Echo

Echo is a marvel of A.I. programming bolstered by a compelling sci-fi storytelling, and injects new life into the stealth genre.

It's been awhile since I played a game where the ability to shoot an opponent felt so alternatingly risky and exhilarating.

I have never played another game quite like Echo before. Folks are always rallying for innovation in the industry, and I can't think of too many better examples of that in recent years. It's not all perfect, but what's there is extremely refreshing. This is not an easy game. You will die a lot. You will get angry. However, when you finally defeat your opponents, it's like sex. A huge release where, for a few small minutes, you genuinely feel like you just accomplished something. It's glorious.

A stealth game built on a philosophical concept: fight an army of yourself that respawns better, faster, and stronger based on your own expanding growth. ECHO boasts a rich and well-designed sci-fi world that isn't bogged down by plot or exposition. There isn't much to do beyond the core sneaking, and the midpoint drags, but this is a genuinely unique and intense title that deserves to be experienced.

Echo offers something that I don't think anything else has done. It's creepy and imaginative and despite some flaws that come with the limited budget, it offers a lot of engaging, memorable and unique moments.

ECHO is a puzzle game disguised as a third-person action-adventure game.

Echo is a fun and enjoyable game defined by a well-executed gimmick. Without the adapting Echoes, it would be a standard stealth shooter. With the Echoes, it becomes distinctive and interesting. The adapting AI is as much a proof of concept as a fun gameplay mechanic, but it works very well at being both. Echo shows that modern stealth games have a whole lot of room to grow and evolve. For fans of the genre, it's well worth playing, assuming you can get past the slow start and occasional technical hiccups.

ECHO is a game brimming with smart ideas that should appeal to lovers of good sci-fi and stealth/action alike. Ultra Ultra has done a superb job in creating an intriguingly eerie world that piques interest early on, first with a slow build up, and then effortlessly drawing you in for the long haul without having to be overly reliant on a heavy narrative to drive the story forward. It's an impressive opening statement from the Copenhagen-based troupe that puts them firmly on the developer map as ones to watch.

ECHO is a good videogame debut: it's a fantascientific monologue about solitude represented like a theatre play. Its "scene" is highly detailed, but the game is not very technically optimized. The gameplay is deeply based on stealth, but sometimes it lacks of classical mechanics of the genre. Its minimal cast provides a different vision of the science-fiction future, and it's recommended mainly to those who like such an intimistic vision. Others may consider to ponder about.

Echo truly surprised me in ways I didn't expect.