Echo (2017 video game)

Echo (stylized as ECHO) is a stealth video game released in 19 September 2017. It was developed and published by Danish indie studio Ultra Ultra. The game takes place in a planetwide palace that creates echoes of the player, and teaches them the actions of the player. The game was not a financial success, and was the only game released by Ultra Ultra before it shut down. However, as of May 2019, a film adaptation is still in development.[1]

ECHO
Developer(s)Ultra Ultra
Publisher(s)Ultra Ultra
EngineUnreal Engine 4 
Platform(s)PlayStation 4
Windows
Release19 September 2017
Genre(s)Action
Stealth
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

ECHO's gameplay revolves around an adaptive AI function. The game's world is a Palace which creates copies of En, the player character. En calls those copies "Echoes". Echoes serve as the game's main enemies, which the Palace modifies to adapt to En. The Palace undergoes a five-minute cycle constantly, at the end of which there is a Blackout. While the power is on, the Palace records all of En's actions. The player is notified of their actions being recorded by En leaving a bright outline of herself behind when she performs an action the Palace is unaware of. Once the Blackout occurs, recorded actions are taught to the Echoes, and previous known actions are deleted. For example, if En is seen shooting her gun, vaulting a low wall and opening a door, the Echoes will do the same at the next cycle, but if En does not do any of the above during that cycle, they will have forgotten how to do so by the next one. During Blackouts, the Palace cannot record En's actions, leaving the player free to act as they wish. However, existing Echoes can still kill them.

Reception

ECHO received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[2][3]

ECHO won four major awards at "Spilprisen 2018", the Danish Game Awards - Best Visual Design, Best Sound, Best Technical achievement, and Game of the Year [4]

The game was nominated for "Best Art Direction (Games)" at the 2018 Webby Awards, and the Excellence in Visual Art award at the 2018 Independent Games Festival.[5][6]

References
  1. Vikki Blake (9 May 2019). "Echo developer Ultra Ultra shuts down". MCV. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  2. "ECHO Critic Reviews for PC". Metacritic. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  3. "ECHO Critic Reviews for Playstation 4". Metacritic. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  4. "ECHO wins GOTY at the Danish Game Awards 2018!". Steam. Ultra Ultra (24 April 2018). Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  5. Durkan, Deirdre (3 April 2018). "Webby Awards: Oprah Winfrey, Shonda Rhimes Among Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  6. Joel Couture (2 March 2018). "Road to the IGF: ULTRA ULTRA's Echo". Gamasutra. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
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