[ECHOSTASIS]

⭐[b]My score: 8/10 TL;DR: a bold and visually stunning finale with brilliant atmosphere, but demanding, trial-and-error-heavy gameplay that won’t click with everyone. 🟦NOTE: You’ll need to play the other games (and their demos) to even begin piecing together what’s going on.[/b] [h2]Overview[/h2] This is a true work of art. Everything from the previous entries comes together, both visually and thematically, bringing ENIGMA STUDIO’s trilogy to a satisfying conclusion. This is probably peak analog/VHS aesthetic and sound design. Most of the game takes place in a dark fantasy-like castle—which shouldn’t really work with the retro-futuristic, sci-fi, almost Evangelion-like imagery… but somehow it does. The level design is intricate, with some metroidvania influences: areas loop into themselves, opening up clever shortcuts. The storytelling is as cryptic as ever, but incredibly rewarding if you’re willing to put in the effort. That said, the game isn’t without flaws. The core gameplay loop—repeating sections under a strict time limit, progressing just a little further each time—is not for everyone. Getting hit removes 30 seconds from the timer, which usually sits around 25–35 seconds anyway, meaning most enemies effectively one-shot you. Not a plus in my book. The trial-and-error aspect is pushed a bit too far and can get genuinely frustrating. You might overcome a section after multiple attempts, only to die moments later because of an unseen enemy or simply running out of time while figuring out where to go next. Overall, be ready for a very “git gud” kind of experience. There is a built-in code that [spoiler]grants infinite time (and effectively infinite health), but it turns the more intense sections into mind-numbingly easy snooze-fests[/spoiler]. Use it at your own risk [spoiler](press Right Shift and spam Space)[/spoiler]. [h2]Key Points[/h2] [*][h3]DIFFICULTY:[/h3] Hard, sometimes rage-inducing and cryptic—perseverance is key. [*][h3]PRESENTATION:[/h3] Gorgeous across the board. Retro, psychedelic, dark, and vaporwave-infused. [*][h3]STORY:[/h3] There’s a lot to process—you can’t ignore it. The game even quizzes you, and you may get stuck if you don’t pay attention and pick up the right keywords to input into the terminal. [*][h3]GAMEPLAY/GAMEPLAY LOOP:[/h3] Trial-and-error: the game. A mix of FPS moments, metroidvania-style progression, and light “souls-like” mechanics (the timer is essentially your health bar, and the world resets on death). Definitely not for everyone. [*][h3]TECHNICAL POLISH:[/h3] There’s a very annoying glitch: time is supposed to stop when you stand still, but it often keeps ticking anyway, leading to unfair resets. There’s also another major issue: launching the demo/prologue will [b]wipe your save data and force you to start over.[/b] Make sure you don’t open the demo while you’re playing the main game. [*][h3]MONEYxCONTENT VALUE:[/h3] I got all achievements in 16 hours. $20 can feel either steep or like a steal, depending on your taste—the game is very polarizing. You’ll get the most value from the ENIGMA Trilogy bundle. ➡️https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/41914/THE_ENIGMA_TRILOGY/ [/list] [b]A masterpiece—if you can tolerate the way it fights you.[/b]

Game is currently unplayable for me, I'm getting constant stuttering. Enigma Machine and Mothered worn fine so not sure what is up. Shame, because I really want to play this game

Echostasis Is the fantastic conclusion of the enigma trilogy with the ending of the whole story and that explains everything, the story was the best part of this game and trilogy and I really cannot stress enough how I don't want to spoil it here and need you to play it yourself, the gameplay is different from the other games in the series, it's split between a it's a sort of puzzle game where you need to explore the this map in a time limit and the more story driven parts where you need to get clues to progress the story via keywords that reveals the next puzzle segment, the puzzle parts is pretty simple, you have a time limit and you can try infinite time and with each attempt you try to find shortcuts to get into the objective in the time limit that the game give you, sure you can extend your time limit by killing enemies but no always is possible because you need a gun that you need to pick up every time you start a new run, it's good but also pretty annoying sure it's fun to "explore" and find the strategy to get to the objective but it's pretty annoying because if you even miss something or get to the wrong road you pretty much start again from the beginning, especially if it's a part where you need to kill a lot fo enemies, those parts are pretty frustrating, because if you miss even once you loose a lot of time if the enemies hit you so those runs are pretty much over, yes it's pretty unique but it has some problems especially in the first part where it's not easy to find some roads to progress, I kinda love/hate those parts. The aesthetic is still amazing, those mix between 80 style computer UI and low poly scenarios is pretty solid, the whole aesthetic of the trilogy is impressive and I love it so much, the music is pretty good too nothing to add. The enigma trilogy is pretty solid especially in the story department, it has a lot to say and the delivery is good, in the gameplay department lacks a little but it's not that bad to be honest, especially with these aesthetic and stories that they want to tell you highly recommended.

Absolutely unique game and a hidden gem. I'd call it a puzzle game and these puzzle mechanics are super cool: one part is searching for the next word to input into a terminal by various means, the other is an FPS exploration gauntlet that will test your memorization and speedrunning skills, generously spiced with psychedelic effects and visual glitches (intentional ones). All of this is covered by a deep and carefully crafted story that continues the two previous games. The game is not a horror but can be scary sometimes. I honestly cannot find a single negative in this game. The mechanics, story, difficulty, visuals and music may not be something outstanding on their own but together they create this flawless work of art. A playthrough of "The Enigma Machine" and "Mothered" is required before starting. They are both short 1-2h games so give them a go.

[THEY] must have amnesia, [THEY] forgot that I'm [HER].

Ich muss meine Gedanken sortieren. Dieses Spiel spricht einen wunden Punkt in mir an. Einen, der sich nach etwas sehnt, das meine Trauer versteht. - Aber erst einmal die negativen Punkte: 1. Es ist wirklich schwierig, sich zurechtzufinden. Der Stil ist zwar sehr schön, aber er hindert mich daran, mich zu orientieren und ein klares Ziel zu erfassen. Für Storyfragmente finde ich den Stil passend, bei Bosskämpfen würde ich mir jedoch deutlich mehr Klarheit wünschen. 2. Es fällt mir schwer, der Story zu folgen, wenn fast alle Wörter in Klammern stehen. Auch der Glitch-Effekt macht es nicht leichter, wobei er hier noch nicht allzu störend war. 3. Dadurch, dass ich oft nichts richtig erkennen konnte, wo ich hingehe und wo was ist, ist das Finden des richtigen Weges eine absolute Qual. Das Erkunden war für mich einer der frustrierendsten Aspekte, obwohl genau das eigentlich das Spielprinzip ausmacht. Viele Bereiche sehen sich zudem sehr ähnlich. Etwas mehr Unterschiede und Klarheit, besonders in den Anfangsbereichen, würden das Spielerlebnis deutlich verbessern. 4. Bugs. Ich weiß nicht, ob ich einfach ein Talent dafür habe, Bugs zu finden, oder ob das ein „Skill Issue“ ist. Von durch den Boden fallen bis hin dazu, in Sequenzen festzustecken, bei denen ich wirklich alles noch einmal komplett spielen (oder Cheats nutzen) muss, ist alles dabei. 5. Ich brauche ein Crosshair! Das sind die grundlegenden Probleme, die ich mit diesem Spiel hatte. - Jetzt zu den positiven Sachen: Das Spiel „Mothered“ war mein erster Anhaltspunkt zu dieser Spielreihe. Ein wunderschönes Spiel mit dem besten Writing, das ich seit Langem erleben durfte, und auch hier ist das Writing einfach nur wundervoll. Der Artstil ist, auch wenn er an manchen Stellen unpraktisch, einfach ein Chef’s Kiss. In einigen Bereichen habe ich kurz innegehalten, nur um die Umgebung auf mich wirken zu lassen, bevor ich weitergespielt habe. Außerdem möchte ich etwas sehr Persönliches teilen: Ich habe meinen Bruder vor einigen Jahren verloren, und dieses Spiel gibt mir das Gefühl, gesehen zu werden, als wäre ich mit dieser Trauer nicht allein. Wenn ich mir vorstelle, meine Familie und ich müssten mit einem Androiden leben mit seinem „Core“, glaube ich, würde mich das in eine Psychose werfen. Ich habe an so vielen Stellen weinen müssen. Selbst jetzt, beim Schreiben, fällt es mir schwer, die Tränen zurückzuhalten. Ich erkenne mich selbst wieder, am meisten in der Rolle des Bruders. Auch die Botschaft hinter diesem Spiel ist für mich nahezu perfekt. Darauf könnt ihr wirklich stolz sein. Ich freue mich sehr auf zukünftige Spiele mit dieser Qualität im Writing C:

This series is truly incredible. Every last bit from start to finish: - THE [ENIGMA MACHINE] - Mothe{RED} - Mothe{RED}: [HOME] - [ECHOSTASIS] Every last minute was worth it. It is a [STORY] about a girl intertwined between multiple [STORIES] at the same time: a reincarnation in a form of a [CONSTRUCT], a tortured soul uncertain of her own [PATH], and a [STORY] maker playing the [ROLE] of a [GOD], using its [ALGORITHMS] to dictate the humanity's [STORIES] until the very [SUNSET] of their [DREAMSCAPES]. A [STORY] about a family, enduring all of these [STORIES] at the same time. A [STORY] about a father, who's fault it is for being the reason this all happened. A [STORY] about the [ENIGMA] corporation, which exploited all listed above to create the [NEW WORLD]. With [HER] help. A [STORY] I love. This game is not appreciated enough. Not at all.

I can not understand what I've played, but that was [awesome]!

This game fricken incredible! I'm fricken blown away after my first play through. Enigma studios is one of my new fav game studios!