and this was something I was more than ready to dive into. The game is a journey of one lady’s exploration for questions, answers and the facts.
Echo was developed by Ultra Ultra, which is a studio based in Denmark that create games which push the boundaries of your imagination. Their games come with lashings of originality and curiosity, and if I was to compare this to anything, it would be the film Ex Machina. Not since that film has an experience on TV, big screen or video games blended sci-fi with the questions of what it is to be human so successfully. Even as I write this I know I have experienced a story of morality and questioning what it is to be human.
Echo is all about the journey of En, a female protagonist who has spent a century sleeping while floating through space in search of a mythical place. The far reaches of the universe hold a legend of a palace where all answers will be waiting and that they would want for nothing. We join the crew of two, En and her ship’s AI, as they finally reach the eerie and foreboding-looking structure floating in space. All En has is a special space suit, a pistol and a mysterious cube that was created from the remains of mentor Foster.
The game is an exploration of a superstructure that populates and provides for itself. As you appear and traverse this mysterious place you become your own worst enemy. The palace then sets guards after you, though these beings are clones of you that echo your movements. Movements and actions are picked up on cycles; while the lights are on anything you do will potentially become an action for the clones on the next cycle. Players who use guns will find themselves dodging bullets on their next cycle, and the same goes for using door, lifts, bridges and anything else. I found myself quickly adopting a stealth style play through where guns were only used in a very specific window.
The window I speak of is when the lights go out, then the structure no longer analyses your actions, so whatever you do in this time will not have consequences. Players can shoot, sprint, and complete all the actions they do not want the clones to echo. When the lights come back on and a new cycle has begun then you will find all previously eliminated enemies are once again alive and players will never truly relax.
It would be unfair to call the game boring; if anything it is far from it, and I cannot remember a game in recent years that has made me as tense or focused on a job at hand than Echo. Most areas are cleared by either finding keys or collecting blue orbs that appear to power the elevator. The game’s latter stages will have players becoming extremely strategic in their execution of an area to find the collectable items. Checkpoint type gates are introduced later in the game where players do not have to start from scratch when trying to collect 24 blue orbs. This checkpoint gate is a godsend as I might have broken a controller if I died while running for my last orb.
En’s space suit does have an extremely useful function in which nearby enemies are highlighted with specific colours. The colours will change from blue to yellow then red depending on the level of danger you are in and it an enemy has noticed you. This came in helpful a few times when walking backwards and nearly getting attacked.
The game’s art style is a very unique experience that teeters between full blown Ghost in the Shell outfits and Victorian-style architecture. The lavish and lush level design makes players forget very quickly about the fact they are drifting through space on a ginormous metal structure. Large open areas can dwarf the player’s sense of perception while giving them an outstanding view of the area up ahead. More narrow walkways and lots of sharp turning corridors can make for a claustrophobic maze for players to slowly creep around as they avoid the palace guards.
Around the game’s midpoint, En realises that all the obstacles being thrown at her are tests. The palace itself is testing this one troubled woman to see if she is worthy to progress and find out the ultimate secrets that this place holds. Players can find upgrades and objects that help and hint towards the progression of the games setting. Players must always remember that behind this stunning surroundings and intricate artwork is a mystery that you are there to discover and solve.
Echo is a brilliant example of a game that feeds you information vital to the story when you need it, rather than flooding you with too much information at the beginning of the game, or leaving you at the half way point in the game and still not understanding what is happening. Ultra Ultra have delivered an easy to follow story, with witty banter and two characters who have a mutual distrust and respect for one another.
Pros
- Beautiful art style
- Great voice Acting
- Intuitive enemies who adapt to your play style
Cons
- Not a great variety of weapons or attacks
- Some areas can come across like a copy and paste job
- Not a great deal of health for player character
Rating 8/10
You can follow me on Twitter @Cetrie. If you wish to see my Let’s Play of Echo then click here!
