izigame.me

Updated after beating the game and getting all of the achievements.
Final Impression
Somber Echoes is a solid experience throughout its runtime.
There is a lot to like about it, but the flaws are present, too. How much you'll like it will depend on what type of player you are.
Are you a fan of exploration and getting lost (the good feel of getting lost? Are you a fan of verticality? Are you a fan of platforming/puzzle challenges? Well, if you are, Somber Echoes seems to be the game for you.
I liked how big the ship is, I loved its interconnections. and I am a big, big fan of verticality. Powers that you acquire are not that groundbreaking, but they do compliment traversal nicely.
What caught me by surprise is how many environmental puzzles are there. The majority of them are option, but I really loved figuring patterns to break walls, where to use lanterns and how to connect it to supercharged areas. I am a puzzle fan so this works for me and since they are optional, most of these lead to collectibles and/or upgrades.
Lantern ability (the power where you freeze yourself in place and turn into a glowing orb which you direct where to charge) is very satisfying to use. It helps in traversal, in puzzles, in combat.
Speaking of combat, it's simple. That may turn some people off, but I appreciate simplicity as I am not much of a fighting expert. That being said, parry is easy, some weapons are very satisfying to use (spear), some are not (bow), and fighting bosses was really fun. Enemies don't have much weight to them, but after some time, due to your traversal abilities you will find better ways to avoid them. I'd love that other weapons had more opportunities to be used with some of puzzles/traversal challenges, but it is what it is.
Regarding visuals, the game is pretty. The environment is beautiful and diverse, the animations are smooth and music fits the atmosphere. Overall, visual identity of the game is top notch for an indie title. Nor everything is ideal as UI doesn't fit with the rest of the game, and as mentioned before, NPCs are not as great when compared to enemies / environment.
Finally, the story - the good news is that it is not a simple revenge story. The bad news is that I am not a fan of presentation. Like, I get the sense of what it is trying to do, but using Narrator to convey information and describe events is not a path I'd go with. It's hard to describe - one of those things you'll have to encounter and read to see what I mean.
But even if you put story aside, you will still get a solid experience. If you are a fan of the things I mentioned above (verticality, traversal, puzzles, platforming set in a unique setting), you will probably like Somber Echoes.
If you are a fan of tight, polished combat with diverse weapons, you might want to skip it. SE has a few interesting weapons and fun bosses, but none will scratch your challenge itch. None of that is bad - just okay.
There are some minor bugs in the games but nothing gamebreaking, checkpoints can be pretty far one from another, and some traversal areas are not as clear as they should be.
But I liked Somber Echoes for what it is - a very solid experience.
First Impression
I'll update my review as I play more of the game.
Right now, first impressions are solid.
While Somber Echoes doesn't seem to break new ground, what it does with its tools is really interesting.
I love how it uses and emphasizes verticalilty. I really like how the first power, "the lantern", feels to use. There is something really satisfying with launching yourself with it and using it to avoid enemies and/or reach distant places. Also, credit where credit is due - it's refreshing when the first power/ability that you get in metroidvania is not a double jump.
It seems that you'll be getting a lot of tools in this game, as I've only played it for 2 hours, and I've already received 4 abilities and one new weapon which feels super satisfying to use.
And that's the thing with Somber Echoes - once you get "in the zone", exploring spaceship becomes a delight, it becomes fluid, like you "own" the place.
But it will take you around hour or so get there. SE takes its time to set up the surrounding, the conflict and the goal, and some of it works and some doesn't.
Can't say that the narrative connects with me, as it is not too tight to be cinematic, but it also seems to lack ambiguity and interpretation (a la Hollow Knight). Right now it seems like a simple revenge story told in a "ye old way". Will see how it develops. There is potential there because setting is very exciting - putting Greek mythology in a SF setting is a bold choice and certainly creates an interesting atmosphere. Beautiful environments additionally support that vibe, while creature design has that classical SF energy (I mean that in a positive way).
Unfortunately, the design of humanoid NPCs is not as rich, but given how they are not heavily present in the game, I can see why they chose to not focus on them.
Overall, while the story is not that compelling for now, I gotta say that exploration and using some of the tools is very very fun. There is that feeling of "where the heck am I, now" present where you encounter a portal in a medic room and it takes you to a botanic biom with different enemies, and you get a big smile once you find an alternative path from that biom to the original location.
It's the little things like that that I appreciate in my metroidvanias. And that's why I recommend the game, for now.