The World of Light & Shadow
echochrome ii is all about using light to manage shadows so that you can achieve your goal. The goals vary depending on which of the three game modes you are playing, but how you play remains nearly identical from mode to mode. Whereas the first game relied on shifting the game world to create paths, and echoshift used time manipulation, echochrome ii requires that you create and manipulate shadows. This is done by moving the PS Move controller, which acts as a flash light. Each stage has a series of shapes like stairs, rectangles, and spheres. These shapes cast different shadows depending on how you angle the light, i.e. controller, towards them.
But before you can leap into this world of shadows to challenge your wit, you will first need to run through a calibration and tutorial. Calibration is the easiest and most reliable I have seen for a Move game to date. Simply point the controller at the PS Eye and press T. The game will inform you if the calibration was successful in a couple of seconds. I have yet to have any trouble with calibration whether I’m standing, sitting, or laying down. While the game seems to suggest playing only three feet away from the screen (or maybe it’s at least three feet away), I found it to work without error from three, five, six, and eight feet back. Not only that, but I was comfortably reclined in my chair without having to move my furniture at all. Admittedly, I love that I can just fire this game up and play without having to stand or move furniture.
The tutorial that comes up after calibration is very informative and brief. It takes you through five starter stages and shows you a new gameplay mechanic in each. From creating holes for your character to fall through, using spheres as jump-pads, and finding the exits, the tutorial will prep you with the essentials of playing the default Escort game mode.
When you have completed the tutorial, twenty levels open up and you can hop into any of them. Each level contains all three modes of play: Escort, Echo, and Paint. In Escort, the goal is to get the character to the exit. In Echo, there are no exits, but you do have to touch up to three echoes found within the level. Paint is an interesting mode in which players must traverse at least two-thirds of the level. Each level has a different criteria for the amount of area you must traverse. As you walk on the shadows, red, blue, or green paint will fall onto the gameworld, coloring it as you go.
All three modes are challenging and fun, and indeed can be frustrating when you’re completely stumped. Each mode begins with the player shining the light on the character who is sitting above the level in a swing. After holding the light on the character for a few seconds, he hops down and you’re off. Unlike in the original echochrome, there is no ‘thinking’ button — instead, as long as you hold down the Move button, the character stands still. You do have to be careful as you move around the light and manipulate the shadows, however. If you bump the character off of an edge with a shadow or make him disappear by either going off screen or putting him behind a solid object, you will have to start over. That takes just a little getting used to, but it’s not bad. When you’re ready for the character to move, simple let go of the Move button and watch him go. You can make him move quicker by holding Triangle.
There aren’t a lot of individual mechanics in echochrome ii, which is par for the series, but knowing when and how to use them never really ceases to amaze. Making holes to allow the character to fall down a level or burying a sphere to make it a jump-pad are two of the five major rules in echochrome ii. Another mechanic is making tunnels out of arched blocks. This helps move the character from one part of the level to another part. Fortunately, a little aural cue sounds whenever you have created a functional tunnel. Again, not a lot of mechanics on paper per se, but in practice the combination of these is very potent.
In addition to playing through the included levels, you can create and share your own custom levels. A Create mode helps get you started and you can even copy any level from within the game to edit and then upload. The process is simple and largely intuitive and the developers once again did a good job with the tutorial. In addition to creating and sharing levels, the best world times for each stage and all three modes is viewable as well.
In terms of presentation, echochrome veterans will be right at home. The visual style is very similar to what has been seen before in the series but it still works very well. While mostly black and white, the Paint mode especially adds a lot of color. For that matter, the menu system is very colorful and functional too. Expect the same type of instrumental, light music heard in the two previous games. That music can either be soothing or grating, often depending on how smooth things are going in-game.
Overall, echochrome ii is not only a full blown and impressive sequel, but also makes excellent use of the Move platform.
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