The graphics are, in a word, outstanding. When I got my first look at the undersea world (at the game's option screen, no less), my mouth was agape. Sunlight rippled on the colorful ocean rocks, jellyfish bobbed slowly in the gentle tide and bubbles lazily floated to the surface. It truly was beautiful. It's clear that the good folks at Sega did their research when it came to creating this undersea domain.
The animal models themselves are also well-done. Ecco looks and swims just like a real dolphin. Add countless sharks, fish, jellyfish, turtles and other undersea life and you have an entire ocean at your fingertips.
Enough rambling about the graphics, there's a game to play.
To begin with, I don't really care for the story. Sometime in the future, humans and dolphins work together to explore space. Some interstellar deity known as the Foe doesn't take kindly to that, and invades the Earth. Mankind, with its limitless intellegence and resources is forced to stand by while the dolphins take matters into their own hands. Er, flippers.
Naturally, you control Ecco in the 3-D undersea world. All of his moves from his 16-bit days are here. You can swim, swim really fast and sing songs. There are a few powerups, most of which let you swim even faster.
The controls are actually difficult to master. Getting Ecco to swim is easy, getting him to swim the right way (AWAY from the sharks) is harder. You'll die quite a bit.
Plus, the missions (several in each level) are rather vague. Generally, you'll enter a new area; a nearby crystal will give you a very general hint, and you're left to fend for yourself. You'll rescue other undersea life, battle currents, jellyfish and millions and millions of sharks. Have fun!
Seriously, a little more guidance would have been welcome. This is a huge game, and the levels are very large. Just figuring out where to go is the game's biggest challenge. Plus, once you get there, mind-numbing puzzles will plague you every step of the way.
Don't buy this game just because of its graphics. It's a very deep and involving game, and there's hours of fun available for people who have the time. The rest of us, however will just want to watch Ecco swim and jump in the calm waters of the opening level.
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Playing the demo of Ecco the Doplhin: Defender of the Future at E3 in May is what convinced me to purchase a Dreamcast. It is the best game I have seen or played for the system, edging out Jet Grind Radio, a great game in its own right. The graphics are superb, play control is intuitive, and the environment is immersive yet beautiful. Playing this game, you feel like you are a dolphin swimming in crystal waters, avoiding sharks, and (though the demo was't complete so I don't know for sure) saving the world. Sega and developer Appaloosa both deserve praise for this game, one where the avatar is not a gun-toting bi-ped, but instead a sleek aquatic mammal. I love sports games, fighting games, RPGs, and action adventure titles, but for most new games in these genres, you get the feeling you've played it before. Not with Ecco. Bordering on revolutionary, Ecco delivers a gaming experience freshly different and totally enjoyable. Sega should also be proud of this game as it showcases how fluid and graphically stunning games on the Dreamcast can be. Ecco is a must buy for any Dreamcast owner. If you aren't one already, become one, and get this game when it comes out.Best Deals for Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of the Future
The Ecco The Dolphin games for Sega's previous systems have always been a relaxed and relieving alternative to the droves of violent action/fighting games. Ecco The Dolphin: Defender Of The Future for Dreamcast carries over the theme and atmosphere of the past Ecco games, and injects the formula with smooth and realistic 3D evironments. This has to be one of the best looking console system games ever. Once you get over the hypnotizing graphics and sound however, you will find there are some problems with this game. The control is precise and responsive, but some levels are way too difficult, and offer little information to help the player complete the next objective. Unless you are a seasoned gamer, you will be overwhelmed to the point of boredom with the longs hours you must spend in order to finish Ecco. This is not one I would recommend for the kids...a lot of patience and skill are needed to play this game. If you are looking for a game with tons of depth that will pass the time however, you've certainly found it. Even if it makes you pull your hair out from frustration, Ecco: Defender Of The Future is a great title to have to showcase the graphical abilities of the Dreamcast, if nothing else.Honest reviews on Ecco The Dolphin: Defender of the Future
ECCO : DOTF. Received my copy a few weeks ago. Have been playing it alot, here is what I think of this game ;D Boot up, nice classic "SEGA" image appears (no music). Followed by the Appoloosia Interactive Loga (no music). You cannot skip past these scenes. Finnally you are presented with a luscious title screen, With Ecco presented in the middle, truley awesome title screen. But there is still no music! I looked down at my VMU and saw it has said "LOADING" on it, with these bubbles. Looked back at the screen and music began to play, "PRESS START BUTTON" flashes on the screen. You can see why it took a few seconds to load, it was because the following menus are AWESOME! Hit with 3D underwater scene with menu text in the middle, nice sounds... "poP pOP PoP" and "Gulp", real water sounds. They are very nice menus.... The game is very high quality. So much time has been put into it. At the start of a new game, after you have enetered in your VM Save game name (2 Blocks VM Data), you begin. BLAH BLAH BLAH. The levels are hard to start with, controls seem to be apart of that problem, I have only just really got the hang of it. When I first tried to move Ecco, I went all over the place! Remember, he can turn upside down, all around, knocks you off sometimes, like the small caves... There is always a task to complete in the levels. The levels are really good. The VM uses 6 blocks, for ECCO settings and an additional 2 blocks for each Save file.Graphics are very high quality. Really pumping graphics in this game. The sound is also very good. Music is relaxing and changes often to suit the scene. There are two 2D levels in the game, they are like bonus levels, They look so cool! Although they are the classic 2D side on view, they have added a 3D 128bit touch to them, and they are so much fun ;D What really makes this a classic game, is the emotional story line. I am very impressed, although I havnt completed the game (which is massive) , I find the story is one of the best things you need in a game, Ecco has it. Its very touching. I hope you have found this review helpful. Dont turn down this game, its true quality.
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