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Well, I never thought I'd be posting a review of a computer game on this site! I have extraced the
main paras in this summary:
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ECHO: Secrets of the Lost Cavern by Emily Morganti - posted on July 19, 2005
Set 17,000 years ago in the landscape that is now France, ECHO tells the story of a young Cro-
Magnon man's desire to study under a painter he admires. In the course of his journey, our hero
Arok learns the fundamentals of cave painting just as a modern student would—through imitation
and practice—and is ultimately transformed into an artist far more powerful than his master
(Klem) will ever be.
The cave where Arok will ultimately find Klem is based on Lascaux, the real-life Paleolithic cave
discovered in France in the 1940s, making ECHO: Secrets of the Lost Cavern an imagined retelling
of how the frescoes of Lascaux came to be.
ECHO's graphics live up to the high standards set in Kheops' previous games. As Arok journeys to
Lascaux, he travels from his snow-crusted homeland to a valley so lush and vibrant you'll feel the
river's spray on your arms and the sun's heat on your face. The caves are equally well depicted,
with flickering fires casting shadows on the walls and clusters of stalactites hanging from the
ceiling. The ambient noises and tribal-sounding music provide a fitting backdrop for the
prehistoric setting. Occasional cutscenes help the player identify with the main character by
showing Arok in a third-person view.
The game is educational in a laid-back way. If you want to learn more about the time period,
there's a ton of information at your disposal in the "documentary database," a vast in-game
encyclopedia - it's interesting—who knew that in spite of their reputation, Cro-Magnons didn't live
in caves?!
When Arok makes it out of the cavern, he is faced with fundamental challenges, such as finding
food to satisfy his growling stomach, gaining the trust of people who can help him, and making a
bridge to cross the rushing river. sometimes be hard to tell when an item in the environment can
be picked up.
There are a couple of painting-related puzzles in this middle part of the game, when Arok is
tasked with restoring a fresco to prove he is worthy of meeting Klem. This is the first point where
Arok really gets to paint, by finding the proper supplies and using them correctly on the wall.
Although ECHO's prehistoric setting and premise score points for originality, the plot is
straightforward and extremely singular. Arok wants to find Klem's cave and become a painter.
That's about it. Along the way, nothing that happens is really surprising. Arok never misses the
clan he left behind, never doubts his abilities, is never tempted to give up his quest or forced to
choose between two paths. That's not to say that ECHO's story is bad; it's just simple. The plot is
well constructed and obviously well researched, but it lacks the complexity and character
development I expected a coming-of-age tale to be infused with.
In spite of these faults, ECHO is a quality game. The puzzle-heavy first-person adventure has
become something of a cliché, but with the prehistoric setting and emphasis on cave painting,
ECHO puts a new spin on that old convention. When a game is as nicely put together as this one
is, I want it to be at least twice as long.
Pros: Gorgeous graphics; clever integration of puzzles into the gameplay (for the most part);
unique premise that will probably teach you something you didn't know about prehistoric times.
Cons: Simplistic story; clunky inventory; one especially frustrating puzzle near the end; very short
game.
Bottom-line: ECHO is polished and technically well done. The prehistoric setting is new in
adventure games, and although the game's educational slant may not appeal to everyone, most of
the background reading is optional. If you like your games puzzle-heavy and story-light, ECHO is
for you.
Release date: June 24, 2005
Developer: Kheops Studio
Publisher: The Adventure Company
The full review is available at:
http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,548/p,2
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If you ever give computer games as gifts to young relatives, consider this!
Keith
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