Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future

Unless you don't read English you will have noticed that I thought this game is hard, but there is nothing wrong with a challenge. So what if it takes you four months to beat this game! Get it! Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future has an "Everyone" rating that will undoubtedly appeal to the younger kids, too bad they won't get that far without being a card carrying member of Mensa or using a walkthrough. This is a cool, hard game and should be a staple game for any Dreamcast library. The feeling of relief you will have when you figure out a tough quest is unparalleled in videogame-land. With its fluid controls, phenomenal graphics, and "challenging" quests, no self-titled gamer can afford to not have this game spinning in his or her Dreamcast.

Servie avec des graphismes somptueux, Ecco est loin de décevoir le regard. La qualité des textures employées a été rarement observée sur le support surtout qu'elles sont tout aussi riches que le sont les fonds marins... Le luxe de détails qui recouvrent les décors sont splendides et on a l'impression d'avoir mis la tête dans l'aquarium du salon en permanence, la sensation d'être mouillé en moins. Pareil pour les animations de tous les êtres marins qui ont été reproduits à l'identique et les oscillations d'Ecco sont un ravissement. La Dreamcast étant réputée pour ses effets de lumière et de transparence, Ecco s'en donne à cœur joie. L'eau et les reflets qui illuminent la faune aquatique sont du plus bel effet.

Im Prinzip hat Appaloosa Ecco bis auf minimale Veränderungen 1:1 auf die PS2 portiert. Wer also das Dreamcast-Original zu Hause im Schrank stehen hat, kann sich die Neuauflage getrost sparen. Die stimmungsvolle Optik kann zwar auch heute noch begeistern, wirkt allerdings trotz verlustfreier Umsetzung nicht mehr ganz so spektakulär wie damals. Die idyllische Soundkulisse ist hingegen zeitlos und sorgt mit der übrigen Präsentation für eine immer noch einzigartige Atmosphäre. Spielerisch ist es Appaloosa allerdings nicht gelungen, neue Akzente zu setzen oder die Kritikpunkte der Urfassung auszumerzen. Nach wie vor wirkt die Steuerung in vielen Situationen trotz relativ intuitivem Gameplay überladen und die verschleierten Aufgabenstellungen und der gehobene Schwierigkeitsgrad lassen das Unterwasser-Geschehen oft unnötig hektisch und kompliziert werden.

Overall, Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future is a very well-made game. Fans of the original game will be proud. A few small issues keep it from excellence, but with great presentation and control to go along with plenty of challenging gameplay, Ecco still looks like a winner.

Ecco the Dolphin isn't for everyone. If you like to boot up a game for an action-packed twenty minutes at a time, look elsewhere. However, those that enjoy a slowly paced game experience will find it enjoyable. The game contains sufficient depth and length to give patient players a satisfying and rewarding experience. Some of Dreamcast's recent titles, such as Seaman and Space Channel 5, have been idiosyncratic in their own way, and Defender of the Future helps to further this trend. In the end, Ecco holds up the standards of creative execution that Sega has set for its flagship titles and simultaneously makes clearer the potential for artistry in video games.

Overall this game isn't a disappointment; just a little fine-tuning would have been nice. It does seam a little rushed, but it sure won't disappoint anyone, especially fans of the series. A great game to select for renting, or even buying.

Un titre subjuguant de beauté et d'esthétisme, qui procure des sensations réellement bluffantes. Cette version PS2 est meilleure que l'originale, non seulement au niveau de sa réalisation mais aussi au niveau de son gameplay, mais on aurait souhaité quelque chose d'un peu plus novateur. Quoi qu'il en soit, si vous ne connaissez pas encore ce titre, allez-y les yeux fermés.

No matter what system you play it on, Ecco is a rewarding, rich adventure brimming with beauty and creativity, capped in the dorsal fin by absurdly unclear mission objectives, frustrating Groundhog Day gameplay, and an insane difficulty level. Oh, how you want to love the dolphin. But dolphin love?she?s a cold, hard love.

Een schitterend spel dat niet echt lang kan boeien. De puzzels zijn soms te moeilijk en onlogisch en af en toe weet je niet wat je moet doen. Grafisch gezien is het echter een toppertje waarmee de Dreamcast een boel respekt afdwingt.

Although initially Ecco looks to be a pushover, in reality thanks to the additional features and tweaks, it is actually quite a challenge, though it must be said that it can be frustratingly difficult in some levels. Overall, Ecco just doesn't come up to speed. There are still far too many issues with regard to poorly defined navigation to recommend this game to buy. The whole thing is really quite slow and is almost boring at times. A game for people with staying power.

It's safe to say that Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future is an altogether unique game and one that was executed quite magnificently. The few gameplay quirks it has--specifically, its odd level design and occasionally spazzy camera--are more than made up for by its positive aspects, which are quite numerous. It's a game that's almost more fun to "play around" with than it is to actually play, and that says quite a bit. If you missed it on the Dreamcast and can deal with something that has a more laid-back pace, then you should definitely check it out.

Scheinbar kennen sich die Entwickler mit der PlayStation 2-Hardware nicht so gut aus wie mit dem Dreamcast. Die grafischen Schwächen sind nicht zu übersehen und nehmen dem Spiel einiges von seinem Glanz. Aber wenigstens wurden die vielen undurchschaubaren Rätsel durch die größere Anzahl an Tipps und Demonstrationen deutlich entschärft. Dieser Vorteil wird allerdings durch die unnötig verschlechterte Steuerung wieder etwas relativiert. So bleibt am Ende eine etwas leichtere Version mit grafischen Mängeln, aber trotzdem noch toller Atmosphäre. Eine echte Topwertung wird jedoch durch die vielen unvermeidbaren Frustmomente weiterhin verhindert.

Well - at first it was tempting for this reviewer to pan Ecco for it's frustrating difficulty level, which definitely threatens to overwhelm it's finer points - but that wouldn't be fair. It's to be imagined that a certain breed of gamer will rejoice at a title like this - a game that will continue to tease and wrack the brain for a very long time ... the likes of which you really don't get to see too often these days. There's an awful lot of levels here, a huge number of bonus items to search for... all in all - it's a substantial package which just oozes with well-designed quality. However... others, used to the prevailing standards of fast-paced action and intuitive gameplay - may only find this game to be a new-age nuisance: a bit dull, and no fun at all.

There's really not much more that can be said about Ecco. The sounds of the oceanic creatures are as well-done as the graphics, and the soundtrack is a light, lilting accompaniment that blends into the background much like elevator music. Lovely to look at, sometimes tedious to play, Ecco the Dolphin is truly a game for patient adventurers.

Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future is such a hard game to give a score to. Technically it's stunning to look at and just swimming around the levels is a joy, but it's perhaps a little too unconventional for many people. The AI of the enemies also needs a little work. I dare any of the developers to think they can swim directly under a real shark without being noticed. Fans of the original game will likely enjoy this quite a bit more then I did but if you're really wanting to support Sega in the coming weeks you will probably be better off with Rez, Headhunter or Space Channel 5 next month. Ecco the Dolphin is a disappointment.

Spelets frihetskänsla smittar av sig och det är skönt att vara djupt där nere i en värld som för stunden känns helt problemfri. Appaloosa smickrar spelaren med undervattensscenarier som aldrig tidigare har beskådats i spelsammanhang, och låter tonerna förföra den som vill omslutas av lugnet. Känsla och atmosfär är alltså inte Ecoo the Dolphin: Defender of the Futures problem, det är spelets avsaknad av vitala äventyrsinslag som drar ner betyget. Men när man fritt styr Ecoo och synkroniserar simningen för att sedan kasta sig över vattenytan för att utföra en frivolt glömmer man lätt bort det.

Other people may be easily drawn into Ecco's world with their senses tantalized by the overwhelming sense of being underwater. However, the vast majority will find that Ecco simply doesn't offer enough to the player and will tire quickly of the repetitive missions far too quickly. Pass on this one unless you're some kind of dolphin nut, and in that case alone this is a must have.

This game is good fun for those of you who like to just play around with your games for short amounts of time without really feeling a need to complete them; if you are that type of person, then this might just be the game for you. If you are looking for a strong game that will keep you enthralled for hours and hours on end, try an RPG. I bought this game for 20 bucks at an EBGames, and for such a low price I'd say the game was worth it. If it was 50, I'd say buy .hack instead.

Sorry, but I refuse to jump on the Ecco bandwagon this time - I don't care what the magazines say. Yes, the graphics are some of the best ever seen in a video game, and yes, the sound effects and music are sensational. But once you get over that, you're left with some very frustrating gameplay thanks to confusing objectives and ultra-high difficulty.