Echo Night

This article is about the video game series. For the first game in the series, see Echo Night (video game).
Echo Night
Genre(s)Adventure, survival horror
Developer(s)FromSoftware
Publisher(s)
  • JP: FromSoftware
  • NA: Agetec
  • EU: Indie Games Productions
    Nobilis
Creator(s)Toshifumi Nabeshima
Platform(s)PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2
First releaseEcho Night
August 13, 1998
Latest releaseEcho Night: Beyond
January 22, 2004

Echo Night[a] is a trilogy of Japanese adventure games developed by FromSoftware. The original Echo Night was first released in 1998 for the PlayStation. Two sequels were developed; Echo Night 2: The Lord of Nightmares for the PlayStation in Japan in 1999, and Echo Night: Beyond for the PlayStation 2 which released worldwide between 2004 and 2006. All the titles feature a protagonist called Richard pursuing a magical artifact and interacting with ghosts. Titles are played from a first-person perspective, and place a focus on puzzles and exploration.

The original Echo Night began as an experimental title based on the realistic graphics created for King's Field III. The second game was created around a theme of "quiet horror". Echo Night Beyond was developed by a staff of around 70 people. All three titles were produced by series creator Toshifumi Nabeshima. The series has generally met with mixed reception, and has remained obscure. Echo Night later inspired Hidetaka Miyazaki while developing Déraciné for the PlayStation VR.

Titles

Common elements

While the Echo Night trilogy share common elements, each game takes place in its own timeline. Three recurring elements within the series are the protagonist having the name Richard, the main gameplay and narrative element of interacting with ghosts, and the use of a magical artifact. This artifact is called the Red Stone in Echo Night and Echo Night: Beyond, and the Soul Stone in Echo Night 2.[11][12]

The gameplay is generally the same across all entries, focusing on exploration of isolated locations and environments from a first-person perspective.[13][14] During explorations, the player must solve puzzles to progress the narrative, with certain actions leading to different outcomes. A recurring enemy within the series are hostile ghosts, which attack the player under certain circumstances. Fending off ghosts with light is a recurring mechanic.[14][15]

Development

The Echo Night series was created by FromSoftware, a Japanese development studio which had begun game development for the PlayStation with the King's Field series.[14][16] Taking inspiration from the realistic environments created for King's Field III, the development team wanted to create a non-standard gameplay experience using their knowledge of 3D graphics. Starting out as a pure experiment, it was later approved as a full title.[17] The second game was built around a theme of "quiet horror".[18] Several staff from Echo Night returned for the second game.[19] Echo Night: Beyond was announced in 2003 as part of FromSoftware's group of titles for the PS2.[20] It was worked on by a staff of nearly seventy people.[21] The producer for all the titles was series creator Toshifumi Nabeshima.[17][22][23] Speaking in 2018, FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki cited Echo Night as a direct inspiration for Déraciné, a 2018 virtual reality game.[24]

Reception

USGamer's Bob Mackey noted that the game was ahead of its time in its tone and gameplay, comparing it to later independent titles Gone Home and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, citing it as an important precursor to such exploration-driven projects.[25] In an article looking back at the original game, Game Informer highlighted the Echo Night series as one of many different notable series created by FromSoftware prior to the widespread popularity of the Dark Souls series.[26] In a series dedicated to cult titles on the PS2, Kristan Reed of Eurogamer noted the series' obscurity while calling Beyond a worthwhile experience for those with patience due to its unique setting and pacing.[9]

Notes

  1. ^ Ekō Naito (Japanese: エコー ナイト)
  2. ^ Ekō Naito Tsū: Nemuri no Shihaisha (エコーナイト#2 眠りの支配者)
  3. ^ Known in Japan as Nebula -Echo Night- (ネビュラ -エコーナイト-, Nebyura -Ekō Naito-)

References

  1. ^ Echo Night. FromSoftware (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Echo Night - Versions". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010.
  3. ^ Yip, Spencer (4 November 2013). "Before They Made Dark Souls, From Software Made A Game About Rabbits". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014.
  4. ^ a b Echo Night #2 ～眠りの支配者～. FromSoftware (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 November 2020.
  5. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (2007-10-10). "Sony Doubling Archive Output in Japan". IGN. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  6. ^ "Replay – Echo Night". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  7. ^ Nebula -Echo Night-. FromSoftware (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 7 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Echo Night Beyond". GameIndustry.biz. 20 February 2006. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020.
  9. ^ a b Reed, Kristan (19 August 2008). "Cult Classics: PlayStation 2". Eurogamer. p. 4. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019.
  10. ^ Extension, Time (2022-08-16). "Fans Translate Obscure From Software Game, Echo Night: The First Voyage". Time Extension. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
  11. ^ ネビュラ エコーナイト 公式コンプリートガイド [Nebula: Echo Night Official Complete Guide] (in Japanese). Softbank Creative. 2004. pp. 124–126. ISBN 978-4797326352.
  12. ^ エコーナイト#2眠りの支配者 完全攻略ガイドブック [Echo Night #2: Nemuri no Shihaisha Complete Strategy Guide] (in Japanese). NTT Publishing. 1999. pp. 90–92. ISBN 978-4797309874.
  13. ^ "TGS '99: Tokyo Game Show 1999". Gamers' Republic (13): 36. June 1999.
  14. ^ a b c Ciolek, Todd (2015-03-16). "The History of FromSoftware". IGN. Archived from the original on 2015-03-18. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  15. ^ "『Nebula -Echonight-』 Web Site >> メルマガ・バックナンバー". www.nebula-en.net. Archived from the original on 7 August 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  16. ^ "World Republic Interview - FromSoftware". Gamers' Republic. No. 7. Millennium Publications. December 1998. pp. 112–113.
  17. ^ a b エコーナイト パーフェクトガイド [Echo Night Perfect Guide] (in Japanese). Softbank Creative. 1998. pp. 128–131. ISBN 978-4797306996.
  18. ^ Echo Night #2 眠りの支配者. FromSoftware (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 25 September 2000.
  19. ^ エコーナイト#2 眠りの支配者 パーフェクトガイド [Echo Night #2: Nemuri no Shihaisha Perfect Guide] (in Japanese). Softbank Creative. 1999. pp. 154–159. ISBN 978-4757180543.
  20. ^ "From Software TGS Update".
  21. ^ "『Nebula -Echonight-』 Web Site >> メルマガ・バックナンバー". www.nebula-en.net. Archived from the original on 7 August 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  22. ^ https://media.fromsoftware.jp/fromsoftware/jp/static/pdf/011_ECHO_NIGHT_2.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  23. ^ https://media.fromsoftware.jp/fromsoftware/jp/static/pdf/030_NEBULA_ECHO_NIGHT.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  24. ^ "Interview: Hidetaka Miyazaki Reveals New Details on Déraciné for PS VR". 19 June 2018.
  25. ^ "Retronauts Explores Echo Night and the Roots of First-Person Exploration". 30 July 2015.
  26. ^ "Replay – Echo Night". Game Informer. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016.