Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future (2000)
Genres:Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Puzzle
Themes:Action, Science fiction
Game modes:Single player
Story:At the dawn of the 30th Century, dolphins and humans had been together in a cross-species society for 500 years. Together, they had set out to explore space, offering peace and friendship to all who would welcome it. But space had its dangers; a violent species known as the Foe decided to conquer Earth. However, the dolphins and humans drove them to the brink of defeat, and so the Foe sought vengeance on Earth. The few caretaker dolphins who had been left behind on Earth were not entirely defenseless; they were protected by their creation called the Guardian—a gigantic, sentient being made of a crystalline substance which projected a forcefield over the entire planet. Undeterred, the Foe made suicide attacks on the field, searching for a weak point.Show more
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@JigsawWranglerJanuary 30, 2025
This game came out back when I was a child. I remember being enchanted by the gorgeous, atmospheric soundtrack and environments, and the gameplay of zipping around as a nimble dolphin catching fish, doing tricks just because I could, talking to other dolphins, and playing with other sea creatures - but too daunted by the fourth level, a cave system with few air sources and an exit guarded by a giant eel, to complete it, despite being excited to see what kinds of places and other animals the game would take me to beyond it. I then revisited it about ten years later and found myself staying up to marathon the game in all its twists and turns all the way up to the delightfully imaginative but notoriously tricky precision platforming Hanging Waters level.
Maybe now that it's been another ten years, I'd finally be able to push past that level, too, and beat the game fully - and even if I had beaten it previously, it'd be a joy to re-experience. While there are certainly other underwater games out there that provide their own kind of lovely and/or haunting ride, Subnautica has been the only game I've played since that's captured this particular kind of underwater adventure experience and "vibe" for me: tense, surprising, and at times dark and murky and intimidating in a way that never lets you completely forget it once you leave the safety of the starting area, even if there are places after where the danger lets up; but also so beautiful and almost whimsically exciting to be immersed in that you can't help but happily explore and look forward to discovering what it presents you with.
@ajc242424January 29, 2025
An incredible underwater simulation, gorgeous visuals, engaging puzzles, a beautiful Tim Follin soundtrack and some dark, emotional storytelling make Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future one of the best games ever made in my humble opinion. A truly unique experience and one which lovers of the series will greatly enjoy.
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