ECCO - The Tides of Time Review by: Eva-Janova - 8/10
Hey did something hit my TARDIS?The stunning sequel to the adventure puzzle game Ecco the Dolphin.
This time we find Ecco living happily with his pod presumably in the aftermath of the previous space traveling alien butt-kicking adventure. The peace does not last long however as the alien queen has followed Ecco to earth to seek revenge, by taking his powers and destroying his best friend threatening the future of the planet itself. Ecco must now restore peace to his pod again save the world from a terrible future. Expect lots of dizzy time travel sequences and science fiction environments.
In terms of story it flows well from the previous title, the continuity is good and the characters all behave according to what you might expect from nature. It remains an adventure sci-fi based game but each map still contains puzzles which are required to be solved to move on. Aliens need to be defeated, mazes solved and friends rescued. There are even some decisions which effect how things pan out as you go through the game. The higher the difficulty you play on the more likely you are to spot villains earlier in the game and hence your likelihood of dying rises. Also the length of the game is significantly long at least by the standards of games from that time. There is a lot of hoping back and forth if you do not succeed.
However the difficulty and puzzle nature of the game can be frustrating making it less addictive to play than perhaps a more standard adventure game. Large maps, highly interactive environments and deadly enemies will see to you either cursing the dolphin or crying from annoyance. That is not to say that the game is not fun, it simply requires patience and a strong sense of logic.
The graphics are beautiful! They are not bright and colourful like some other games on the platform however we are playing in an ocean environment and the 2D graphics are good at portraying that. The details in the images though are perfect and when the need does call for colour of contrast for environment the game provides. Tropics are more green and oceans are more blue, dark in the caves and bright for the sky. Exactly what it needs to be. Even the sea creatures in their 2D glory do not look as flat as they had in the previous title. The Asterite Character would be the best example of amazing graphics in this game but I'll let you see this for yourselves.
Finally the sounds! Personally I love the sounds. They are oddly reminiscent of the ocean. Even if they are a bit more old school digital than some of the other titles for the platform. It seems to work for Ecco. I'd go as far as to say that they are nicer than those of the remake. Particularly pay attention to the alien sound effects in the final level. If they dont chill you. You weren't raised right. (just joking!)
All in all Ecco is a stunning game. It is captivating visually and audibly. Although perhaps the difficulty could have been lessened slightly. But what is to say that that is not what made this game truly majestic!?
Graphics
7 Sound
9 Addictive
5 Depth
10 Story
8 Difficulty
10
User Notice 
