Developer: SCE Japan

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Release Date: May 1, 2008

Systems: PSP (reviewed), PS3

ESRB Rating: E

Official Web site

0:00 I've been excited about this one ever since I saw a video of its Escher-like worlds at last year's E3. I got a free copy along with the PSP-3000 Sony sent me a few months back (yeah, I know, my life sucks) but haven't gotten around to playing it until now.

0:01 Some credits go by quickly, then a stark white title screen with some wailing/singing in the background. The protagonist walks around some sample levels. "Knock on the door," the game says. Uh ... does that mean press the X button? Because that's what I did.

0:02 The menu options are Freeform, Atelier, Canvas and Etc. Is this menu the first puzzle? Where's "New Game"?

0:03 I choose Etc. and jump into the tutorial. I think I'm gonna need it for this one ... "Welcome to the world of Echochrome," says a soothing ethereal voice. "In this world, special laws apply." The first is "Perspective Traveling," where you can "change the perspective and connect the path." I move the camera with the analog nub as the protagonist walks forward automatically. Two disjointed platforms suddenly connect when they line up on the 2-D plane of the screen. Did that make sense? This is hard to describe with mere words. I'm loving the gentle violin music.

0:05 "Perspective Existence" lets me cover up gaps and make them into walkable platforms. "You may not be able to see it, but there is a path." Similarly, "Perspective Absence" can cover holes and allow safe passage. "Hide the obstruction and it no longer exists." Very philosophical, for a puzzle game.

0:06 Finally, "Perspective Jump" lets me swing the platform under a jumping guy to catch him. Now I'm into my first real puzzle. "Use the five mysterious laws and create a path." The music sounds like a wailing cat ... in a good way!

0:09 I'm a little slow, often lining up the camera only after the little guy has passed by. Still, I get through without too much trouble. My biggest concern is how I have to cover up those gaps precisely, or else the guy will turn around.

0:11 "It's time to enter the world of Echochrome ... find the way." I've gone into Freeform mode to "play random levels." The first one is a series of islands with jump pads on high pedestals in the middle.

0:13 OK, it took me way too long to figure out how to get off the islands by precisely lining up a jump pad using "Perspective Traveling." Once I'm jumping, though, I find it impossible to tell where I'm going to land. I just rotate randomly and hope for the best. Usually I hit another jump pad. It's like popcorn!

0:15 I'm a huge fan of the newly revealed "snap" button, which lines up the platforms perfectly and reveals paths I would have never seen myself.

0:19 After way too much guess-and-turn testing, I manage to reach the three visible "goal" silhouettes without using a jump plate once. But then a fourth silhouette appears, higher up. I think I might need to use a jump to get there, huh?

0:22 I'm getting pretty annoyed at the random limits on the camera angle. I understand they're probably necessary to make the game work, but a simple overhead perspective would solve a lot of these problems.

0:24 I really do not understand how this jumping perspective works. I continually try to jump to my target, but instead I sail right by. What's the problem here?

0:26 The perspective has its quirks ... Sometimes it looks as if two platforms are joined (i.e., the black between them goes away), but my guy acts as if there's still a gap. Other times he'll walk across to a new platform when I was expecting him to turn. Very odd.

0:28 So apparently I didn't need to jump at all; I simply had to find the correct camera angle to walk to the high platform. Yes, I'm an idiot. But if I'm not smart enough to solve the first puzzle quickly, I'm in a lot of trouble...

0:29 I can alter the difficulty during the between-level loading screens. That was a 2/5. Let's go down to 1, eh?

0:31 Well, that was much more my speed. This level involves three holes and what can only be described as creative falling. I have no trouble wrapping my head around this ... if a platform is below me on the screen I'll hit it and land. So why are the jumps so problematic for me?

0:35 Another 1/5 level, this one with some narrow, stair-step islands. I'm doing alright, not great; made some mistakes that cost me some time and such. Then I'm walking towards the final goal when suddenly the ethereal voice says "Too bad" and my guy falls over and puts his hands over his face. Wha-huh?!?! What did I do wrong? Rule of thumb: If you don't know why you failed, the interface is too minimalist.

0:37 Let's try again. OK, this time I got a ridiculously easy level with a simple central pillar used to cover up a hole and some gaps. This random level thing is a nice idea, but I'd rather have a simple, smooth learning curve.

0:39 This perspective thing can be a little annoying. I swear my guy just fell THROUGH a floor that I know he should have landed on. I make it through another too-simple level pretty quickly anyway.

0:41 I really like how there's obviously more than one way to solve a level. On this one, for instance, I could walk onto the raised holes and try to fall to the right place, but instead I take the steadier platform connections. I hope this keeps up on the harder levels.

0:42 Emboldened by my success so far, I once again try a 2/5 level. Hopefully there will be less jumping this time.

0:44 That wasn't so bad, actually. There's a jump panel, sure, but luckily my guy seems to always land where he needs to go. Maybe I just got unlucky before? Or maybe I'm learning...

0:45 Why does my guy insist on turning right at the covered-up hole when he could walk forward and to my goal. WHY?!

0:47 OK, I put on my big-boy pants and use the hole (that's what she said!) to fall where I need to go (instead of trying to use platform connections). It's not so bad ... I fall exactly where I need to without much problem. Let's try a 3/5 level!

0:50 OK, my guy just fell off a ledge. Usually he'd have walked across it or turned around, but this time he just FELL. I know programming these perspective rules must be tricky, but come on now...

0:51 The 3/5 level was actually surprisingly easy ... it's just a long loop with some gaps I had to cover with a hole-filled upper pillar, then connect and loop back to the start? Did that make any sense? I feel like I need a whiteboard and diagrams to explain.

0:53 OK, this time my guy fell through the edge between a wall and a floor. Even in Escher-world that just shouldn't be possible.

0:55 I somehow jump INCREDIBLY CLOSE to my final goal, then my guy turns the wrong way and falls down a hole! It takes me another minute to get back up there. I'm pretty sure I'm solving these puzzles in the least elegant way possible. I'd love to see some speedruns.

0:56 Up to a 5/5 level for the last puzzle of the hour. It ... doesn't look too bad on the rotating intro screen...

1:00 And it wasn't too bad in practice, either. The hardest part again was using the jump plate, until I realized I didn't have to. Stupid jump plates!

Would I play this game for more than an hour? Yes.


Why? Despite the sometimes frustratingly glitchy controls and generally easy puzzles so far, the idea is suitably original and enjoyably mind-bending. The soothing classical music definitely helps.

This column is based on a downloadable, full copy of the game on PlayStation Network provided by the publisher.



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