Somber Echoes is the newly announced sci-fi Metroidvania game from developers Rock Pocket Games and Lav Games. The 2.5D game incorporates many unique characteristics, which takes a bit to digest, as players board a Greco-Roman spaceship and face some truly gross David Cronenberg-type interdimensional baddies along the way. For fans of the genre, Somber Echoes represents a blending of inspiration that infuses aesthetic elements of Dead Space with modern Metroidvania design and gameplay.
Metroidvania games often provide a solid base for developers trying to experiment with ambitious art styles and story design, which is why there’s a seemingly unending amount of releases in the subgenre each year. Somber Echoes fits snugly into this genre, however, the game manages to stand on its own presenting a tangled web of inspirations that creates an intriguing game in its own right.
At first glance, the game mirrors Dead Space’s aesthetics, from the game taking place in a space craft-gone-bad, as you fight through gross monsters in dimly lit corridors. However, the comparisons can stop there, as the gameplay features 2.5 sidescrolling action. You’ll play as Adrestia as they attempt to stop your twin sister, Harmonia, from “unraveling the universe.”
You might be left with more questions than answers, something the developers recognize in the game’s official description, as much of the story of the game will be unraveling exactly why there was a cataclysmic event on the Astromitos that turned the space vessel into a nightmare simulator.
The graphics help it stand out from its contemporaries, as the game’s visuals take on a more modern, realistic look instead of the retro aesthetics you’ll find in many other Metroidvanias that have gained popularity. From the brief amount of gameplay revealed in the initial trailer, Adrestia seems to rely on teleporting across the battlefield to survive and swinging her huge sword to keep the ship’s monsters at bay.
As of now, Somber Echoes has no release date. What is confirmed is that the game will be released on Steam.
For more games like Somber Echoes, you can also check out lists of our favorite Metroidvania games and platform games.
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