Hello. Welcome to As I See It, an opinion piece series in gaming by Ties That Bind Gaming. Episodes are short and we have games to play, so let's get right to it.
The Echoes of the Living demo puts me smack in the middle of the 1990s all over again. The demo makes me feel like I am playing Resident Evil on PlayStation for the first time. The only difference is the graphics are insanely improved plus the story and characters are new. A lot of the nostalgia remains and I almost feel like a child again.
ABOUT ECHOES OF THE LIVING DEMO
Echoes of the Living is a dark, classic survival horror game inspired by the greatest hits of the 90s. The game is set in a small, quiet town in Europe in 1996. One night, a mysterious fog descends upon the town, and the inhabitants soon fall ill. Panic spreads as the dead begin to rise from their graves and walk the streets. The player takes on the role of a survivor who must escape the town and uncover the truth behind the outbreak.
The game features fixed camera angles, puzzles, inventory management, and limited resources, all of which are hallmarks of the classic survival-horror genre. The game also features updated visuals and fully 3D environments with current-gen graphics.
THE HORROR
If you have played the original Resident Evil, then you probably have a good idea of what to expect. You are going to hear the moans of zombies around the corner. In most cases, you won’t see them until they are close or it’s too late. There are a couple of instances where frustration becomes a factor because of camera angles but each instance quickly became an afterthought.
This video game is a survival-horror game so you are going to have to be smart with your supplies. Use them up too quickly and you’ll have to start running away from everything. Survival-horror contributes to the horror factor and the Echoes of the Living demo has a great balance. You’ll feel the tension and if you are smart with your supplies, you’ll be fine.
THE ATMOSPHERE
The Echoes of the Living demo does its survival-horror atmosphere very well. The lighting makes it all come together. Lightening flashes through boarded-up windows and casts a shadow on the wall across the room. The lights brighten up rooms and your character beautifully. I haven’t been this impressed with lighting in a while.
The sound effects and ambiance are great. They work well together to keep dread alive as you navigate. I found the sounds of zombies and creatures to be particularly haunting when I couldn’t see what was producing them right away. Couple that with the ambiance and I was constantly waiting for something to jump at me.
NAVIGATION AND PUZZLES
Navigation and puzzles are where the Echoes of the Living demo falls a bit short. The developers attempted to recapture the spirit of the original Resident Evil. The problem is that there is so much to collect and keep track of. There are a lot of keys and locked items. Frustration set in a few times as I got turned around and lost track of what the key I just found opened.
All of these keys and locked items lead to a lot of navigation and backtracking. I found myself running through the same corridors and rooms over and over. This is either due to traveling to my next destination or getting lost. The only good news is that rooms and corridors load quickly when traveling through a door. There are no video door sequences.
AS I SEE IT
The Echoes of the Living demo left me wanting more. I’m excited for this one. There is no denying that this video game is massively inspired by Resident Evil. This is not a bad thing at all. There is good reason. Resident Evil is the first survival-horror game I played and the experience remains a vivid memory. I fell in love with the game and genre that day because of Resident Evil.
The Echoes of the Living demo is a welcome addition to the survival horror series. I am looking forward to playing the full release.
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