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"What happens when a good idea is only half realized"

Alter Echo has been in the works for quite a while now, and that means one of two things: either the game has been polished to near perfection (ie, Halo), or somebody/something is holding the game back. Sadly, despite the apparent creative talent of those behind it, Alter Echo falls prey to the latter. In the game you play Nevin, a man with the ability to psychically shape multi-plast, an ooze-like substance which is very valuable in the game time. You are sent to Proteus, the only known source of multiplast, to investigate the apparent rebellion of the most powerful shaper of all, Paavo, who appears to have found a way to make a new super-powerful version of multiplast, echoplast. However, Paavo's minions (plasts, bio-tech robots made of multi-plast) shoot you and your two cohorts out of the sky. You survive, apparently saved by the planet itself, and are sent on a mission to eliminate Paavo and free Proteus of his reign.

Gameplay:
Alter Echo is somewhat divided in its gameplay. On one level, it resembles games like Otogi. Much of its gameplay is based around the use of melee weapons, and the fighting system is designed around combos. Like Otogi, it's not at all unlikely to get a combo in the high double-digits, often involving several enemies (though the hit counts don't get quite as insanely high as Otogi's). You have three basic attacks: regular, strong, and juggle. Regular strikes are fast and easily chained, but cause only medium damage. Strong attacks are slower, but cause more damage; and the Juggle attack uppercuts the nearest enemy into the air, allowing you to then juggle them with your regular and strong attacks. These attacks can be chained together in pretty much any order, with varied results. All combo chains have a name, and are listed at the bottom of the screen, ala tricks in Tony Hawk. In a useful twist on this system, however, you also have access (at least most of the time) to two other forms: stealth and gun. Also, while in this and the stealth form you can do a double-jump. In stealth form, you take on the form of what appears to be a large lizard, complete with prehensile tongue. This form allows you to pounce on enemies and attack them while grasped onto their head. You can also go invisible for a limited amount of time (with a corresponding screen effect reminiscent of the invisibility effect from Aliens vs. Predator 1 and 2). Your other form is the gun mode, which turns you into a machine-gun wielding tank. While you move very slowly in this mode and cannot jump, your ability to hit distant enemies gives this mode a good advantage over the more risky melee attacks. There are also points scattered around various levels which allow you to supercharge the gun mode's gun, turning you into a first-person turret. You can switch between these forms at will, and you can even string combos together using several forms. While you'll probably spend much of your time in sword (regular) mode, all three modes are very usefull, and the wise player will switch between them often. The second major method of gameplay is the highly touted ''time-dilation'' mode, which causes time to stop around your character. While in this mode, a screen will come up which looks like a blank field with icons positioned on an invisible square grid. Time dilation allows you to select, through a game similiar to a combination of Snake and DDR, enemies that're around you to attack. Play the game successfully, and you can often clear the area of enemies. However, your ability to use this power is limited by a two-section power bar, which is refilled with powerups taken from fallen enemies. A game similiar to this is also played whenever you reach a certain kind of switch in the game world, except instead of guiding the snake along a blank field, you must hit icons while avoiding blocks on the grid. This mode of play adds variety to an already well-designed combat system, and helps to break up fights which could have easily gone on too long otherwise. Outside of combat, Alter Echo has some basic switch puzzles, and limited platform jumping. You can also occasionally ''buy'' new attacks and upgrades for you echoplast armor. Overall, there are few problems with the gameplay itself. The combo system is well realized and offers a surprising amount of depth for those inclined to look. The time-dilation also is difficult to learn, but simple in concept and adds variety to an otherwise somewhat standard combat system. The platforming elements are unobtrusive, and rarely if ever cheap. Overall, gameplay gets an 8, for a well-implemented, if somewhat standard fighting system; with a bit of a original gimmick.

Graphics:
Unfortunately, this is one of the weak points of Alter Echo. This game's been in development for a long while, and unfortunatly it shows it in the technical areas. However, good news first. The art design of Alter Echo is quite original, and is largely based off of microphotography. The world (and to a lesser degree the people in it) are very alien looking. Everything has a sort of smooth, biological look to it. The surface of Proteus is covered in maleable plast, and parts of it move and sway as if they were alive (which they actually are). Much of the ground has a flowing pattern on it which resembles microscope shots of red blood cells flowing in a blood vessel. Also, all the characters are clothed in plast armor up to their chins, which gives them an alien look themselves. Much of the game is colored with bright pinks, purples and other distinctly non-Earthy hues. Enemies are made of plast as well, and have a very biological look, while still giving sort of an automatonic vibe. Everything fits the overall theme very well, and there's little doubt in the players' minds that multiplast is obviously the basis for most of the technology used by the humans. Unfortunately, despite the game's original look and design, the graphics engine is sorely lacking in many areas. While the world and the characters are adequately smooth, texture work is consistently poor. Characters look bland, and the humans' faces look like they've been stretched out too far and their mouthes moves like puppets'. Nevin suffers most, with a look oddly similiar to the Joker from Batman the movie, with his lips stretched into a grotesque grimace. Terrain textures are bland and blurry, and while the planet does look decidedly alien, it also looks decidedly bland, with any variety negated by the redundancy of the texture work. Lighting effects consist of basic flashes, with no reflection mapping, bump mapping or any other advanced effects. The entire world looks like it's made of plastic; and while this may fit the art design, it makes for somewhat boring environs. On the plus side, the framerate stays steady, and combat is always fast and frenetic, with good animation. Time dilation especially is neat to see. After completing a TD puzzle, the background of the stage is replaced by a rather psychadelic pattern, and Nevin attacks the frozen enemies with ornate swipes of his sword/claws, or, in gun form, a swooping energy ball. Overall, graphics get a 6. While the design of the game is original and very creative, the engine just isn't able to keep up with the designer's creativity. This is made even more infuriating when you see the included previews from around a year ago, in which Nevin's design is much better than the final version, including a more curved, biological-looking sword and a moving, pulsating pattern in his armor. If this game had used Brute Force's engine, it would be a masterpiece. As it is, it's just another good idea sacrificed to uninspired programmers.

Sound:
Sound is a mixed bag. The music of Alter Echo is entirely electronic, and does do a good job of fitting the overall biological/alien theme; it also never gets boring or aggravating, as so much electronica game music can. Sound effects are also good, but repetitive. The voice work, however, is just bad. Not only is the acting wooden and poorly written, but the actual recordings sound hallow, as if they were recorded onto cassettes and then dubbed into the game. Nothing terribly distracting, but nothing terribly inspired, either. Sound gets a 7.

Controls:
Controls are easy to grasp, with the only real difficulty coming from the time-dilation puzzles (this is purely intentional, however, and not a fault). The left analog stick moves Nevin, the right stick moves the camera. Clicking the left stick or the white button blocks in regular and gun forms and activates invisibility in stealth form, and the right stick varies in effect depending on when it is used. A jumps and double-jumps in sword and stealth form, and launches a boomerang attack in gun form (once it's been purchased). X is a regular strike in sword and stealth form, and fires a single shot in gun form. Y is a strong attack in sword form, pounces in stealth form, and fires a grenade in gun form (hitting it again causes said grenade to drop and explode). B is the juggle attack in sword form, causes the stealth form to rear back while atop an enemy (after this ability is bought), and shakes away enemies in the gun form. It also activates switches and other such devices. The trigger buttons switch forms, and the black button varies between forms. In the time-dilation puzzles, the action buttons (A B X Y) act as arrow buttons for the snake. Controls are easy to learn overall, and are responsive and fluid. Overall, controls get a 9.

Verdict:
Alter Echo could have been great. With a bit more creative a programming team or simply the money to license a good engine, this game could have been a classic. However, lackluster visuals, flat sound and a poorly written and implemented (though original) story keep this game from greatness. However, I do enjoy it despite its shortcomings. Overall, I give it a 7. Rent it if you dig this style of game, and if you especially like this genre, buy it used if you can find it for around $30. Otherwise, pass. And pray for a proper sequel.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/07/03