Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern

Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern
Developer(s) Kheops Studio
Publisher(s) The Adventure Company Coladia Games
Platform(s) Windows Mac OS X
Release July 5, 2005
Genre(s) Adventure
Mode(s) Single player

Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern is a computer adventure game released in 2005. It was developed by Kheops Studio and published by The Adventure Company. It is very similar to previous Kheops Studio games; the interface and gameplay are almost identical to Return to Mysterious Island. The player takes the role of Arok, a 15-year-old European Homo sapiens from the Paleolithic period.

Plot

Secret of the Lost Cavern takes the player back into the Palaeolithic period in prehistoric time, 15000 BC. At this time, our ancestors were able to communicate with one another, create fire, cook meat, cut flint, and make spears for hunting.

During this Stone Age adventure, the life of a young hunter, Arok, is revealed. While on a fruitless hunt, Arok discovers a cavern marked with a strange symbol. It reminds him of a charismatic traveler, Klem, who ventured through the lands of his clan a few years before. Klem is a painter and sorcerer with the gift of speaking with the spirits of the world through the gorgeous paintings he creates on the walls of the caverns he passes. Arok spent many days with this shaman artist, fascinated by his creations and his stories. After noticing the painter's talent in the cavern, Arok decides not to return to his clan, but rather follow the path of his mentor...

Gameplay

During this adventure, Arok will need to collect many items and survive the wilderness that lies ahead of him. He must learn how to build a spear thrower, lure a ferocious bear away from his lair, harpoon salmon, traverse raging rivers, and overcome many more obstacles.

Characters

Arok is a 15-year-old European Homo sapien from the Paleolithic period. This young hunter became an adventurer after his chance meeting with a charismatic traveler back in his childhood.

Klem is a genius painter, the Michelangelo of his time. Possessing shamanistic powers and knowledge of sorcery, he enjoys an outstanding presence and charisma. He inspired Arok with a deep appreciation for art and adventure.

Tika is Klem's daughter. She lives in a troglodyte shelter by a river, next to the Lascaux cave where her father works. She guides the novice along with other talented painters to the famous lair. In spite of her young age, she has already acquired great knowledge of painting and tests Arok's ability with the tablet's riddle.

The Flintnapper is a straightforward and cheerful man who exudes a quiet strength. He gives Arok invaluable advice on how best to choose and cut flint. Through him, Arok also learns more about the lifestyle of Klem and his people.

Features

  • Puzzles - innovative inventory system allows you to combine and create new tools and items necessary to solve an array of thought provoking puzzles.
  • Exploration - photo-realistic environments of pristine landscapes and rugged wilderness.
  • Survival - hunt, fish, and fend off predators that threaten your quest.
  • Create Masterful Works of Art - they will come to life and their stories will help you along your journey.
  • In-game Encyclopaedia - filled with historically accurate data on the Palaeolithic period.

Critical reception

According to review aggregation site Metacritic, critical reception of Echo was "mixed or average".[1]

Mark Smith of Game Chronicles thought the game offered a breath of fresh air in a category of boring and badly designed adventure games.[2] Adventure-Treff reviewer Hans Frank wrote that the game offered an exciting and interesting journey into the past.[3] Bodo Naser of 4Players noted that generic puzzles had been included to artificially lengthen the game's play time.[4] Slydos of Adventure-Archiv thought the game followed in the tradition of Kheops Studio and Cryo Interactive.[5] Jeuxvideo reviewer Superpanda positively compared the game to Myst, which he thought was too obscure to allow players to easily progress.[6]

Charles Herold of The New York Times called Echo "painfully sincere" and found that its "story is a perfunctory vehicle for puzzles and a little anthropological teaching."[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern (pc: 2005): Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 26, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Game Chronicles - Review". www.gamechronicles.com. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  3. ↑ Frank, Hans. "Das Geheimnis der vergessenen Höhle". Adventure-Treff (in German). Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  4. ↑ "Das Geheimnis der vergessenen Höhle - Test, Adventure - 4Players.de". 4Players (in German). Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  5. ↑ slydos. "Das Geheimnis der vergessenen Höhle - Review deutsch". www.adventurearchiv.de. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  6. ↑ "Test Au Coeur De Lascaux sur PC". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  7. ↑ Herold, Charles (July 16, 2005). "Aliens in the Suburbs, Surrounded by Stupidity". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015.
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