Echo Night

Release Date: July 14, 1999

Adventure, FPP, horror, puzzle elements, ghosts, time travel, singleplayer

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The first installment of the Echo Night series, created by FromSoftware in 1998. It's a first-person adventure game with horror elements, revolving around exploration and puzzle solving. The game's main themes are time travel and paranormal events.

Plot
Mechanics
Releases

Echo Night is a horror adventure game. Originally released in 1998, it focuses on exploring and puzzle solving while gradually pitting us against more and more aggressive enemies. It was developed by the Japanese team FromSoftware, who have implemented such mechanics as the day and night cycle, rarely seen back then. The game evolved from an experimental project based on the third game in the King's Field series.

Plot

The story begins in the United States, 1937, starring Richard Osmond, who's been sent a mysterious key from his father, Henry. It comes as a surprise to him, as he hadn't contacted his father in years - as if that wasn't enough, Anchor police calls him to let him know his family home has burnt down.

Inside the ruined building, Richard finds a painting which transports on board the Orpheus, a passenger ship which went missing in 1913. The protagonist thus tries to learn what had happened during its last, disastrous cruise.

Mechanics

Echo Night is a first-person horror game, in which we must find out what happened to the haunted ship and what are Henry's motivations. We'll spend most of the game on board the Orpheus, though some objects and characters can transport us to other times and areas. We'll encounter many ghosts needing our help - fulfilling their requests will let them finally rest. There are several different endings, depending on our choices.

Most of the game consists of puzzles, usually based on finding and using a correct item. Some puzzles are more complex, for example, arranging items to replicate their layout on a painting. While exploring, Richard can be attacked by vengeful ghosts. His only form of defense is to quickly activate repelling sources of light.

Releases

Echo Night first debuted on PlayStation, in 1998, in Japan. It was released in the US a year later. It was also re-released on the PlayStation 3, PSP (both in 2007) and the PS Vita (2012) - though these releases never left Japan.