Work on the game began in 2015, when the Oculus Touch prototypes were released to developers. A year afterward, Ready At Dawn did a five-day game jam (a contest where participants make games from scratch). This led to a game called “Echo Arena,” a sports game that uses zero gravity similar to
The team then split to work on both “Lone Echo” and “Echo Arena.” On July 20, 2017, “Lone Echo” and “Echo Arena” were released. Jump to E3 2019 on June 10, 2019, when the team announced they were working on bringing “Echo Arena” to the Oculus Quest. On May 5, the game opened the beta version of the Oculus Quest to the public.
The gameplay of “Echo Arena” is quite simple. You and several other robotic players in your team have to get your disc into the opponent’s goal in an anti-gravity arena. In order to navigate through this anti-gravity arena, you use jets that are on your wrists. You can stun your enemies by punching them in the head, which will also drop the disc if they have their hands on it. You can also block yourself, which will stun the enemy if he attempts to punch you as you block.
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| Image Courtesy of Oculus |
As you gain experience every match and level up, you get colors and decorations to customize your robot in the hub.
In the “hub,” you can practice your skills at throwing the disc, stunning enemies, and customize your robot. This is also where you can join games. The hub is a great place to get used to zero-g.
This game is also an option for working out. In a review for this game from VR Fitness Insider, Sonya Haskins, a journalist in VR esports for VR Fitness Insider, wrote that she burned about 169 calories in a 30-minute session using a Samsung Gear Fit 2. She said, “I’ve not only had terrific fun playing this game, but I’ve also lost about 45 pounds playing regularly so it is definitely a great workout option.”
Overall, I had a ton of fun with this gameplay. So did Kellen Beck, an entertainment reporter at Mashable. He wrote that after he became comfortable with the controls he “almost completely forgot that I was in VR.” It was also thanks to the realism of his fellow players. The game reacts to your head and hand movements. If you’re waving your hand, your character is also waving his hand. There is an “element of humanity” that Beck really appreciated while playing this game.
I have two complaints concerning this game, however. The first is that despite you having to throw a disc in this game, you have to throw it like a ball instead of a frisbee. It really throws me off.
Another complaint is that it is a bit lacking. You can’t do much other than playing the arena and customizing your character in the hub. It also lacks in variety. There is only one arena where you can play the game.
Overall, the gameplay is very immersive and fun. While it can be lacking and throwing the disc can feel a bit off, I enjoyed it. I give the gameplay an A-.
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| Image Courtesy of Oculus |
There is no story whatsoever in this game so it gets an immediate C in that regard.
The soundtrack is fine. Music plays as you play the game and in the main menu. Every time someone scores a guitar riff plays. There is no music in the hub, however. It isn’t much, but it’s nice there is music in this game. I give the soundtrack a B-.
To conclude, I had fun with this game. It is lacking in every other aspect besides gameplay. David Jagneaux, senior editor of Upload VR, who called this game “one of the best multiplayer VR games to date,” thanks to it’s fast-paced and intense gameplay. I agree with this, however, it is mostly due to the fact there aren’t many multiplayer VR games out there (or I am not aware of them). The game is free right now so I recommend giving it a shot. I give the game a 6.3/10.
At a Glance: Echo Arena
Summary: Throw discs at the enemy’s goal in an anti-gravity arena.
Rated: T for Teen: Violence, users interact, digital purchases
Price: Free
Release Date: July 20, 2017 (Beta for the Oculus Quest version opened on May 5, 2020)
Distributor: Ready At Dawn
VR Headsets: Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, Oculus Rift S, and Oculus Touch.
Rating: 6.3/10
