It had been a long time since I had to stay in the menu of a game for a couple of minutes, doing nothing, to enjoy its soundtrack. The last case that I remember was with Dark Souls III, which doesn’t have much to do with this Echo Generation, on the other hand. Nor in the style of music (synthwave).
What I felt the first minutes with that song from the new work of the studio Cococucumber, creators of voxelado Riverbond, it was something similar to what I felt with the wonderful Oxenfree. In fact, they are on the same wavelength, although the Echo Generation approaches the one of the Classic turn-based RPGs.
Stranger Things fever runs its course
First presented at the Xbox Games Showcase last July of this same 2020, Cococucumber proposes a trip to 1993 to accompany two children in what could well be another Stranger Things on duty, if not for in this video game the animals talk, for example. Yes, as is.
The demo that was available these days on the occasion of the gala The Game Awards 2020It is a timid aperitif, since it closes when the main brothers leave town in search of larger adventures when they see a crashed ship on the outskirts … But it serves to give us an idea.
Since it was presented half a year ago, two proper names have emerged: the first, the aforementioned Netflix hit series; the second, Earthbound, one of the jewels of Super Nintendo. But this last comparison doesn’t do you any good.
Both games share the setting and genre, but Echo Generation stands out in several aspects, like that voxed graphic style and some transitions between the different planes of the town that timidly evoke the blurring of Octopath Traveler, while its turn-based RPG facet provides different special commands when performing specials, for example.
From pressing a series of buttons in a set order, to pressing the button at just the right moment so that it stops in the middle of a bar and maximizing the attack, to controlling the timing when attacking or defending, as we have seen countless times in the Paper Mario or other RPGs, like The Legend of Dragoon.
The formula, moreover, is known worldwide: turn-based battles where we can attack, use an item from the inventory or a special attack (as long as we have not spent all the Skill points), but without worrying that someone in the group may die. , since at the end of each duel, he will keep one life point and will also receive all the experience points.
Echo Generation, the generation of nostalgia
Apart from that role-playing component where we will face different animals and machines (in this demo there were abundant skunks with bad slobber and some giant rats), in Echo Generation there is a special place for the use of certain objects.
As if it were a graphic adventure, you have to talk to the villagers and listen to their requests, looking for what they need and then give it to them to progress in the story. Sometimes it will take a little detour, but it will never be far-fetched, even when it comes to solving brief challenges.
On the other hand, it is convenient to explore searching through the garbage or any element capable of hiding an object, as in the nice Quest costume, since apart from getting money, we can unlock more comics that will give us unique extra skills for each character. And the difference between a normal attack and a special one is quite noticeable, removing almost twice as much.
It’s an RPG where you are given a role essential when defending, pressing at the exact moment to minimize or completely block the opponent’s attack, seeing how in the duel against the giant rats we cannot fail anything.
It is not, in any case, an adventure that has fascinated me from the first minute as it did The Touryst, but it is also true that we are talking about a demo that does not exceed 30 minutes in duration and that leaves us with honey on our lips before the start of the journey of its protagonists, alerted by their pet.
For now, yes, It has left me a better taste in my mouth than Riverbond and the choice of its main theme, composed by Pusher (you can listen for free from Youtube), makes me follow it closely with greater interest until it goes on sale in a month to be specified in 2021 in Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One y Steam.
