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Ecco the
Dolphin Defender of
the Future
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Review by famine |
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Ecco the Dolphin (Defender of the Future..to give it its full
title). As many of you will remember Ecco started of life a few
years ago on the Sega Megadrive and then later on Sega's megaCD.
Well now it's back on Sega's wonder machine and it's looking better
than ever in all its 3D glory. The story behind Ecco is humans and
dolphins have lived in harmony for over five hundred years. They had
built a paradise which was protected by the guardian crystal. The
crystal earth from all enemies....until now. An enemy known only as
the foe had been waiting for a chance to conquer earth and know
there time had come. They struck and the guardian crystal was
shattered. This is where Ecco's adventure begins for he must reunite
the pieces of the crystal and save the future. Just in case anyone
is interested the story behind the game has been written by
science-fiction author David Brin. I cant say i have ever read any
of his work but after playing this game i might try and get hold of
some.
Gameplay-7/10
For those familiar with the
original games you will feel right at home with Ecco's gamplay.
generally in each level you are given a few tasks to complete. Upon
completing each task you will be given a new ability or item to help
you in your quest. The only complaint i can make is that some of the
riddles you are given do not make things very clear on what you have
to do. As a result of this you quite often find yourself swimming
around just admiring the scenery.
Controls-9/10
The
controls are somewhat complicated to begin with but after playing
for about half an hour they become quite intuitive. The buttons
perform various actions, the D-pad controls the camera, and the
analog stick controls your movement.
Graphics-9/10
The
graphics in this game are some of the best i have seen on the
dreamcast. Appaloosa have really outdone themselves. The textures on
the rocks are nothing short of breathtaking. While the animation on
the sharks and dolphins will make you feel like you are watching a
documentry on the discovery channel. I have subtracted a mark from
this catagory because if you bring Ecco above the surface of the
water you can notice quite alot of pop-up in the scenery. however
this does not affect the way the game plays in any
way.
Sound-9/10
The sound is vey good. Tom Baker of
Dr. Who fame provides the voice over for the intro. Ecco's sonar
sounds perfect underwater, and you will fall in love with the
character when you hear him clicking when you take him out of the
water. The music although not to my taste suits the game
perfectly.
Overall-8/10
Anyone who liked the original
Ecco will love this game because it retains all the charm and looks
alot better. Anyone who has never played an Ecco before should take
a look at it as it will provide hours of entertainment. It does take
some work to make your way through the game, but for those that
persevere they will find a retro level bringing you straight back to
your megadrive days!
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Reviewer's Score: 8 /
10 |
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