Computer Games
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday July 10, 2008
ECHOCHROME
Rated: G RRP: $49.95 No of players: 1 Released: July 17A strange phenomenon with the PSP is that some of the best games are those that use only a fraction of what Sony's hand-held platform has to offer in terms of graphical grunt. Games like the quirky LocoRoco, the charming Patapon - and now the enigmatic Echochrome - prove over and over again that it's gameplay that matters most. Echochrome looks like a black-and-white M C Escher drawing but with less detail - at first. It's a puzzle game where you must master the "five laws of visual perspective" to safely guide your mannequins through a series of mazes. In the world of Echochrome, if two separate pathways appear to be touching, they are. When a hole is blocked from view, it doesn't exist. You get the idea. Another example is what's called the "Law of Perspective Existence", which dictates that if a gap between two paths is blocked from view by something else so that those paths appear to be connected, they are. It's difficult to train your brain to work within these "laws" but as you get used to the warped logic, it does get easier. However, it's never simple and I was often stumped for my next move, which is just what's required to make puzzle-solving a satisfying experience.
© 2008 Illawarra Mercury