 |

|
Ecco
the Dolphin: Defender of the Future
|
Developer Appaloosa
Interactive |
Publisher Sega |
Genre Adventure |
Players 1 |
ESRB E - Everyone |
Release Out
Now |
The wait is over! Read the most comprehensive
review of Ecco's new 128-bit adventure - the best
Dreamcast title in ages.
Released on the Sega Genesis in 1995, the
original Ecco the Dolphin could not have made a bigger
splash upon its arrival. The ultimate eco-game,
unsuspecting players were given the opportunity to
explore the underwater world of the dolphins, righting
wrongs and restoring justice to the universe. Five years
on, and not a lot has changed...
As its subtitle suggests, Ecco the Dolphin has no
run-of-the-mill story, and in the finest of videogame
traditions our hero has to rescue Earth from an
impending doom. We are told that in the future humans
and dolphins will live harmoniously. The repercussions
this would have on the gene pool go undisclosed, but
what we are told is that our world is under attack from
a war-loving extraterrestrial race from a far-off
galaxy. This enemy, known only as 'The Foe,' seeks
vengeance on Earth, innumerable previous attempts having
failed. With their most recent attack shattering the
planet's protective crystal, we learn via the beautiful
real-time introduction that it is up to Ecco to save the
day.
Even
the in-game characters can appreciate the beauty of a
game like Ecco.
So, the adventure begins, and what an enormous
adventure it is - it should be a long time before you're
in sight of an end sequence. In total, Defender of the
Future comprises 34 unique stages. From the sanctity of
Aquamarine Bay, Ecco's voyage sees him travel back and
forth through time, the story flowing from one level to
the next. From 'Passage from Genesis' to 'Shrine of
Controversy' through to 'Obscure Ways of Terminus' and
'Perpetual Fluidity' - the level names never fail to
raise a smile. You'll see industrial underwater
factories, ancient lost cities and alien artefacts -
gaming clichés perhaps, but the verve of Appaloosa's
masterpiece means that all can be forgiven.

Gameplay The dolphin himself
demonstrates the ultimate in underwater movement;
Appaloosa giving the game a feel that is so much more
than the 'blue version of outer space' that lesser
developers seem content to produce. Directional movement
is made with the analogue stick, and nothing could feel
more natural. Because of the full 360-degree control,
Ecco is self-righting, thus ensuring that you'll never
swim upside down. Analogue control does not extend to
forward motion however, because unlike Crazy Taxi the
left and right triggers are used for temporary shifts of
the camera. Instead, the A button is used to propel Ecco
through the waters - the more you tap it the quicker his
tail flaps, after which a constant speed can be
maintained by holding the button down.

More preferable though, is to use the speed burst
button, assigned by default to B. Press this and Ecco
quickly recoils, then launches himself forward. This,
incidentally, is the main form of attack - the dolphin's
beak capable of killing sharks and smashing jellyfish to
smithereens in less than three hits. As well as this, a
quick burst of speed is necessary for catching fish -
the schools of which are the primary source of energy in
Defender of the Future.

You'll be aware that being the intelligent
creatures that they are, dolphins make use of sonar
waves to communicate. Ecco is no different - when
directing your view at another dolphin you can use
button X to emit a signal, and should it hit the target,
conversation will commence. Large, green, and wobbly
text is the order of the day: the dolphins' vocals
extending no further than grunts and yelps. Complete
tasks and puzzles and you will acquire sonar 'songs.'
For example, the Song of the Shark is used to confuse
certain classes of that animal, while songs specific to
turtles and small fish will have them follow you for the
completion of certain tasks. Different coloured schools
of fish have different properties to be taken advantage
of - some lighten dark tunnels, others shield you from
attacks.

Ecco can also perform various 'special' moves,
such as 180-degree turns and confusing rotations. In
addition, it is possible to leap up, or even 'tail
walk,' over the water's surface to perform somersaults
and pirouettes usually the reserve of ballerinas.
Completing the control set is the d-pad, used to switch
between three camera perspectives - the directly behind
default, a less rigid version, and a 'bird's eye view'
overhead position from above the water. Of course, only
the first one is ever needed for play, but with the
assistance of an X+Y menu-hide facility you are able to
create some pretty spectacular images with the other
angles. Useful, for example, if you wanted to fake some
Caribbean holiday snaps.

Because Ecco the Dolphin offers a more
accomplished rendition of planet Earth than any other
videogame ever, there is little else able to compete
with its atmosphere. Quite simply, the enemies in this
are more frightening than in pretty much any other title
you've ever previously experienced. You know the video
clip nature programmers are only ever-too-keen to show -
the shark stalking its prey beneath the depths before an
inevitable attack? No? Well think of the film, 'Deep
Blue Sea' then. From teasing the player with sharks in
the ominous distance on the first level to the gigantic
'Great White' who patrols the second, enemies have an
unprecedented presence. With later areas containing huge
alien beings - the proportions of which are truly
awe-inspiring - and a full complement of stingrays and
jellyfish, danger is never more than a fin-flap away in
Dreamcast Ecco the Dolphin.

This is the future remember, so crystals and
other shiny bonuses litter the seascape too. The former
are the source of cryptically worded clues, without
which Ecco would be lost, and the latter enhance Ecco's
abilities. 'Vitalits' lengthen Ecco's health bar
incrementally, for instance, while you can enhance your
sonar power similarly. Often these items can be won by
completing one of the many sub-games in the game - catch
the fish or race the dolphin, for example.
If there is a criticism to be made, it is that
the story and narrative in the game do not flow as well
as the creatures inhabiting it. At times you find
yourself swimming around aimlessly, ever-hopeful of
triggering an event, and it is often the case that
nothing happens until you seek out a specific dolphin,
all of whom are near-identical. Some of the levels are
tenuously linked too, and often you don't even need to
do anything to progress to the next stage. Suffice to
say that such inconsistencies, are at times, very
confusing.

Having said that, it is exceptionally hard to
actually overwork yourself in Ecco, and you can joyfully
while away many an hour when cruising through the water.
On more than one occasion I found myself attempting
Crazy Dashes and Limit Cuts - strange considering that
this and Crazy Taxi are near-complete opposites. One
thing they both have in common though, is that they are
both of the highest quality. They're both essential too,
but less of the 'Final Word' talk here.
Graphics Even the greatest controls and
narrative ever would be severely undermined if
Appaloosa's version of the deep blue sea resembled
cardboard cut-outs floating in a bucket. That isn't
quite the case though, because at the risk of
lapsing into childish superlatives, Ecco the Dolphin:
Defender of the Future is perhaps the most visually
accomplished game on any system, ever.

The game's engine, Appaloosa's proprietary 'Game
World Builder,' has lead to the creation of a stunning
environment. The rocks and the coral which are the main
constituents of Ecco's world are supremely textured -
the randomly rough and jagged surfaces of the underwater
stone are covered with perfectly overlaid texturing, so
'bumps' are in all the right places.
The world is, by nature, predominately blue, but
that doesn't necessarily mean the scenery ever becomes
repetitive - authentic flora litter the coral reef and
the sea is densely populated by exotically coloured
fish. Your view extends perhaps only fifty yards ahead,
however. The developers deemed either that this would
enhance the atmosphere (unlikely) or the demands on the
hardware were too great to push the fog back further.
Not that this issue demeans the game's visuals in any
way - you will be too busy observing what's around you
to care of what's on the horizon.
Ecco himself is the very definition of the word
'smooth.' With nary a rogue polygon in sight, the
titular dolphin is the most realistic-looking creature
ever created for a consumer title. Perhaps Dead or Alive
2's svelte figures have higher polygon counts, maybe
Shenmue's textures have more detail, but Ecco somehow
outstrips them all. Incredible attention to detail - the
way in which light shimmers over Ecco's body, his facial
detail or the underwater lens-flair - shows Appaloosa's
desire to produce a truly memorable title. The animation
is completely life-like too, Ecco's flippers propelling
him around the world with amazing fluidity and ease.
Jellyfish pulsate, stingray undulate - this ocean's one
hypnotic place, man.

Problems? Yes, well... maybe one. With the
visuals far surpassing the current crop of computer
games, the frame rate understandably suffers at times.
That's suffer as in 'drops from 60fps to 30fps when the
screen is chock-full of details.' In fact, forget I
mentioned that - you'll barely notice it at all.
Sound The 1995 original's musical score
- composed in-house by Sega of America's Spencer Nilsen
- is unforgettable. Tim Follin replaces Nilsen for the
latest Ecco, but the resulting tunes are suitably
cinematic. At least, that is to say when they need to
be, because the mood of the music is supremely tailored
to that of the game. Early on in the adventure you'll
find yourself accompanied by a basic melody - almost
meditative by nature. Encounter a boss and the tempo
picks up, heightening the heart rate, whilst areas in
the city of Atlantis proffer eerier numbers.

Having never plunged to the ocean's depths
myself, I can only guess as to the accuracy of Defender
of the Future's sound effects. Ecco's movements through
the waters sound typically 'watery-ey,' but all the
other creatures are silent, save for the occasional
wailing whale.
Overall Although Defender of the
Future's is indubitably of the uppermost quality, there
may be those who find themselves unable to adapt to the
free-flowing nature of the game. Depending on your
perspective of things, a story line that is almost as
watered-down as the environment in which it is set is
either good or bad. However, Ecco's genius lies in the
fact that no matter how frustrated you get and how slow
progress becomes, the complete freedom that this virtual
world offers means that there is always something to
relieve your stress. A monumentous landmark of a game
and one that cannot be missed, you'll never forget the
first time you played Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the
Future.
Pros:
Free-flowing gameplay
Incredible photorealistic graphics
One massive adventure
Cons:
Bewildering at times
Paul
Vincent Suggests someone gives Appaloosa the
'Jaws' license
Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the
Future: The
Scores | |
Graphics |
Sound |
Gameplay |
Lastability |
Originality |
Overall |
9.8 |
8.9 |
9.3 |
9.2 |
9.5 |
9.5 | |
The Final
Word: Ecco
the Dolphin's first 128-bit adventure is every
bit as revolutionary as his original Genesis
outing. Whilst its premise is simple - solve
puzzles, talk to friendly creatures, and kill
bad ones, the title is a whole lot more than
just another game. It's an experience
dammit, and if this doesn't prove to the world
that the Dreamcast is the gaming system of
choice, then I really wonder what will. Buy! |
gamerweb
reviews
policy
|
|