Echoed World

Sadly, this free game is really short, as well as "unfinished" in more than one regard. I'll just list a few pros and cons on the same aspects of the game. Pros/cons: - It's FREE! - The layered (mostly "2D") scrolling background is basically nice, atmospheric, and the few interactable objects fit their surroundings. - The premise of the story and its continuation into the actual gameplay is good (maybe a bit rough). It's interesting and seems to promise a decent story to unfold, maybe even with some twists and dilemmas, or an ethically relevant conclusion. The graphical style isn't new, but it's done well enough considering the game's length and price. - The sound and music is generally OK. The music is adaptive (sort of), though it didn't seem too memorable altogether and stays in the background. A few sounds are cut off (by design, apparently), but they're never annoying in any way. - It's FREE! Cons: - The surroundings and backgrounds could be less sterile, more lively with whatever may be going on in such a world and situation. - It's unexpectedly short (just about 25-30 minutes of play time), so the story that one might hope for is never told. The few informations that we're presented with seem almost meaningless, without substance. As curious as the story begins, it's very unsatisfying. - The narration/voice acting is kind of odd, as if the game wasn't designed for it, or it was a last hour job that was done too hastily. (It's better in the introduction sequence, and it's also far from the worst that I've heard.) - Its controls are actually the worst part of the game. Very non-dynamic and unpolished. Jumping at the right moment and standing in the right place, integral aspects of a platformer, are rather annoying to accomplish. The "3D" figurine tends to stick to the objects (ledges and boxes), or oddly dive forward when "jumping", amongst other things. These things would be a pain if the game was much longer as it is, and if there was any actual skill needed (but thankfully no skill is needed at all). - The camera changes haven't been thought through. They're supposed to show the effect the press of a floor button has on a remote barrier, and that would be alright if they wouldn't repeatedly interfere with the controls. (You can get stuck in a certain place because of this, but thankfully there are only 3 or 4 buttons in the game anyway.) This should be implemented as a one-time cut sequence and then never reappear. Also, the vertical scrolling is uncomfortably slow. - The "2D" and "3D" elements don't mix too well, which takes away from the atmosphere. This would definitely need some polish as well, probably even a complete rework.