The first time I heard Echoes of the End, I thought it really was going to become something subsequent to coming out. Developed solely by Myrkur Games in Iceland, this title was said to be some mixture of cinematic storytelling and deep gameplay. The public already graded it with other games like God of War and A Plague Tale: Requiem. Naturally, I went with high expectations.
At first, it was very magical. The skies are vast; over icy peaks to grating volcanic rocks runs the landscape. You meet companions, the story seems emotional, and the puzzles seem to have something smart hidden inside. But slowly, that excitement fades.
Gameplay Experience
Mostly, you are moving from one location to another along narrow paths, and every corner gives you the ability to repeat the entire routine-“solve a puzzle, fight some enemies, jump across a platform, and move forward.” After some time, you feel you have gone in a loop.
I saw that the weakest aspect of the game is combat. Controls feel slow and clunky. AI doesn’t seem to finish work for enemies, as they behave strangely most of the time. Sometimes arrows or magical shots just go through walls, which annihilates the immersion. Instead of exciting battles, the fights turn into something you only want to rush through.
Puzzles – The Real Strength
This is the part where the game shines. Puzzles happen to be creative and entertaining. For instance, one necessitates you to light a torch by switching fire sources via gears, which feels quite smart. These are the moments that show what the game could have been if the focus had been more on puzzles.
Still, they seem to dominate the game – perhaps too much so. After a point, I wanted a little more mix-up, such as balanced exploration or better combat.
Graphics and Visuals
In terms of visuals, it’s a mixed bag; sometimes the world does look staggeringly beautiful, and it does, at times, have that storybook feel, like snow-caps glowing in the shifting sunlight. Yet, you change your camera and find water textures that look like they virtually belong in an old-gen game.
It feels like the entire production is stuck between wanting to be a big, huge triple-A release and ending up somewhere in the middle.
Technical Issues
Also, I encountered a lot of technical issues. Character movements are heavy, which again breaks the chain of flowing exploration and combat. To top the list, some bugs are only stupid while some are game-breaking. Once, I respawned after dying and found myself right in the middle of an ongoing fight without even preparing for it. Things like this severely test your patience.
I know updates should help clear these bugs, but right now they make the game rougher than it would otherwise be. With today’s gaming market, first impressions are very important, and Echoes of the End kind of trips on this one.
Story and Characters
The story had such a promising potential. Performances are professional; the voice acting is fine, but the script offers an almost complete emptiness when it comes to depth in characters. They feel one-dimensional, while the dialogues sound like they are being heard in many other games. It should have felt like an epic fantasy, but somehow seems stitched together without any real emotional punch.
That is perhaps where the game loses the biggest opportunity. Without strong characters, the story turns into something you wouldn’t remember in a hurry.
So then, what do I think about Echoes of the End? It isn’t a total disaster, but it is quite far from anything great. The puzzles can be quite impressive, and the world does look beautiful at times. Yet, the weak combat, inconsistent graphics, and bugs drag it back.
It usually feels unfinished promise; had the developers had extra time for polishing, it could have been better. But for now, I would not pay full price. Perhaps wait a few months before some patches and discounts come into play.
I would perhaps come back after some serious updates. For, despite all the flaws, I believe within Echoes of the End, there is some potential-hidden treasure. It just could not rise as high as it wanted to. You may also be interested in: Xbox Steals the Show at Gamescom with Big Reveals on August 20 and 21
