An introduction for the sequel to Ecco the Dolphin, which continues the adventures of Ecco and adds new features to the good old standards.
Ecco - the Tides of Time continues the story of the first game right after Ecco has saved his family. It sets out quite cleverly with the Vortex Queen following him back to Earth where she will be right at the solution of her starvation.
So the first step to an even better storyline has been set, and not only will the story be even better, the whole game is!
The gameplay has been kept like in the previous game. You get the same buttons to control Ecco, the quests are as good as they used to be. He still has his attack sonar blast to shoot enemys out of your way. You also start with unlimited air which the Asterite still provides you with, but unfortunately not for long. So, also this time you'll have to search for air pockets, as Ecco still runs out of air quite quickly.
However, this time you'll get to choose between three difficulty levels. You'll get rewarded with extra stages here and there if you choose Hard mode. There's also a normal mode which will change the difficulty frequently depending on how you master the stages. The better you are, the tougher it gets, and the other way round.
So, while Ecco still has to mash jellyfish and sharks while eating fish and looking for air, he also gets some new skills. In some levels hidden is a so called "pulsar" power-up. Once you got it you will have a 360° sonar blast for the rest of the stage.
And there's this one really nice added feature which makes this game so unique. Touching metaspheres will change Ecco into different lifeforms which lets you play as other life creatures such as sharks, jellyfish, seagulls and more.
The riddles are a lot more varied in this game as well. You don't only have to look for key glyphs, this time you'll find a lot more surprising and refreshing elements. Just as a few examples, there are also broken glyphs now which need to be fixed, you'll have to follow other dolphins instead of guiding them like in the first game. Some glyphs will only be open for a short time. The designers put a lot of effort to keep you entertained with new stuff.
Hand in hand with that go the completely redone graphics. Everything looks a lot better, especially the dolphin models, but also the landscapes. There are new types of fish and other sea life creatures, and you visit completely new and unique environments.
3D stages have been added where Ecco has to swim and jump through teleport rings while avoiding enemies and obstacles. This has been nicely designed, it feels like you are in a huge open ocean making great distances.
The time travel aspect has been kept in this game. Ecco has to travel through time again where new unknown foes, but also friends await him.
This keeps also the story as at least as exciting as in the first game. This time the danger is closer and bigger, and will keep you even longer in front of your console.
If you liked Ecco the Dolphin you will definitely love this game! I'd not recommend you to play this game before the first one, even though it is the better of the two. But both games could as well be seen as one huge, and to enjoy and understand the story completely you need to have completed Ecco the Dolphin first.
Though you need to know, this game is still as tough as the first one. But that's what keeps it so good. And like in the first game, there are so many positive aspects that you might see over having to try a task multiple times to complete it. So, enjoy it!