June 16th, 2000












Reviews

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!


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