Reviews// Echochrome

It’s all about finding paths and, when you take it to a higher level, moving through each area as quickly as possible (holding [X] increases the character’s walking speed). It’s massively satisfying when you finally see how a different viewpoint can secure your movement from one area to another, and there are usually multiple solutions to any problem, each solution with its own consequence. In short, you have to use your noggin.

Thanks to the Canvas Mode program, you can also apply your cleverness to level design. This is an excellent piece of editing software – it’s easy to use, even with a joypad. It’s integrated with the game and with the PlayStation Network (PSN), so you can send levels that you’ve designed to other Echochrome players and also freely download user-created content via the Echochrome website. In theory, it should keep Echochrome going even after you’ve mastered its 56 levels, because the levels will keep on being generated. The responsibility for Echochrome’s lasting appeal is with the users.

If you don’t fancy making your own entertainment (“Bit of a hassle…” “Not what I paid for…” “Grumble, grumble…”), Echochrome’s Box and Infinite modes will be your preferred destinations. Box lets you play through any level, taken on its own, and keeps a record of your fastest clearance times. Infinite mode presents a run of levels in random order, which you need to work through as quickly and efficiently as possible. Yep, that’s about it. There isn’t a massive amount of content here, but what is here will have you scratching your head for many hours, so you’ll probably need some sort of scalp lotion by the time you’ve figured out how to negotiate Level G8 (nothing to do with Gazza).

Echochrome’s biggest draw is that it’s different from typical PSN offerings - it’s not a twin-stick shooter, for a start. Of course, it looks different, because there aren’t that many Escherian puzzlers doings the rounds. But it also sounds different – classical music plays in the background, with occasional clips of what sounds like (and may well be) a female opera singer – and it plays in a refreshingly different manner to every other downloadable game on the PS3. It’s sedate and serious, but it’s not up itself.

Best of all, Echochrome is surprisingly user-friendly – the controls are simple enough for even non-gamers to grasp more or less immediately. The only thing that really dictates whether you’re able to clear a level is how clever you are or, more specifically, your ability in the field of lateral thinking. There isn’t any luck at play, so it feels perfectly fair. And, because it’s fair but difficult, you’ll want to stick with it.

^{Does anybody else fancy a quick game of Portal? Ed.}


[b]Conclusion
I’ve played through the Japanese PSN version of Echochrome to bring you this review, but sources suggest that the PSP version has a lot more in the way of content and features. Both versions revolve (literally) around impossible structures, though, and the PSN title is less than half the price of the PSP game – plus, it looks nicer. I’d recommend investing time and money in Echochrome, as it really is out there on its own. As something to dip into from time to time, it makes a great little ornament on the PS3’s cross-media bar (XMB). It's something that you’ll pick up and mess around with every so often; it's a comfort game and a highly effective brain exercise program. You can cancel your appointment with Dr. Kawashima now.

SPOnG score: 85%[/b]