Lone Echo Reviews
Lone Echo and Echo Arena are the rare games that demonstrate the true value of VR and hand tracking. Its sense of movement feels great, and it couldn't exist in any other way. Lone Echo's well-acted story and interesting environments move at a slow enough pace that you can soak it all in and appreciate the sensation of virtual weightlessness before jumping into the fast, sweaty, competitive action of Echo Arena. The fact that you can experience the multiplayer without even buying it means it's one of the first things any Oculus Rift owner should download.
I think VR developers are getting the hang of things. I'm no longer suggesting friends pick up titles because "it's a good way to kill 20 minutes," but rather because these are video game experiences worth having and enjoying. Lone Echo strikes an exciting balance between exploration and puzzles that make space seem like a playground for the player. It really nails the relationship between the two main characters and does a great job of telling an interesting, if a bit predictable, story thanks to a unique conversation mechanic and great voice acting.
For the first time ever, I truly felt like I was in space, an experience only made possible with the power of virtual reality.
If Adr1ft had arrived too early, bringing with it a large load of innovation but also a lot of naivety, Lone Echo takes over the baton and represents the first real zero gravity adventure in VR. The narrative takes its time to evolve properly, while the locomotion system accompanies exploration to perfection, managing to make players feel free and agile, without any unwelcome side effects.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Lone Echo is a smart VR experience that handles movement exceptionally well. It's one of the most polished and engaging VR games currently available.
Simply put, Lone Echo is the best VR game ever released. An immersive experience with fantastic mechanics, and well-written that makes us almost forget we're in a video game. Brilliant !
Review in French | Read full review
Lone Echo is an incredible leap forward for VR via its ability to capture both zero gravity and space environments. It does have its fair share of interaction and progression bugs, but not enough to significantly detract from something truly special. Those prone to motion sickness, ease into it.
VR games oftentimes follow a certain trope like recreating something you can do in real life, throwing you into a zombie apocalypse, or giving you a gun. Lone Echo on Oculus Rift differs in standard VR gameplay and drops you into the body of an android dubbed, Jack, alongside Captain Olivia Rhodes on a mission on a space station near the rings of Saturn. The game starts out with you aiding Captain Rhodes in some basic tasks as you go through tutorial-like stages by teaching you how to use your IO-sensor, welding torch, repulsion traversal jets, and a rocket pack. In the opening act of the game, you will move around the space station accessing control ports and panels, turning dials and levers to complete small puzzle sections.
While Lone Echo is not the first game to take science fiction trappings and add a sense of weightless movement to the proceedings, it is easily the best example to date so far. The story is fantastic, the controls and visuals are completely immersive and is truly one of those games that could only be effectively conveyed with virtual reality.