There Came an Echo

There Came an Echo for PC, PS4 and XONE is the second title from Iridium Studios (the authors of Sequence) and a strategy game that offers an unusual voice and motion based control scheme. The game is distributed in digital form through Steam, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live only. Moreover, it should be mentioned that professional voice actors recorded the dialogues (Will Wheaton, Ashley Burch, Laura Bailey, Yuri Lowenthal, Karen Strassman, or Rachel and Cindy Robinson).

Plot

The story of There Came an Echo takes place in near future and tells the story of Corrine, a 31 year old cryptologist that has deciphered a special data encryption algorithm used by shadowy conspiracy group. As a result, the man becomes a target of the group, which sends a deadly team of mercenaries on his trail. Right before an unexpected attack on his house, the hero is contacted by a woman named Val who helps him escape and guides him to safety. Joined by an unusual group of heroes, Corrine decides to solve the mystery and discover the truth behind Radial Lock, the newest data algorithm that safeguards data that, if released, can topple the current state of affairs. However, the mission won’t be easy, as the group, made up of ordinary citizens, will be facing ruthless opponents that will do anything to stop Corrine from unearthing the secret.

Mechanics

There Came an Echo sees us take control of a small unit, leading it with voice commands. The authors have prepared a set of predefined orders, such as “open fire” or “head to Bravo 3”, but we are free to record our own order that is saved as an alternative variant of an already existing one. As a result, instead of “Grace, hold position”, we can say “yo girl, hold up”, etc. Moreover, the team members often observe the area on their own and ask questions e.g. whether they should use a shortcut or join another hero.

We are free to use various items, such as remote controlled mines that are detonated by saying their number and the right order, for example “Mines 1, 3, 11, detonate”. Aside from explosives, a similar system is used when making use of automatic turrets.

Aside from the features above, the game offers a traditional control scheme that utilizes a gamepad or a keyboard.

Technical Aspects

The game offers three-dimensional graphics seen from an isometric view. This approach increases our field of vision, facilitating our efforts in progress. Moreover, the camera offers a dynamic zoom.

Last updated on 16 April 2014