A poorly-designed puzzle game, although calling it a "puzzle game" almost feels like a misidentification. I would have much preferred for Echoshift to be a puzzle game. Instead, it's more like a platformer with poor, slow, unresponsive controls and harsh timers. Managing multiple timed elements against the clock with an avatar that feels as though it's moving through molasses is not fun. Navigating stairs is an awful experience - they feel like a throwback to old Castlevania stairs, and not in a good way. Some of the spacing of platform elements also feels off, like trampolines that toss your avatar just a shade farther than the start of some stairs, requiring a turn, half-step back, and then climb.

I could still deal with all of that, except that the game requires optimization to unlock further levels and progress. At a certain, relatively early point, the full three stars are demanded. These levels and gameplay weren't much fun the first few times that it took me to finish them, even with a less-than-ideal two star rating, and I'm not going back to wrestle with these controls for all three.

I am a person who enjoys solving puzzles, overcoming challenges in video games. When I saw Echoshift on PS+ Deluxe, I thought this would be fun. And it was, until the game turned into nightmare. Echoshift has 63 stages where you must cooperate with your "other selves" to complete a map. Each stages has 2 more challenges where you play the same map but this time you must grab the key as well, or you can stop time for couple seconds. After I completed around 20 stages (and with 2 other challenges it makes 60 times), I realised that its not satisfaying me anymore. Because this game lacks of "fun". In first hours of my experience, I was just checking the map for once then I was like: "okay, i think i know what to do." And in last hours, I had to think like 20 times before I start the stage. Even with the rewind feature of the emulator, it was so difficult. There are 63 stages but I think they should've had to focus on making the game more fun to play instead of adding dozens of stages.

The echo series is a very cerebral puzzle series that really is not for everyone, and echoshift is no exception. The game just makes you really think and screws with your perspective in a way that requires a lot of trial and error, and mainly memorization.

echoshift lets you directly control your echo, but this game uses a time mechanic instead of perspective. Every level is a 2D side view and you mainly are pressing switches, walking through doors, and basically trying to find the fastest route to the exit. You get 50 seconds for your first echo to try and clear the way. Then your echo will do what you just did. This is the key element in echoshift to solve puzzles since you can’t always solve them in 50 seconds.


Let’s say you have 5 sets of switches, but you can only do three in 50 seconds. There are 5 blocks on each set and only one is the right switch. You would have your first echo solve three then while that echo redoes what you did you go solve the third (the final switch your last echo will press) and then you solve the last two. Confused? I don’t blame you since it takes a lot of critical thinking to get these 5o or so levels solved. You get rated on how many echos you had to use and if you beat the level you can go back and solve the version to find the key…which really has no purpose.

The graphics are very simple, just black and white, and all the items you interact with are in color. The game is also very slow paced to only the patient will find any fun in this game. echoshift is one of those rare puzzle games that make you think so much your brain will explode and I can’t stress this enough. There were times where I was too tired to think to play this game, but it gets the thinking juices flowing and can be a good exercise to get into the flow of school or any office work.