Echo Weaver

Echo Weaver is a bold take on the Metroidvania formula: a tightly constructed adventure that wholeheartedly commits to familiar science fiction elements and, in the process, makes them its own.

Echo Weaver’s unique approach to the Metroid structure is admirable, unique, and well executed.

While it has an odd early stumble, its time loop and warping mechanics do bring unique challenges to the Metroidvania space

If you're here hoping for a time loop game's usual fondness for engaging the noodle, I worry all you'll find are puzzle elements you've seen before, a mystery with incongruously quippy, borderline childish line writing, and just too much going on. The things you may anticipate are very much auxiliary to the metroidvania, and I think it's so important to understand which crowd you're a part of. If you're sure you're in the right place, Echo Weaver's loop is such a fascinating thing. It's an absurd declaration of confidence. The way it hides the coin behind your ear is so clever and wonderfully insulting. And it's such a rare, novel interpretation of an ancient genre that often feels like it's got nothing left to give.

Echo Weaver successfully blends story and time-manipulation gameplay into a "metroidBRAINia" experience—one where progress stems from the gradual acquisition of knowledge, mechanics, and abilities that were available all along, even if the player didn't realize it. Exploration via time loops is dynamic, and new discoveries are logged in an accessible, instructive way; however, the sheer number of shortcuts, techniques, and connections can eventually become mind-boggling, complicating the flow of this beautiful 2D platformer. The world itself is a massive puzzle, making the game recommended for those who enjoy unraveling the intricacies of its inner workings.

Echo Weaver is a very compelling concept for a Metroidvania, and presents some truly great gameplay ideas that I don’t think I’ve seen before. It’s a melding of various mechanics and while some of the resulting design choices make the game stumble just short of reaching excellence, the overall experience is one I can still see echoing in my brain for a long time to come.

Echo Weaver is a thrilling metroidbrainia that turns knowledge into progression, combining a tightly designed time loop with expressive platforming, rewarding exploration, and an engrossing mystery.