There Came an Echo

A unique control scheme that was put a great deal of care to do correctly, shame the game it very short and a little bit simplistic in a few ways or it could have been excellent.

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In "There Came an Echo" , play as a strategic commander, directing Corrin Webb and his squad in real-time missions using an advanced voice recognition system. Give precise commands against advanced enemy forces and navigate a complex sci-fi story featuring Wil Wheaton as the protagonist. Although designed for voice commands, the game can also be played using standard controls.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 180 reviews

story52 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

The voice command system is innovative and works well, allowing for an engaging gameplay experience.
The story is interesting with good voice acting, particularly from Wil Wheaton and other cast members.
The game features a colorful aesthetic and a great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.

The game is quite short, with a playtime of around 3-4 hours, leaving players wanting more content.
Voice recognition can be inconsistent, especially for non-native speakers or those with accents, leading to frustration during gameplay.
There are issues with unskippable cutscenes and bugs that can disrupt the flow of the game, such as characters not responding to commands.

story
202 mentions
26 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a central focus, featuring an engaging and well-written narrative with strong voice acting that captivates players. However, many reviewers noted issues with pacing due to excessive cutscenes and a convoluted plot that can detract from the overall experience. While some found the story intriguing and thought-provoking, others felt it was overshadowed by frustrating gameplay mechanics and a lack of player agency in decision-making.
- “The story is great and interesting, and the voice acting is top notch.”
- “Writing is also excellent, and the story develops in an interesting and unexpected way.”
- “The story is interesting and engaging with some very solid voice acting to help bring it to life.”
- “The game is very story heavy and having to re-watch the same scenes play out every time you retry is tedious.”
- “The story wasn't that compelling, and it seems obvious that the game should have been fleshed out far more.”
- “The real issues are in the delivery and pacing of the story, compounded by obstructive UI elements.”
gameplay
67 mentions
21 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of casual and strategic elements, featuring a unique voice command mechanic that adds novelty but can be inconsistent. While the game offers an engaging narrative and colorful aesthetics, many players feel the gameplay is simplistic and lacks depth, often relying on scripted levels and limited tactical options. Overall, it provides a short but enjoyable experience, appealing more to those interested in the story and voice recognition features than traditional gameplay mechanics.
- “Something fresh and innovative, an engaging background narrative with a bit of zaniness, casual gameplay but a bit challenging, colorful and cool aesthetics.”
- “The narrative is interesting, and definitely veers into zaniness. The gameplay starts casual before requiring some strategy in the later levels, but fortunately the game quick-loads you back into the fray from the latest checkpoint if you totally mess up.”
- “At its core, it is a single-player real-time strategy game that delivers excellent gameplay, fantastic voice acting, great music, some replayability, and a 3-4 hour long campaign.”
- “I spent way more time in cutscenes and reading dialogue than I did actually being in combat gameplay.”
- “The gameplay suffers, the mission structure and the enemy AI are lacking.”
- “Voice recognition is extremely accurate, but the gameplay lacks strategy and is extremely simplistic.”
music
50 mentions
56 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as "fantastic," "awesome," and "breathtaking." Composed by Big Giant Circles and Ronald Jenkees, the score is noted for its electronic and futuristic sound, enhancing the overall gaming experience. Players recommend purchasing the soundtrack, highlighting its quality and immersive nature as a standout feature of the game.
- “The music in the game is simply breath-taking.”
- “This game has been an incredible amount of fun and the soundtrack is utterly epic.”
- “The soundtrack is extremely good, and I'd recommend picking it up if you're into soundtrack collecting.”
- “The soundtrack is in-fucking-sane.”
- “Sure it doesn't have fancy graphics or out of this world soundtrack, but it's different and unique and that counts for a lot.”
- “It's an isometric game and it decently pretty, but the music was one of my favourite parts of the game's aesthetic.”
graphics
23 mentions
57 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the colorful and engaging aesthetics that complement the narrative, while others find them underwhelming compared to other titles. Many agree that the visuals are functional and well-suited for an indie game, with decent quality and good artwork, though they may not be groundbreaking. Overall, the graphics are considered satisfactory, enhancing the immersive experience alongside the strong voice acting and soundtrack.
- “Something fresh and innovative, an engaging background narrative with a bit of zaniness, casual gameplay but a bit challenging, colorful and cool aesthetics.”
- “A great concept, well executed, paired well with amazing music, graphics beyond description, and an uncommon but well implemented voice command system.”
- “The graphics are attractive.”
- “The graphics are nothing special, but the soundtrack is good.”
- “Great game with good story but bad graphics.”
- “Sure it doesn't have fancy graphics or an out-of-this-world soundtrack, but it's different and unique, and that counts for a lot.”
stability
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report no crashes or significant glitches, others experience frequent bugs, particularly with checkpoint reloads and clunky interaction mechanics. Voice recognition features are surprisingly effective, even for players with accents, providing a positive aspect amidst the reported instability. However, many users describe the game as "bug-ridden" and "clunky," indicating a need for further refinement.
- “And to make matters even worse, I've experienced glitches when the game reloads a checkpoint.”
- “The game in its current state is a bug-ridden disaster.”
- “Buggy, with far too much telling and not enough showing.”
replayability
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game offers a short campaign of about 3-5 hours, and while it features excellent gameplay and voice acting, it suffers from limited replayability due to its linear structure. Players generally feel that the lack of additional content or varied experiences diminishes the incentive to replay, suggesting it may be better to purchase on sale.
- “At its core, it is a single-player real-time strategy game that delivers excellent gameplay, fantastic voice acting, great music, some replayability, and a 3-4 hour long campaign.”
- “With all that praise, it's a short game with little to no replayability.”
- “It is also only 4 hours long with no replay value as it is a linear experience.”
- “The only problem with it is that I beat it in 5 hours; I would like more playtime and would like to see more replayability.”
humor
5 mentions
80 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying the charming voice acting, character interactions, and clever jokes, which contribute to an immersive experience. However, some users felt that the game lacked humor overall, indicating a mixed reception in this aspect.
- “I was practically smiling the whole time from how adorable Val's voice and mannerisms were; let alone chuckling most of the time from the interactions or quips between characters.”
- “And I found the game to be very immersive, lots of action, funny, great story and development, nice jokes and references/easter eggs, smooth well-optimized graphics, engaging soundtrack.”
- “Fun story, with good voice acting and some funny moments.”
- “Not a funny game at all.”
- “The humor fell flat and didn't resonate with me.”
- “I expected more laughs, but it just wasn't amusing.”
optimization
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization received mixed feedback; while many praised its smooth graphics and immersive experience, some users noted issues such as stuttering during gameplay and a need for refinement in certain areas. Despite high expectations set by initial reviews, there are concerns about the game's performance not aligning with its perceived quality.
- “I found the game to be very immersive, lots of action, funny, great story and development, nice jokes and references/easter eggs, smooth well-optimized graphics, engaging soundtrack.”
- “I can't see how it was released in this state after all the huge reviews it got about its flawless performance from start to finish.”
- “Wil Wheaton could have given a better performance if he was pushed harder to deliver and if the game had the budget to do more takes, or if someone on the team had higher quality standards.”
- “The gameplay, while novel, needs a bit of refining. I didn't like the stuttering in some places, especially when my decisions were questioned while we were operating on a time constraint.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to ineffective voice controls and cumbersome mouse controls. The repetitive nature of re-watching story scenes during retries adds to the frustration, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The game is very story-heavy, and having to re-watch the same scenes play out every time you retry is tedious.”
- “Voice controls rarely work; mouse controls are tedious.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating the quality of voice acting but criticizing the writing, particularly the reliance on antagonism reminiscent of earlier titles like Sly Cooper 1, which can feel frustrating.
- “My only complaint about the voice acting is less about the technical side of it (which is really well done) and more about the writing. The character development through antagonism, similar to Sly Cooper 1, can be grating.”