I gave another go for Before the Echo, but it was not convincing.
Gave the game another try after years left it on the backburner, but it did not got better.
The game is a rhythm-based RPG which mixes a puzzle-like rhythm game and a very generic and base RPG system with loot, equips and stats, and the oh-so mandatory crafting system.
The game offers you a safe room from which you can explore The Tower and fight enemies of your choice to grind resources, to craft equipment and spells (Generic attack also comes from a spell) and then make a key to open a door and get to a higher level.
The combat is spent on a 3-window screen, you change between them with the Q and E buttons. Directional arrows fall from the windows, each doing different things - defense window's arrows damage you if not pressed at the proper time, mana window's arrows recharge mana on hit, and you cast your spells by pressing all the correct arrows of the selected spell in the spell window.
One of my main problems was that the game tries to be "hip". Or "radical". By being so clever and sleek that it plays the self-awareness card, the "lame hero who got transported into world, and who has a woman sidekick who constantly mocks him". Conveniently, she is the narrator as well, who has a varied amount of knowledge, based on what the tutorial or plot requires. Talks through only an intercom? I wouldn't be surprised if there's a reveal-surprise-twist. Anyway, it was a bit jarring how many times various drugs were mentioned even before the tutorial, at one point the protagonist accusing the narrator of being a date rapist, which is a very, very weird tone one wants to set in a rhythm RPG with colourful and silly characters.
The final nail in the coffin was how tediously stupid menus are, and how often button presses do not get recognised in battles. Not super often, more like 1/10-20 times, but it adds up, and makes the game feel really sloppy.
Likely there's an okay, tolerable game under the surface, but it's just not fun to play for me.
Hey I didnt know that this game came out before There Is an Echo, so at first I was like “did they come out with a prequel?!” I havent played either one yet.
Seems like a unique hybrid concept, but I hear you that there was too much annying stuff to deal with. Maybe the $1 sale price reflects that? Oddly enough it got a thumbs up from TotalBiscuit’s curator account (RIP). Maybe he was hyped about the hybrid approach or something?
His endorsement was one of the main things that I bought this game a few years ago, but it’s kind of weird how he let the tone slide (It’s so weird to see his reviews, and knowing there won’t be new ones on games he’d love).
Otherwise, I think it’s highly up for the player if a feature is good or not- I know better rhythm games and better RPGs, and this mix coupled with JRPG-level of grindiness is a hard nope for me. Not stylish, just slap-able cheeky, and I really dislike that.
But many people like JRPG grind and are not so fond of rhythm games, I think the game is the best fit for them. (Rhythm, at least in the beginning, is an almost abused tool, not a real central element)
If you feel like you’d like it, and you have a $ to spend, I think you should try it. I just did not find a YEAH element to counter the meh points.
Ahh, now I get it. I used to be ok with a JRPG style RPG once in a great while, but now I dont like how more grindish they feel to me now. So yeah this game doesn’t sound like my jam.