Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern

The Good
The word "prehistoric" invokes visions of stooped, orc-like humanoids, heavy clubs over their shoulders, garbed in nothing more than an animal skin loin cloth, grunting "Ugh!" as they stomp over the land hunting the dinosaurs.

The time "before recorded history" comprises centuries upon centuries in man's time line. Echo zones in on the mid Paleolithic "Old Stone Age" when man learned to fashion tools from stone, wood, animal bones and skins. The game gives you a brief glimpse into what life was like during that time period through the eyes of, from all appearances, a teenage boy named (appropriately) Arok.

According to what I've read about this particular age, a sort of shamanic religion emerged during this period. Myth and legend formed beliefs, mostly to explain things that they could not understand. Ancient cave drawings and carvings have been interpreted by historians as representative of their belief in "magical animal spirits." Arok's untapped talent for cave painting is what you will explore during this game and becomes the basis of the story.

Gameplay consists of pointing-and-clicking with the use of simple cursors. Gathered items are stored in an inventory "pack" which is brought up by pointing to the bottom of the screen. Items must be combined outside of the inventory, however, by placing the items on another surface ... a large flat stone, for instance. Saving and loading games is a cinch and there seems to be no limit to the number you can save.

Overall, the graphics are very good. Landscapes, forests and the interiors of the caves and caverns are drawn very realistically and detailed. Babble brooks, flying birds and grazing animals give you a sense of actually being there. While I don't agree with the way the artists depicted most of the characters, their movements, facial expressions, and clothing seem appropriate for the time period.

Since archaeologists have determined that people were gatherers and scavengers, it stands to reason that most of the "puzzles" during Echo relate to the fashioning of tools for your young character out of items found laying about. Staunch linearity raises its ugly head when I think about the puzzles. Only by having the right item or conversation is progress possible. I must say, however, that a good number of the puzzles are different than anything I've encountered in other games.

As an "edutainment" title, Echo might teach us something, if the player desires to learn it. What the in-game documentary database does do is help you figure out the possible uses of the inventory items you have found. That, in turn, may help with some of the puzzle-solving.

The Bad
I got bored with gathering stones, sticks and the like. But .. what else is there to do in a caveman's life? Oh yes .. hunting, fishing & gathering herbs. Ho-Hum.

There are too few characters for my taste and the game is a bit short. There's no challenge in conversations either. Click on all of the "canned" responses to progress the story. hrmph.

Some of the puzzles seemed to be inserted just to lengthen game play (like the arrangement of some stones in a certain order and the shooting of a pack of wolves). The linearity of the puzzles (as I mentioned above) was a drawback also, in my opinion.

In the US version, the speaking voices of the characters is too modern. They enunciate too well .. they use proper sentences and phrases. Because of this, I almost forgot they were cave men (and women).

I kept hoping that Arok would stumble upon a dinosaur! (I don't know if they were even around then .. but the appearance of one would have added tons of interest to my gaming experience.)

The Bottom Line
Unlike some of the games released lately, there are absolutely no action segments in the game. Everything is in the storytelling, such as it is. Echo does provide a few days of entertainment and a bit of incite into a very early portion of man's development.

While it won't go down in history as one of the "the greats", Echo is certainly a decent addition to the adventure genre. Children, say .. ages about 10-14, might find this title more enjoyable than I did .. but they'll need help with most of the puzzles.