Dreamcast Reviews E

I found the original Ecco the Dolphin (Genesis, 1992) enjoyable enough, so I was excited to see what its 3D incarnation might have in store. Sure enough, Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Earth is one beautiful game. Its undersea world is an inviting place with clear water and colorful coral. Dolphins, sharks, and whales are realistically-rendered and move with fluid grace. Peeking above the waterline gives you a view of sunny tropical scenery. Serene music plays in the background. Who could have guessed the misery that lay ahead?

The game's intro is as overwrought as they come. Apparently aliens are invading and the fate of the entire planet rests on the fins of one young dolphin named Ecco. Why do the stakes always need to be so high? It's a game about a freakin' dolphin. Can we please take it down a notch?

I started a new game instead of continuing my 24-year old VMU save, if only for the sake of becoming reacquainted with the controls. You begin in a fairly expansive section of water, "talking" to your dolphin friends via sonar. They instruct you to perform a series of moves like a dash, 180-degree turn, and tail walk. The problem is, the game doesn't tell you how to perform these actions, so you're feverishly pouring over the instructions the entire time. Your first order of business is to locate and save a baby whale, and if this task leaves you feeling bewildered, it's just a microcosm of the entire game.

The camera tries to stay trained behind your dolphin, but the game is still extremely disorienting. Much of the time you can't tell which way is up! On occasion another dolphin might tell you to "meet me back here", but where the [expletive] is "here"? It's not like there's a map, and all the seaweed and rock formations look exactly the same!

There are many fetch quests, although sometimes you can attack enemies by ramming them with your snout. When you miss your mark, it's a struggle to regain your bearings. You'll discover mysterious floating gems that display vague messages like "Power of Vigor: you have not mastered yet". Huh?

The FAQ characterized the second stage as having a "vertical" learning curve. Not only is it not readily evident what you're supposed to do, but even when you do know, it's frustratingly difficult (like catching a yellow fish). As if this stage isn't demanding enough, it culminates with a piranha attack and a great white shark encounter!

Ecco does have a few neat special features worthy of mention. Sometimes you need to "follow your ears", to locate a baby whale for example. I think surround sound helps. If you have a rumble pack the subtle vibration feedback is effective. The game has an autosave feature, but frankly I prefer to know exactly when my game is being saved.

Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future may have been too grand and ambitious for its own good. Its gameplay feels so elusive. The controls are complex, the objectives unclear, and there's little sense of geography. Sure it feels good to swim around and leap out of the water, but when it comes to undertaking missions the fun goes down the drain. © Copyright 2024 The Video Game Critic.

This package offers two separate games: Elansar and Philia. Both are point-and-click adventures in the tradition of Myst (Jaguar, 1995). Myst was pretty popular in the mid-90's, but that may have been more due to its surreal graphics than its obtuse puzzles. If you're looking for a slow-paced, thought-provoking experience, this two-disc set is a good deal.

In both games you move a cursor around the screen, clicking to interact with objects and navigate a computer generated landscape. I would highly recommend using a Dreamcast mouse because dragging that cursor across the screen using the analog stick is just tedious. Elansar lets you explore a deserted island, collecting random items like a bracelet, hammer, and piece of rock.

The static island scenery is sharp and colorful, and the sound of waves pounding the surf is immersive. As you sweep the cursor across the screen it will become an arrow if you can move or a hand if you can grab something. The problem is, the game doesn't always make much sense and it feels like you're just trying to exhaust every possibility.

Somebody went through the trouble of incorporating rumble support for the Dreamcast controller, and it's effective. If only they bothered to incorporate some way to save your progress! Navigating the island is disconcerting to say the least. The screens aren't arranged in a neat grid as you might expect.

I enjoyed Philia a lot more, as it keeps you in confined areas full of mini puzzles and treasure-hunting challenges. The landscapes are surreal and dreamlike, and the jazzy background music is relaxing. Elansar and Philia will probably put most gamers to sleep, but cerebral types will appreciate this thoughtful combo. © Copyright 2015 The Video Game Critic.

I've been an Evil Dead fan for many years, often citing Evil Dead 2 as one of the greatest movies of all time. No other film has so effectively combined action, horror, and humor. And just for this game, actor Bruce Campbell has returned to lend his voice to the main character, Ash. So as you can imagine, I was pretty disappointed when I realized how mediocre this game is.

The gameplay is almost exactly like Resident Evil, right down to storing items in chests. One difference is that all relevant items shine like beacons, eliminating the element of exploration. I enjoyed the audio track, with sound effects ("I'll swallow your soul!") and music taken directly from the film. The background graphics are outstanding and a feast for the eyes. I love being about to walk around that old cabin and explore the surrounding areas. The pre-rendered rooms and outdoor areas capture the spirit of the movie very well.

If only the monsters looked so good. But no, the ghosts, zombies, and skeletons are so incredibly blocky that it's almost comical. And the control is a nightmare too. Ash is slow at turning and constantly getting stuck in the scenery. And if you thought battling monsters with a chainsaw would be fun, think again.

Fighting is nothing but button mashing, and it gets so tiresome that you'll soon try to avoid confrontation altogether. Unfortunately, the creatures regenerate constantly and love to block your path. It's especially painful when you get lost in the endless maze behind the cabin. Hail to the King fails to capture the edginess or humor of the movie, and poor control and repetitive action are like nails in the coffin. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Expendable brings to mind a game called "One" released on the Playstation a few years back. It's an all out blast-a-thon, with dark environments, aliens, robots, and magnificent explosions. The idea is simple: move around and shoot the hell out of everything in sight. You view the action from up high and behind your man, and a useful strafe feature makes it easy to aim and maximize your damage. The camera angle sometimes moves to the side for no good reason, but this isn't a major problem.

Expendable certainly delivers some serious shooting satisfaction! Your firepower is awesome. You can run out of ammo, but there's always plenty more lying around. The levels and bosses are a pretty unspectacular, but at least there are some branching paths and secret side areas. There's a two-player simultaneous mode, but it's way too confusing with all the destruction going on. I like Expendable for its mindless mayhem, but its replay value is pretty low. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.