Originality is
extremely hard to come by -- a fact that gamers can tell
you better than anyone. But beneath the endless
mountains of me-too shooters, fighters and racing titles
exist a chosen few -- games that attempt to uncover new
ground and effectively create their own
paradigms. The original Ecco the Dolphin on
Genesis was one of those games and -- much to our
delight --its 128-bit sequel is too.
Developed by the fine European blokes over at
Appaloosa, Ecco's story is a very simple one: His
mission is to restore the former dolphin/human paradise,
save the planet from self-destruction and win back his
future (all in a day's work for any Dolphin worth his
salt, really). In an effort to recover the stolen
dolphin-power that has been scattered throughout time
and space, the bottle-nosed protagonist travels through
mysterious and breathtaking underwater worlds filled
with puzzles, friends, foes and danger.
Ecco is playable on many levels -- a sign of
great game design. The freedom to swim through the vast
oceanic landscapes, exploring the beautiful environments
and uncovering their hidden treasures, is truly
engaging, and provides a respite from normal videogame
fare. A large part of Ecco's immediate appeal is
its Tony Hawkesque trick-a-liciousness. Bursting
through the surface and performing 360s, spins and other
assorted maneuvers -- and then seeing how large (or
small) a splash Ecco can make upon re-entry -- is an
experience not to be missed.
While this is all well and good, a truly great game
needs so-called 'meat' as well ("Uhhh -- dolphin steaks
anyone?"). Thankfully, Ecco delivers on this
front: The game's structured play ranges from simple
puzzles (such as freeing a trapped baby whale, battling
sharks and talking to whales) to larger, more
complicated quests.
Just as in previous titles, Ecco can talk to other
sea creatures via his sonar, and interaction with NPCs
(read: fish and underwater mammals) is an absolutely
necessary part of the game. It takes only a few minutes
to get comfortable with the game's excellent control,
which makes the adventuring part of the game extremely
playable (not to mention the exploration and tricks).
The game uses many in-game cutscenes to tell its story,
which propels things along quite nicely.
And then there are the graphics. This is, without a
doubt, one of the most visually stunning games ever
developed. The undulation of the moving water is
brilliant, and the level of detail in the underwater
environments is simply breathtaking. Being able to swim
up to a patch of coral and examine it so closely such
that you can observe its actual texture is truly
amazing, as are the waterfalls, caves and lush
vegetation growing all around you. The effects -- such
as sand springing up when you skim the ocean floor and
realtime shadows -- add to the game's visual appeal as
well.
Ecco could very well become one of Dreamcast's
true shining moments, and everything we've seen thus far
hints that it will. If the adventuring element can
become as cohesive as the rest of the game, Appaloosa
and Sega may have one of those rare gaming gems on their
hands. Keep your fins crossed.