Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern

Dreamcatcher Interactive - Dreamcatcher Interactive
Windows XP
Release date: 2005-06-21
CD-ROM

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Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern

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I picked up this game because of its unique setting. It is a relatively simple little game, but it does offer interesting puzzles and enables you to learn about early man as you progress through the game - so this game would be great for pre-teens or beginning adventure gamers. I will break down my review into sections to help you decide if you want to purchase this game or not.

STORY: 3/5 You play as a young caveman searching for a great painter he knew in his youth. Your ultimate goal is to become a great cave painter yourself - to make the spirits of the cave walls come alive.

The story isn't deep, but it is unique. While the ending isn't the most amazing one, it does give you a sense of fulfillment. Exploring the prehistoric world is fun and educational.

GAMEPLAY: 4/5 I did experience ANY bugs playing this game... which was a relief. It is easy to navigate and using your inventory, etc., is also fairly easy. One thing that makes this game great for young players or beginners is your character keeps a journal that gives you clues as to what you need to do next. The game is fairly linear, but there are some items you can collect and assemble before they are needed.

The game also features an encyclopedia of sorts that updates as you progress through the game. You can read it to learn about early man, and some of the entries can help you progress through the game by giving tips on how to assemble items, for example.

The biggest flaw is the cursor - when working with items (especially in puzzles), the edge of the cursor is not the hotspot - instead, it is the center, so sometimes manipulating items can get frustrating. But if you keep that in mind, it is easier.

GRAPHICS: 4/5 Pretty good over-all. The main character (when you see him) is a little odd-looking in my opinion, but overall the scenes are illustrated well and the animations are fluid. Pretty good detail in landscapes and in close-ups.

PUZZLES: 4/5 Why did I give this such a high score? I will be very honest - most puzzles are pretty easy (again why it is good for a young person or beginner) - but some are difficult, but this is partially due to pixel sensitivity. The main reason I gave it a high score in this area is because the puzzles are often very unique. It does have a few puzzles you've seen before (i.e., reassemble a broken slab) - but most you will have fun doing because they are so fresh. I don't want to give anything away by saying more - but the cave-painting puzzles are particularly fun.

OVERALL: 4/5 - I highly recommend this game to youngsters interested in history or anthropology - it is fun & educational, and it isn't very difficult, plus there is no "adult" themes or inappropriate content. I also recommend this game to casual gamers, or those new to the genre who want to test the waters. I also recommend this game if you particularly like pre-history and want it to come to life a little bit for you. If you are an experienced, hard-core adventure gamer, you probably will be dissatisfied with this title, unless the time period really interests you or you want something light and fun. I personally enjoyed this game, especially after playing Paradise.

Guest

Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern

Date undefined

The easiest way for me to summarize this game is that it's tedious from start to finish. Never did I feel like I was on a great adventure. It was more like being stuck in a big hole behind the neighbor's house.

I can say three positive things about this game: the graphics of the outdoor scenes were beautiful (but not in the caves), the game never crashed or behaved badly, and there was a lot to learn about prehistoric times if you like that (I don't).

However, the story was uninspired and boring, I felt nothing for the characters, there wasn't much music (mostly percussion sounds which is fine from time to time but not during 90% of the game), and the puzzles were tedious.

As I played the game, I kept wishing that it would end so I didn't have to suffer anymore. I used a walkthrough for most of it, but even with that the puzzles were tedious. I usually only consult a walkthrough if I'm really stuck in a game, but I didn't care with this game, the fun factor was completely missing and I knew by the first half of the game that I wasn't going to add it to my permanent collection of adventure games.

I've played other games by Kheops Studios that were so much more enjoyable than this game (e.g. Return to Mysterious Island). I'm sure they put a lot of their lives into making this game which makes it all the more sad that it's just so unenjoyable.