This got kinda ignored due to the massive PSN update + Christmas etc., hm? Leaderbords show less than 100 users that finished all levels of the first set (it only tracks the total playtime of a finished set) and e.g. the PAL version only has 32 ratings (e.g. Tetris has 239 and was also released this week) in the PS Store.
Well, I guess being Move-exclusive is the main reason because of the limited player base.
:/
Though I have to say I almost didn't buy it myself due to the 12.99 price and other releases, but I got the first game for half price and that one got so much support (they basically patched in every XMB feature and more).
so much for that, now the
impressions:
It's quite a neat puzzle game. Controls better than the first game and despite the fears only the first batches of levels are as obvious as the ones shown in the trailer etc. Though I finished the A (tutorial), B and C levels and didn't have real problems so far. Some stuff you just have to try like moving your character manually using the shadows.
There should be 8 sets (+ the tutorial). (so, at least 80 levels?)
I didn't really read any previews for this game, so I was pleasantly surprised that you have 3 different modes for EVERY level.
I recorded some videos ingame to show each mode in the same level (the very first one, B-01):
escort
That's the one presented in previews, the demo etc.
echo
This is basically the mode from the first echochrome (collect all echo shadows). Here you can see that even in this basic level you have to use a different layout (than the "normal" one to get to the goal) to get to all shadows.
paint
The shadow characters color the "real" blocks in their color by walking over their shadows, you have to reach a certain percentage to clear the level.
After clearing a level you have the option to upload a replay to youtube. So there will probably be a video for each level to look it up if you're stuck.
It uploads the videos in 720p, you can optionally use the PS Eye video feed as the background (this will make the files much larger though):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsrVZ-cr1TY
(here I also demonstrate how to crush your character and to throw him down
)
Unlike in the first game (which had a Picture-in-Picture solution), you can't record yourself WHILE playing and you can't even record the audio (at least I couldn't) which makes this rather pointless.
Speaking of missing features, you also can't export the video to your HDD instead and for some reason there is no custom music support >:| (there was in the demo IIRC). At least the music is imo pretty great in this one (in echochrome it kinda got annoying).
Move works well (I set the sensitivity to high), just like in the demo. You don't even need the camera feed so you can play lying down, holding the controller behind your head or however you feel comfortable playing puzzle games.
The shadow character can also climb over certain heights and doesn't get stuck by little gabs or steps, so you don't have to align everything perfectly which was sometimes quite annoying in the first game.
Didn't check the create mode yet, but you unlock stuff for it during sp.
Level sharing seems to be much improved, it's basically like LBP now, tagging levels with stickers etc.
So this is:
1) a good (though not complex) and creative puzzle game.
2) a nice use for the Move controller
3) due to the amount of content (and future content due to the create/share modes) worth the price.
And I'll end this post with an ingame screenshot (XMB screenshot support, click for the original file)
(the blue stuff is a hole btw, so no shadows and you will have to restart if you move your character into it)
I'm a bit disappointed that they couldn't upgrade the image quality, way too much aliasing for such a game, 1080p doesn't help much here.