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Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future PAL

After hiting Genesis, Sega CD, Game Gear and Master System, Ecco is back now on Dreamcast. After almost 5 years waiting, Ecco is finally back. Well, welcome back Ecco.

Review -- July 1, 2000

These visuals are surely amazing!
Publisher:
Sega

Developer:
Appaloosa Interactive

Genre:
Adventure

Release Date:
Out Now

ScreenShot
Everyone's favorite dolphin is back and better than ever!
ScreenShot
Ecco is one of the most beautiful games ever created, believe me!
Released on the Sega Genesis(aka Mega Drive) in 1995, Ecco made a phenomenal impression on the world and really blew the industry away with it's breathtaking graphics and beautiful gameplay.

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. An 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.
So, the adventure begins, and what an enormous adventure it is folks. In total, Defender of the Future features 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. Pretty cool uh?

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. Finding yourself swimming around for hours just admiring the scenery taking huge dives out of the water flipping as many times as you can if not uncommon, everything looks so smooth and detailed. As far as the texturing goes, all 8meg is seemingly packed in with bump mapping and texture overlays all fitting in perfectly.

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. Ecco himself is the very definition of the word 'smooth, it's perhaps the most realistic-looking creature ever created for a consumer title. The lightning and special effects are so damn beautiful, one of the best I ever seen. The frame rate 'drops from 60fps to 30fps, but it's very hard to notice this, so forget about this little problem.

The gameplay is suberb and the controls are great too. 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.

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. This is the future remember, so crystals and other shiny bonuses litter the seascape. 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.

The soundtrack is great too. The 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.
All the sound effects including the sonar from Ecco are excellent and also the digital voice effects are trully good.

Ecco is trully an amazing game. Not only it combines great visuals but also a fab gameplay plus great replay value do the awesome Al and also to the unique and changelling 34 levels. thankful that the series did not receive some half finished sequel. It remains true to the original at all times and uses every inch of Dreamcast power. A monumentous landmark of a game, a game that is not to be missed by any European gamer. For you American readers that have to wait until August. I'm sorry for you, but if you can't wait, get the import. If you don't want to pay the huge costs of the imports, just wait until the day that Ecco comes out in America. A really must buy for every Dreamcast owners. So, STOP READING THIS REVIEW, RUN TO YOUR LOCAL STORE AND GET ECCO NOW!

Graphics: 98 / 100

Gameplay: 97 / 100

Sound: 89 / 100

Control: 91 / 100

Replay: 94 / 100

Overall: 96 / 100

by Paulo


 

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