Remarkable Reflections- Halfbrick Echoes Reviewed

Nearly thirty years ago, two dimensional mazes were the predominant setting for videogames. While arcade players were sweeping the labyrinthine passages of Pac-Man and its myriad of knock-offs, Atari 2600 owners were racing through the halls of Maze Craze and Dodge ‘Em. While the genre lingered through the 1980’s giving birth to classics such a Gauntlet, Rally X, and Berzerk, today the maze game is a nearly forgotten relic. Even 2007’s celebrated Pac-Man Championship Edition did little to reinvigorate corridor crawling.

After reimagining arcade classic Lunar Lander into the compelling but demanding puzzler, Blast Off, the wizards at Halfbrick have returned with yet another creative extension based on a lapsed genre. Halfbrick Echoes is a wonderfully polished and enthralling effort from the Australian-based development house. It’s a shame that the game is explicably hidden within the bowels of the NXE interface. Arguably, the greatest obstacle to the game’s success is its accessibility; many 360 owners are still unfamiliar with the burgeoning Community Games area.

The main goal of Echoes is charmingly straightforward: collect the specified number of crystals in each of the game’s 32 levels. Whereas most titles winthin the genre present a team of A.I. controlled adversaries, Halfbrick’s inspired concept generates foes that trace the players own footsteps. Using the left thumbstick, player’s guide an avatar around the screen, leaving a trail of footprints in their wake. Levels quickly become chaotic, with numerous transparent antagonists on the gamer’s heels, and constricted areas of movement. Fortunately, the player is given a visual indicator of each echo’s predetermined path, allowing gameplay to be manageable, yet still entertainingly hectic.

Once players tire of the main game, there are three intriguing variations that offer supplemental diversion. Jackpot requires players to quickly string crystal-grabbing combos in a sixty second time limit. Clockwork presents an ever-crowded environment where the player can control the accruing echo population with the left and right triggers. Our favorite mode is Survival, which exhibits an experience that evokes Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2’s pacifism mode. Player must eliminate echoes by luring them near explosions, often resulting in satisfying chains that cross the playfield.

Halfbrick Echoes‘ blemishes are minimal, and nearly forgivable, considering how enjoyable the game is. Deaths are brutally abrupt; I yearned for a slow motion replay of my two-pixel miscalculations, so I could learn from my blunders. The game’s trial period allows for only a single play-through of a handful of levels, which feels rather stingy, in comparison to Blast’s ample demo.  Some players may be puzzled by the game’s avatar- a sailor hat, reminiscent to the one worn by children’s book protagonist, Madeline.

Overall, Halfbrick’s Echoes is a shining example of an Xbox Live Community title. For four dollars, the game is bursting with creativity and value- even the credits offer a playable activity. With a plethora of content, the title puts many showcased 400 and 800 point Microsoft offerings to shame. We eagerly await future output from the imagine minds at Halfbrick, and wouldn’t be surprised if the developers reach Pixeljunk-like levels of critical success.