GamesRelay

Name: Echochrome

Echochrome is a puzzle game through and through which is available as a download on the PlayStation Network or on UMD in Asia and Europe. Echochrome see's players manipulating the environment via the games camera perspective to navigate optical illusions as levels. Whichever platform you choose to purchase Echochrome on, both come with 56 challenging stages for you to play which increase in difficulty as you progress through.

The first thing you'll notice about Echochrome is it's minimalistic graphics style where only black and white are displayed, it's what makes the game unique, trying to navigate through the optical illusions can be more than challenging at times, having you rely off of them to judge the distance and the perspective of your camera so that you can position it correctly to continue through the stage. It's a simple game with a simple graphics style where the only thing you need on your side is brain power to get yourself through. Echochrome's music and sound effects are much the same, simple and only added where needed, the majority of sound effects you'll hear are the footsteps of the mannequin's and a female announcer which tells you when to begin and when you make a mistake.

The whole point to Echochrome is to guide your mannequin through the stage while collecting echoes which are located around each level. It may sound easy but where the game really delves deeper is the way in which you get to the echoes. You don't actually control the mannequin's in the game, you control the camera angle in which the level is displayed, if your mannequin is on one side of a pathway and needs to get to another, it's a simple affair of positioning your camera angle so that the two edges meet, then the mannequin can cross and reach the echo, but it doesn't work for all walk ways since not all will line up correctly, regardless of how you position the camera. Another key element you need to account for are holes in the walkways, if your mannequin falls through, it will fall directly on to whatever is beneath it so you'll find the time arise where you position a walkway underneath a hole to get to another location, it's mind bending, really.

Reaching the echoes scattered around the level isn't the only objective however, the whole premise is how fast you can collect them and complete the stage. Your mannequin doesn't stop either, you can pause the game to think about how you're going to reach the next echo but the timer doesn't stop so you need to be on your toes and think fast about the best way to accomplish your goal.

One of Echochrome's most valued assets is its level creator. The level creator extends the longevity of the game indefinitely since you can freely download levels created by other users either on the PlayStation Portable or the PlayStation 3, though once you have created a level you can only upload it through the PS3 and not the PSP. Both provide the exact same tools that the games designers used to create the levels contained throughout the game and you'll find some truly challenging user created levels which frankly boggle the mind. One of the great features included is the ability to download the newest submitted levels automatically when they become available which then incorporates them into Freeform mode so you can play them. One addition to the PSP is the ability to share your levels with other users via local ad-hoc network.

Echochrome is easily one of the all time unique puzzle games you'll come across, if you like a challenge, even sometimes what seems like an impossible one, it's always something you will enjoy with its indefinite replayability and level creator on top. It's not something you could easily get bored with, as long as you like a challenge, it's a game that's easily recommended with its simplistic nature which makes it easy to pick up and play whether you're a new player or a veteran, it's something everyone can enjoy and possibly lose their mind trying to complete.