Echo Generation | Xbox Review
Imagine creating a gaming concoction that consists of elements including The X-Files, Earthbound, classic LucasArts titles, and a liberal splash of adorability. This is the best way to describe Cococucumber’s action-adventure/RPG Echo Generation. It’s an utterly unique experience, and it feels refreshing to have a game like this to enjoy in the current year. I had an absolute blast playing this title, but it does have a few quirks that brought the experience down a tad.
Weird Space
You play as a kid living in Maple Town in the ‘90’s. Your father has mysteriously disappeared, and you and your little sister set out to discover his whereabouts. Along the way, you encounter aliens, serial killers, ghosts, and more strange enemies. You two aren’t alone, though. You can recruit cute animals (and a couple of other sentient) companions to help you out. Each character has their own unique abilities and minigames attached to their attacks, and gathering comic books allows you to learn additional moves.
The townsfolk are all extremely likable, and I found myself enchanted by the often humorous dialogue. The combat is also satisfying, with the minigames accompanying each attack bringing a fresh perspective to the battles you face. The bosses are challenging, but not to the point of frustration. It feels incredibly rewarding to figure out the perfect strategy to bring them down.
Rad! Well, Mostly…
The voxel art style is cute as all heck, and it brings a different, yet still nostalgic, vibe to the game. I absolutely adored the setting and the variety of foes to encounter. Maple Town is relatively small, but each section is distinct and has its own aesthetic. As you make your way through this unusual little city, you’ll go from a wholesome neighborhood to a gritty desert area, then move on to a creepy cemetery.
One small issue I had was the lack of fast travel. Yes, you can unlock shortcuts to different areas of the map as you progress, but you still have to run around to each location. It quickly became a chore to traverse through the game and I was desperately longing for a way to speed my movement along. A bigger problem for me was the obtuse nature of some of the puzzles, especially near the end of the game. They’re certainly creative, but having to talk to everyone in the entire town to figure out where you need to go and which seemingly random item you need to progress can be taxing. If you love old school point-and-click adventure games, you’ll probably adore this aspect. It just wasn’t for me.
The Final Bow
Echo Generation is a cute, charming game that immediately sinks its teeth into you. The ‘90’s setting, humorous dialogue, excellent combat, and likable characters are all reasons to dive in. The lack of fast travel does bring the experience down a tad. Also, if you’re frustrated by point-and-click style puzzles, you might feel like banging your head against the wall at several points.
This review is based on an Xbox copy of Echo Generation provided by Stride PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on Game Pass and PC via Steam.
Echo Generation
$24.99
Pros
- ’90’s Setting
- Likable Characters
- Satisfying Combat
- Funny Dialogue
- Unique Settings
Cons
- Lack of Fast Travel
- Puzzles Can Become Frustrating
