Echoed World
- December 4, 2017
- Team DOTS
Echoed World is a puzzle-based platformer, where mechanics and a story are bound together. The protagonist can no longer create life, but he can still manipulate with what has been already created. This process requires a lot of sacrifices to be made, but is often the only way to traverse through a slowly dying world, where creations are turning against their creator.
Reviews
- The graphics are stunning and beautifully crafted, creating an immersive atmosphere.
- The gameplay mechanics are engaging, with clever puzzles that encourage logical thinking.
- The story, while short, is intriguing and leaves players wanting more, hinting at a larger narrative.
- The game is extremely short, taking only about 15-30 minutes to complete, which may leave players feeling unsatisfied.
- Controls can be frustrating and unresponsive at times, leading to awkward jumping and movement.
- There are several bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with character movement and collision detection.
- story124 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in "Echoed World" is praised for its intriguing premise and rich environmental storytelling, effectively engaging players through visual and audio cues rather than extensive dialogue. However, many reviewers express disappointment over its brevity, with the game lasting only 15-30 minutes and lacking a satisfying conclusion, leaving players eager for more depth and continuation of the narrative. Overall, while the story shows great potential and captivates players, it feels incomplete and in need of expansion.
“Each puzzle is cleverly designed to test the player's problem-solving skills while also advancing the narrative, resulting in a satisfying balance of gameplay and storytelling.”
“The game's story unfolds organically through environmental storytelling, subtle visual cues, and immersive audio design.”
“Players are encouraged to piece together the narrative themselves, leading to a deeply engaging and immersive storytelling experience.”
“It's unexpectedly short (just about 25-30 minutes of play time), so the story that one might hope for is never told.”
“The story just ends too, which is a shame.”
“The story is little more than a basic idea and barely goes beyond what is presented in the opening exposition.”
- gameplay68 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Echoed World" features a blend of visually stunning hand-drawn art and simple yet cleverly designed mechanics that engage players through atmospheric puzzle-solving. However, many reviews highlight issues such as frustrating jump mechanics, a lack of depth, and a short playtime, which detract from the overall experience. While the game shows potential with its unique concepts and engaging narrative, it suffers from technical flaws and a need for more polished gameplay elements.
“The gameplay mechanics in 'Echoed World' are deceptively simple yet ingeniously crafted.”
“Each puzzle is cleverly designed to test the player's problem-solving skills while also advancing the narrative, resulting in a satisfying balance of gameplay and storytelling.”
“Simple gameplay with beautiful graphics followed up with challenging levels that have heart-racing music makes this game a great find.”
“Nice start, but the jump grab mechanics are annoying as you need to release the jump button to let it grab the edge. There's a level 2 bug when you get hit with a fireball in front of the square rock that you've got earlier.”
“This game is absurdly short, the mechanics need more fine-tuning, and the plot, such that it is, lacks any feeling of resolution or accomplishment.”
“The game is unplayable. It may be free to play, but what's the point if you can't even play it? I don't recommend this because the jumping mechanics are the worst. Even if you think you could get by, remember that's all there is in this game to do. I mean, there's no shooting or punches involved, so jumping is all you can do. Don't install it; it's a waste of time.”
- graphics62 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style and beautiful environmental details, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. However, some players noted inconsistencies, such as the clash between the 2D artwork and the 3D character model, which detracted from the overall aesthetic. Despite its short length, the visuals are considered a significant highlight, with many reviewers expressing hope for future improvements and expansions.
“From the ethereal landscapes to the intricate environmental details, every aspect of the game's visuals is designed to draw players into its immersive world.”
“The hand-drawn artwork is both stunning and evocative, creating a sense of wonder and intrigue that permeates every moment of gameplay.”
“Very short game with an amazing story and breathtaking graphics.”
“I literally beat it in 40 minutes... the graphics and actual mechanisms in the game are amazing, but the fact that it's so unfinished is just sad.”
“Start of gameplay; you showed that you have such a beautiful 2D art style, why did you make the main character a 3D object? It breaks the atmosphere you created 3 seconds ago, come on.”
“However, the narration and clunky controls paired alongside lackluster visuals make it feel like I was just dragging my feet through the game.”
- music31 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and enchanting qualities that enhance the overall experience, while others find it flat, cliché, or lacking memorability. Some players highlight the soundtrack's ability to complement the visuals and storytelling, though there are criticisms regarding the mixing and integration with voice narration. Overall, the music is seen as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's ambiance, despite some calls for improvement in dynamics and production quality.
“The music and artwork really give the story more emphasis.”
“The soundtrack is ambient, inspiring, and well done.”
“Really love the painted background and also animations of the character; together with the music, they create a beautiful atmosphere.”
“The music is adaptive (sort of), though it didn't seem too memorable altogether and stays in the background.”
“The music is quite flat and cliché, without impact.”
“At times, the narration was quite overpowering, and I found it did not mix well with the calm ambience of the soundtrack.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 79 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful hand-drawn 2D art and immersive world, creating a surreal and engaging experience. However, the integration of 3D character models has been criticized for disrupting the overall ambiance. While the visuals and music contribute positively to the atmosphere, issues with voice acting and some gameplay mechanics detract from the experience.
“In this atmospheric puzzle-adventure game, players embark on a journey through a surreal and beautifully crafted world, uncovering its mysteries and unraveling its secrets along the way.”
“With its mesmerizing visuals, engaging gameplay, and evocative narrative, it's a must-play for fans of atmospheric puzzle-adventure games.”
“Really love the painted background and also the animations of the character; together with the music, they create a beautiful atmosphere.”
“The '2D' and '3D' elements don't mix too well, which takes away from the atmosphere.”
“At the start of gameplay, you showed that you have such a beautiful 2D art style. Why did you make the main character a 3D object? It breaks the atmosphere you created just moments ago.”
“The atmosphere is decent, but the story could use improvement.”
- stability13 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and issues with controls and animations. Many players describe the experience as frustratingly unstable, often likening it to an unpolished demo rather than a finished product. While some acknowledge minor glitches, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from significant stability problems that detract from the enjoyment.
“Absurdly buggy, stiff animation, horrible controls, extremely short.”
“However, buggy... game was not tested properly.”
“This isn't a bad game but it's way too short and buggy, it's more like a demo to be honest.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's short length promotes some replayability by allowing players to explore hidden secrets and details they may have missed, but many users feel that it ultimately lacks significant replay value, with some even deeming it too short for any meaningful revisits.
“The game's short length also encourages replayability, as players can revisit the world to uncover hidden secrets and discover new details they may have missed on their first playthrough.”
“This one is even too short for any replay value.”
“That said, there's really no replayability here.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant stuttering movements and poor controls that lead to an unpleasant and often unplayable experience. Overall, the optimization issues detract heavily from the gameplay.
“Basically the only minus I found was the stuttering movements.”
“Controls and optimization for this game are awful, which creates a really unpleasant experience and makes the game unplayable.”
“It's poorly optimized.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the game's controls, noting that sensitivity issues and camera angles detracted from their experience, leading to feelings of sickness and disappointment. This emotional response highlights a desire for more precise gameplay mechanics to enhance overall enjoyment.
- character development3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the character design is appreciated by some for its aesthetic appeal, others find it inconsistent and weak, suggesting that it fails to effectively engage players or enhance the overall game experience.
“And it was a lovely character design.”
“Character design is quite off - the 3D render doesn't match anything else in the game.”
“Character design is quite weak too - it can't sell the game to me.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and unpolished elements, such as choppy mechanics and amusing idling quotes, which contribute to a lighthearted experience. Players find the design of enemies, like the magma-monster, to be comically underwhelming, adding to the overall comedic tone of the game.
“I was amused to find out there were idling quotes, and that made me laugh.”
“The magma monster is hilariously cheap looking, and it didn't intimidate me at all despite being the only real enemy in the game.”
“Some things (like jumping mechanics) were a little choppy, but it made me laugh.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in the game to be tedious, often feeling that it requires excessive effort, akin to needing a second life to manage the repetitive tasks involved.
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Dying feels tedious.”