Alter Echo - Xbox

As the variation of different breeds of game slowly dwindle, some developers are looking to combine several genres of gaming to refresh matters. Alter Echo is a fine example of this new approach, developed by THQ studio Outrage for Xbox.

Quite literally a “one hero versus the planet” action adventure, players assume the role of protagonist Nevin, who must battle for survival on a living planet. Enemy after enemy after enemy, the planet’s living soul and biomechanical properties mean adversaries are continually re-spawned. Finally, a reasonable excuse for magically appearing bad guys.

The multiple genre aspect of gaming we mention is brought to life in the form of a morphing suit. With the suit, Nevin can assume three different modes – Melee, Gun and Stealth. The former is the default playing style, good for hand-to-hand combat, wielding weapons and fast movement. Gun mode transforms the player into an oversized cannon – good for annihilating your foes in an instant. And Stealth mode is self-explanatory, making Nevin extremely agile, able to climb walls and even be invisible. A new Time Dilation technique allows the player to freeze time in order to make a pre-emptive combo attack upon the enemy.

And the game world is as intriguing as the gameplay. Unexpectedly, Alter Echo detaches itself from a realistic game world in favour of vibrant, almost cartoon-like locales and it works very well. It’s crisp, clean and there are few glitches.

In an industry flooded with myriad clones and sequels, Alter Echo is a refreshing change from the norm. more