Echoes of Above

Okay, so this is the second "project" like game that I've played recently, the first one being Atelier's Key (DO NOT PLAY THAT ONE!). I'll say that Echoes of Above surprised me, and I didn't even know this was a student project to begin with. From what I've read and experienced, the game looks good, it has a good premise and the deflect mechanic felt satisfying to pull off. And it's the first time when a hard difficulty made a game actually fun to play through, especially the last encounter. Like, the game can look like a "bullet hell" once you let too many enemies pile up. Also the enemy placement and quantity gets changed because of hard mode.
Sadly, I don't think you'll ever expand upon this game since it's just a student project (heck, I thought this was a demo at first), but it's worth checking out for 10-15 minutes (that's my estimated game time). Don't take into account my playtime. Hitless run can be an inconvenience:].

Have you ever played air hockey with several pucks on at the same time, or foosball with multiple balls and try to see which player scores the most? If you have that is the type of wonderful chaos this game provides.

Gorgeous! Fun! Magnificent!

Flying into the sky is beautiful. The game is just challenging enough and I never had to fight the controls. Marvelous visuals and there is even an achievement for breaking all of the vases. What else can you ask for? :D

Great demo, simple and efficient concept. I hope you have mechanisms in strore for the full game. And that you will get funded.

PS: for those who complain about mouse/kbd : this is a twin stick game...
PPS: for those who complain about free games : think twice and look-up in the dictionary the word "free"

Echoes of Above is a free action game that caught me off guard with how much it builds its combat around one simple idea. I play as a warrior monk exploring a mythical world that has been taken over by a strange corruption, but I am not using normal attacks to deal with most of the enemies. Instead, I have to deflect their projectiles back at them. That makes the whole game about timing and positioning, and I like how different it feels from a normal top down shooter.

The combat is easily the strongest part for me. When an enemy fires at me, I have to wait for the right moment and hit the projectile back into the battlefield. If I keep getting the timing right, I can build up deflections and enter the Mantra state, which makes the attacks I send back much more powerful. I like that the enemies are basically giving me the ammunition I need. It means I am not just running around looking for weapons or holding down a fire button. I actually have to pay attention to what is happening around me.

The game also does a good job of making the arenas change as I progress. I am fighting different types of demons with different attack patterns, and the encounters become faster and more crowded as I move forward. There are also environmental hazards and shifting parts of the arenas that make positioning more important. I like the fact that the game expects me to learn patterns rather than simply overpower everything. There are two difficulty modes as well, so I can either focus more on getting through the adventure or push myself with tougher combat.

The setting is another thing I really appreciate. The world is inspired by Khmer architecture and Buddhist mythology, with ruined temples, sacred libraries, jungle areas, waterfalls and floating locations. It gives the game a visual identity that stands out from the usual fantasy settings I see in smaller action games. There are quieter exploration sections between the battles too, along with some environmental puzzles and hidden paths. I think these sections are important because without them the combat could start feeling like one long series of arenas.

The biggest issue for me is the length. Echoes of Above is a small game, and I can get through the main experience without spending a huge amount of time on it. I actually think the short length suits the idea fairly well, but it also means the game finishes just as I am getting completely comfortable with the combat. I would have liked more areas, more enemy types and more situations that really pushed the deflection mechanic in different directions. There is a good foundation here, but I can see the potential for a much larger game built around the same system.

I also had some problems with the controls on keyboard. The default movement uses ZQSD, which is clearly aimed at a different keyboard layout, and there is no proper way to change the key bindings. I find that particularly annoying on PC because the combat depends so heavily on precise movement and timing. Using a controller makes much more sense to me, but I still think basic keyboard customisation should have been included. It is a small problem compared with the combat itself, but it can make the first experience much less comfortable than it needs to be.

Overall, Echoes of Above is a very impressive free action game considering how focused it is. I really like the deflection based combat, the Mantra system, the Khmer and Buddhist inspired world and the way the enemies force me to learn their attacks instead of simply shooting everything myself. The short length and awkward keyboard controls hold it back, and I definitely think the combat system could support a much bigger game. Even so, I would rather play something this focused and original than another small shooter with nothing new to offer. For me, it is a really good free experience that shows a lot of potential while still feeling complete enough to be worth my time.

Rating: 7.5/10

I couldn't play the game. I do not have a controller and I have a qwerty keyboard. This requires a controller or non-qwerty keyboard to play.