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A charming voxel-based action adventure that can entertain, but also periodically frustrate
In the modern gaming landscape there are simply so many options that making yourself stand out can often feel like a top priority. In that respect Echo Generation does a pretty good job, utilizing some pretty great voxel graphics that don’t seem to compromise much in the way of detail, and a solid teenage years sort of vibe with its characters and settings. Starting out on your adventure, it actually feels quite promising, it only then struggles as you get further on.Starting with the positive, I do appreciate the game’s distinctive look and general feel. Voxel graphics don’t always work out very well in terms of the effect they can have on fine details, but it feels like the developers dialed into just the right scaling in order to make the most of them. Though the combat is turn-based, I also mostly enjoyed the active element that’s used to keep you engaged and invested in each round, being able to maximize your own attacks while trying to minimize incoming damage. Also, being a fan of quirk and offbeat weirdness in general, I really enjoyed some of the odd characters as they added some flavor to help it all be a little more memorable.There are some areas where the experience slips down a rung or two on the ladder to success though. The first is the somewhat meandering nature of your journey, which starts pretty early on, feeling like each task leads to another task and then to another. I suppose this could help the game feel more efficient as you may, in theory, bump into people or things you need as you rove around, but it also makes it easy to get distracted and lose the thread of what you’re really supposed to be doing. The thing is, given what’s ultimately a surprisingly small amount of area everything happens within for the most part, all of the back and forth makes that even more clear. I think that also leads to what can feel like a grindy nature of trying to build up your characters sufficiently, essentially going back and picking the same fights multiple times since they respawn, and you’ll typically need the experience boost to keep pace with your tougher foes.In the end I think where you’ll land on the experience is how much you buy into the look and vibe. There’s no question that both are pretty distinctive, and they help to carry the whole endeavor. If, however, you’re looking for more consistent engagement, a better overall narrative, and a bit less of a meandering “quest for all the things”, you may want to check out some alternatives on the eShop first.
Justin Nation, Score:Good [7.2]