Echoshift Review

CommentMarch 8th, 2010 15:49

TGL’s Joseph Murphy is wandering around as a naked manequin, but it’s perfectly legit!

Echoshift is the sequel to the classic, brain-bending Echochrome. Echochrome was such an original game that I was always terrified (like so many games) it would drift, fizzle and fall deeper into the abundance of typical and generic puzzle types of games on the market. With the announcement of Echoshift though, I was smiling ear-to-ear.

Echoshift is based on timed puzzles and by using your “clones” to help you flick switches, push objects and catch falling blocks: to help you get to the goal in time. Without the help of your little side-kicks you are in trouble! Your first run of any puzzle is essentially you “running the course”. This can be confusing when you start as you feel a little unsure about how to approch the puzzle ahead. After 30 seconds, the clock zooms backwards and the puzzle starts again. Then as you move you will notice your clone appear too. The clone will act out all actions initiated by yourself in the previous run. This eventually transends and becomes a clever game of “ok I need to go here for 5 seconds, press this then go here”. The game requires you to play each puzzle meticulously, to be able to run the course (when you get a grasp of what you need to do) without flaws. Any flaw or hinderance will probably require you to start again. This can be frustrating at times but it carefully sculpts you into a puzzle solving machine!

The music, like the predeccessor Echochrome is fantastic. Yutaka Minobe did an outstanding job here. With the melodic charms of a fully fledged orchestra, to simple yet precisly soothing trumpets and other instruments: the music is incredible. You’ll find that when the puzzles become somewhat extreme and need more than the brute approach to solvong them, the music becomes your ally and in many ways assists your calming and confirmed thoughts to the task at hand.

Each level is broken into three seperate levels. Each one contains the normal run, a “key” run (where you have to solve the puzzle and in the process collect the key to open the exit) and the “illusion” run. The illusion run enables you to stop time and use this brief three second window as a way to help you get to the goal in case of slip-ups, or even to beat your record time. This I have to stress is a great way to extend not only the appeal to potential buyers but it extends the playability to no-end. If both you and a friend have the game, don’t be surprised to be sharing and comparing scores (as found in the TGL HQ).

Prior to each level, or each new ability (about to be learned) you get treated to a very Little Big Planet-esque training video. These shouldn’t be skipped and actually prove to be not only helpful but they add some comedic laughs to the time spent away from puzzles. In most cases you will think “yeah I can see how to do this” but then during the countdown of the clock and the pressure mounting, even the most basic tasks can sometimes be your downnfall.

Echoshift requires not only precise concentration on the task at hand but the feeling you get through your progression in the game works well. This can’t be said for all puzzle type of games. With almost 56 levels ready to play, you can also aim to extend this even more by completing the puzzles using as little “cast members aka: clones” as possible. Each level is rated though a star system, three stars indicating the best case scenario.

Without the use of the analog stick, some player may feel alienated by the game but here at TGL we are well used to the old d-pad so it didn’t matter to us. A tough game no doubt but a rewarding one. This is the kind of game that you will come back to in months if not years to come. A challenging game for all ages.

TGL Score 8/10