Echelon

aka: Echelon: 3-D Space Flight Simulator

Moby ID: 424

DOS version

Starglider/Elite as an atmospheric-flight puzzle game

The Good

Took depth and real work to translate the ancient language found on innumerable pieces of wreckage and artifacts you had to beam up to read

Took even more investigating to unravel the order events and the flight path necessary to complete the game and solve its puzzles.

Enemies could be "turned off" or "turned up" - Puzzle solving without fighting, moderate amounts of both, or all action were available.

Collected pieces were saved in a convenient journal

**The Bad**

Randomly scattered Nuclear Bombs replaced some of the artifacts, destroying the ship with no warning and no chance to save.

Docking with the Space Station to refuel / rearm took godly patience.

No way to upgrade the ship, just mix/match the 3 weapons

No time compression, so flight between sectors could take forever

Collecected objects didn't affect gameplay or alter the ship

**The Bottom Line**
Spaceflight action puzzle game - fly around blasting enemies, collect dozens of useless but necessary futuristic pottery shards, and reconstruct the flight path to solve ancient mysteries.

by Matt McLaine (51) on January 21, 2001

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