Ecco The Dolphin
The 90's were an odd time. Technology was advancing quickly and people were becoming worried they were losing their link to nature. We had people hugging trees, FernGully was in the cinema along with Free Willy and everyone thought dolphins were amazing and in tune with the world (not the animal raping murderers that they are).
Anyway, this brings us nicely to Ecco The Dolphin.
Story Time
You are Ecco, who is a dolphin. I know they really went to town on the title, didn't they.
You are chilling with your dolphin friends when one of the dolphins, let's call him Chad, challenges you to a competition to see who can jump the highest!
I guess there isn't much else you can challenge a dolphin to. Maybe who can swim fastest, who can make the best clicking sound.
While you jump, a weird vortex appears in the sky and it sucks all the fish and dolphins out of the sea.
Ecco The Dolphin
Did Ecco rip a hole in the space-time continuum with his jump?
Apparently it was a coincidence that Ecco was at the top of his jump just as the vortex opened. Yeah right okay Ecco, we blieve you.
Every 500 years an alien race called The Vortex comes and steals all the fish, dolphins, crabs probably whelks as well. I don't know if this is explain why they do it. It's a long way to come just for some decent fish food, do they not have those in Vortex world, because the first person to open a decent seafood restraunt it going to make a killing!
Anyway, your job is to find your friends and rescue them before the aliens Captain Birdseye' them.
So What Do You Actually Do?
The gameplay involves swimming around the ocean. You get to jump out of the water and spin, which is cool, and that's about it. You very quickly realise this game must have more to it.
I remember reading a guide about this game in a magazine and realised I should have been finding clues as to what you are supposed to do next.
Very often, that involves talking to some weird crystals. They are rather annoying because they talk in riddles.
Why do they talk in riddles? Why do they know anything at all?
I honestly think someone sat down and thought:
"You know we have dolphins. You know what goes well with dolphins? Freaking crystals, dude."
Occasionally you talk to other animals, like an orca who is very annoying because he tells you he knows what happened to your friends but he isn't going to tell you and says you have to speak to the Big Blue. Why does everyone in this game sound like Crush from Finding Nemo?
Ecco The Dolphin
At some point, you have to dodge some rubbish enemies (or anemones).
I'm sorry, that was a terrible joke, but when a fast current is one of the enemies you need to beat, it's time to start questioning what you are playing.
I really wish I could tell you more, but that's all I can tell you. You swim, you eat fish for energy, and you randomly do something that activates the next bit of the game.
Look At It Though
Graphically, you can't fault the game. Ecco is wonderfully drawn and animated.
Although, to be fair, it would be quite difficult to mess up drawing a dolphin.
Everything else is also wonderfully drawn; you can see the team took some time to get the graphics right.
The amazing graphics are at the expense of actually having a good game.
Confusing, Difficult And A Bit Dull
While I am the first to admit I never got very far in this game, I don't know many people who did.
It was boring and confusing and really hard. At times, you didn't have a clue what you were actually supposed to do next.
It's supposed to be open-ended apprently, but it felt like a serious chore with very often little to no actual guidenace.
Part of the issue is that the game takes itself way too seriously. It's a game that could only have existed in the 90's and on the Megadrive.
I'm sure hidden in its confusing story, there is a message about the environment, but man, does it have to be so dull?
Maybe I Was Wrong
Having read some other reviews of this game, I really wish I had stuck with it a bit more.
Not because it's brilliant, but because it goes very dark at some point, and who doesn't love a bit of dark menace in their dolphin games?
Ecco The Dolphin
Beautiful, atmospheric and completely convinced that the player should already know what they're doing.
People will tell you Ecco is a good game; these people are not to be trusted. They probably own iPhones and drive Teslas.