Far from its marble classical facade, the palace is actually a sentient being, devoid of any human inhabitants. Using sophisticated technology, it observes your every move and creates clones of your character known as Echoes, which will try to wipe you out. The game essentially takes the sci-fi rulebook and throws it out the window by cleverly using these copies to mimic your play style – meaning you will have to keep changing your tactics to progress.
I was lucky enough to get a chance to speak to Martin Emborg, the lead designer for Echo, and unpack his thoughts about and inspirations behind this title.
GameSkinny: Ultra Ultra is relatively new to the games industry. What has the journey been like for you to go from an aspiring developer to an actual development team?
GS: From the look of Echo, it’s hard to believe that a team of only eight people developed it. How did the size of your team affect your development process and the number of concepts you were able to execute in the final version of the game?
GS: The trailer features a palace setting that seems to combine classical architecture with futuristic, sci-fi elements. What inspired this aesthetic, and how did you go about implementing it successfully?
GS: With a female protagonist in En and a sci-fi setting, some may say that this is a Metroidvania type of game. Would you say that Metroid was an influence?
GS: The idea of having clones (or Echoes, in this case) copy your behavior in-game sets it apart from other sci-fi shooters. What led you to implement this mechanic in the game, and how does it serve to improve the experience for the player? Is it possible to outsmart these Echoes?
(Note: This is clear from the walkthrough narrated by Martin that went live just after the interview).
GS: How does the Palace’s setting (and the Echoes inside) inform the narrative around En’s quest to restore “a life that should never have been lost”? Is there more background information you could give us about the world she’s visiting or what her ultimate goal is?
How did she find the Palace? Why does she believe that she can bring someone back out here? And indeed, who is En and this person she wants to revive?
These are all questions that the story revolves around. The player is dropped into the narrative as she awakens on the ship, and has to piece the situation together from the conversations between En and the ship’s AI London as they enter the dark Palace.
GS: If Echo is a success, would you ever consider creating a sequel for it or turning it into a franchise? Alternatively, would your team prefer to leave it as a standalone game and simply apply the lessons learned from developing this game to a new project?
Many thanks to Martin Emborg (via PR guru Chris Kramer of Forty Seven Communications) for answering my burning questions. Echo will be out on PS4 Pro, PS4 and Steam on September 19. You can check out the game’s website and follow Ultra Ultra’s Twitter feed or Facebook page if you want to know more about this upcoming release.
