Echochrome Review

There are some videogames that fall into the annual franchises category, bringing a sense of ever-decreasing circles to any number of brands. There are others that try to create a game that's as much an art form as a sculpture or an unmade bed. Echochrome wants to be in the second category, but in actual fact, is in a column all to itself. TVG traversed the strange world of Echochrome, available on PlayStation Network and PSP...

Knock On The Door

Taking inspiration from the 'Impossible Objects' devised and drawn by a handful of 20th Century graphic artists, Echochrome is hands down the most unusual title to hit the PSP since LocoRoco. A 'unique' puzzler in the same way that being born with three eyes and blue skin would be, Echochrome's minimalist gameplay and overall style is a shock to the system after the current trend of stunning vistas and game worlds.

Following five 'Rules of Perspective' including nuggets like perspective travelling (where paths seem joined together when they're not) and perspective existence (where pillars block gaps in other sections, rendering the gap inexistent), it doesn't take much to see that Echochrome is an experiment in challenging game design. Much in the same way as a giant crack in the floor is designated art, Echochrome is the sort of game where certain developers no doubt wonder at its originality and underlying meaning, but a vast majority of gamers are left scratching their heads in confusion as to what exactly it is.

Splitting the gameplay into 'Solo', 'Pair', and 'Others' gametypes, there's certainly some level of variety to be had. All three focus on completing a level as fast as possible, with the 'protagonist' mannequin following the paths available to him according to the player's perspective. Players only have control over the in-game camera, moving the level around and changing the perspective rather than taking direct control of the mannequins, which does frequently require fast changes in camera position during some of the more challenging levels. Solo is perhaps the most straightforward of the three modes, if there's such a thing in Echochrome, as players try to get the mannequin to chase shadows around the level. Pair and Others is slight different however, with players having to get white and black pairs of mannequins to tag each other in Pairs, whilst Others sees players chase shadows with more malevolent black mannequins acting as obstacles.

The Treachery Of Images

The added frustration of Echochrome's bewildering gameplay also comes from the pixel perfect perspectives needed to hide gaps and create paths. All too often, the mannequin seems quite content to still see a gap and turn around, even if it's covered up by a pillar, all because a single pixel is out of place. Sure, the technical prowess of the developers is high, it has to have been to get their heads around the premise, but let's try and streamline some of the more specifics of gameplay. It's a challenging enough game as it is...

If its gameplay wasn't pretentious enough, Echochrome's hauntingly classical string music throws in an ambience of an art exhibition or cocktail reception, which quite honestly doesn't help with immersion but further alienates players from the experience. The occasional operatic singing and the request for players to 'Knock on the door' at the start menu also sets the tone for whole game.

Echochrome is certainly one of the more original titles to ever hit PSP and PlayStation Network, the latter already renowned for its creative digitally distributed titles (PAIN instantly comes to mind). It's also an exceptional challenge, probably too much of a challenge for most gamers, and rarely taps into what all games should be: fun or enjoyable. The additional of a level editor is something that will no doubt be used by the game's niche hardcore, though a glut of impossible levels surely won't be too far away after launch.

Most successful puzzlers have a hook that drags players into a spiral of near-feverish addiction; what Echochrome does is send players into a spiral of head-scratching and skin-crawling frustration, which isn't fun so much a form of mental torture. The fact that there are dozens of puzzles to complete, and an additional level editor (on the PSP version) to boot, isn't an enthralling thought - more soul destroying.

But it's not all bad, surely?

After all, at a time when questions over whether games can actually be art forms are asked periodically, Echochrome goes out to prove that they can...in a manner of speaking. It's not mainstream gaming by any stretch of the imagination, far from it, and it may only have a niche audience to amuse, but Echochrome is such an abstractly original experience that we wouldn't be surprised if Charles Saatchi didn't display the game at one of his galleries.