Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Eschatos Review Microsoft Xbox360

Collapse
X
Collapse
  •  

  • Eschatos Review Microsoft Xbox360

    Further cementing the 360’s reputation as the current home for the genre, Eschatos sees publisher Qute taking their best shot at tapping into the limited but dedicated pool of gamers looking for their shoot 'em up fix. Unlike a lot of other titles filling this space, there’s something to be said for the frank simplicity of the title too. There’s no pandering to demographics with pretty anime characters dotted around the menus and on the box; instead, we have a refreshingly simple image with a ship shooting at a larger enemy ship. There’s certainly no room for doubt in terms of expectations.
    Click image for larger version

Name:	1688337-eschatos_screen_8_super.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	29.3 KB
ID:	2741302
    The focus on the functional stretches beyond initial impressions too, and despite a 3D engine powering the game, none of the assets being used are of particular note – even the boss enemies remain relatively non-descript, and are best remembered by their attack patterns as opposed to their presentation. Whilst this may be an excusable design choice, far more disappointing is the use of 3D space during some of these battles, where your viewpoint and perspective is spun around in a variety of confusing ways that seems to offer innovation only for innovation’s sake. The game’s score however is delightfully retro, and thankfully without any such bitter pills to sour the experience – if anything the bundled CD soundtrack serves as colours nailed to the mast in contrary.
    Click image for larger version

Name:	EschatosScreen.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	47.8 KB
ID:	2741303


    The pacing is one of little bloat, where transitions between the game’s numerous quick-hitting areas are identified only with a short break in enemy attacks and a smattering of text appearing on screen, all whilst you remain in full control of your ship. This leaves you with little downtime to lose your focus, but the lack of grandeur or celebration when passing through these may leave some cold. Whilst there is only one ship available, there are three selectable ship speeds and two different shot types; a focused head-on shot, and a spread shot covering a greater area. Pressing both ofthese two together generates a ball of energy at the front of the ship that acts as a shield, absorbing shots and protecting you whilst counting down a strength meter as the hits plough in.

    Whilst there are a number of modes and difficulties to choose from, the biggest distinction is between ‘Original’ and ‘Advanced’ modes. Whilst the former’s scoring mechanism is dependent on a multiplier that is kept up by destroying every enemy in an area - demanding tactical weapon switching as a priority - the latter uses a few simple ideas to generate a much more strategic game. Pivotally, the shots that your shield stops generate score items that increase in value the more you absorb; new collectables become available too, with the option to either ‘power up’ or ‘power down’ your shot power via enemy-dropped items. But why power down? With each increase in your shot power, you shave precious time from your shield’s capacity, meaning that an all-out offensive ship can gun down enemy waves effectively but is left with little defence - or scoring potential - in the face of enemy fire. Despite some minor nuances left untouched, this is as deep as the system gets; those used to playing (and studying) deeper games may unfortunately find this to be an instant turn-off.



    Whilst unfamiliarity with Qute’s back catalogue may be common, it’s to their credit that they have uprooted their two most noteworthy titles from their Wonderswan home and included them as extras on this disc. The first, Judgement SilverSword, is reason alone for many to purchase the package, with this not only being the first chance to play it on non-handheld system, but also without the ludicrous three-figure asking price it fetches on popular auction sites. JSS certainly remains fun, and darting between this and Eschatos’ original mode highlights Qute’s recognition of this – the game structure and shot types are nearly identical, and many enemies seem to be direct clones of those featured here. The second title, Cardinal Sins, also re-uses assets from JSS, but breaks the play formula in a truly unique manner. Each short play sees you pass through 7 stages, with different scoring methods required for each, themed alongside the 7 sins. ‘Wrath’ puts you in the middle of an enemy boss attack and scores you based on your number of deaths for instance, whereas ‘Sloth’ forces you to moderate your firepower by having you collect 1-ups that are damaged by your shots, and ‘Pride’ gives you a constant stream of enemies but only measures kills attained whilst your multiplier exceeds 100. Both Wonderswan games lack polish, but there are some great ideas in here that certainly warrant some time spent exploring them.

    Additional play-throughs are rewarded via a levelling system found across all games, where time spent in-game leads to rewards such as extra lives & continues, new options and the like. Whilst a pleasant idea in theory, the requirement to have reached level 20 to allow download of other players’ uploaded replays on the leaderboard is particularly bizarre.



    The breadth of difficulty presented across all of these titles and modes is surprisingly varied and commendably approachable. Looking at Eschatos in particular, easy mode is just that - even the most novice player can hope to achieve the hallowed 1CC after a few attempts – whereas hard mode challenges sufficiently to put all but the most dedicated players off investigating the locked additional difficulty settings. In a genre where accessibility is often at most an after-thought, and regularly overlooked in fear of diluting the formula, Eschatos is certainly in the minority on this front. As an additional string to its bow, a region-free release certainly opens it up as a potential recommend to those looking for a quick, familiar, retro-style shooter. Those coming across from the more heavyweight shooters on the 360 may find themselves disappointed however, as whilst substance over style is expected, there is variety here but only artificial challenge - not the kind of depth many will expect.

    Pros:
    - Wide range of difficulties
    - Bonus Wonderswan games included in package
    - Straightforward and clean presentation
    Cons:
    - Lack of visual flair
    - Overly simplistic scoring system
    - Bad use of 3D space

    Score: 7/10


    Go ahead and buy this from Play-Asia and support more reviews like this.
    Note, as the review states, Eschatos is region free so will play on any region Xbox 360.
      Posting comments is disabled.

    Categories

    Collapse

    Latest Articles

    Collapse

    • Motion Gravure Review - Sony PS2
      by Archives
      In this image-obsessed industry, it's critical that a game projects a strong sense of identity. With an identity comes a target audience. Sony have arguably captured the 'twenty-something male' flag and, to consolidate this position, Sony Music Entertainment releases this: a game featuring nothing but scantily clad females. Oh, and some very nice scenery.
      ...
      21-08-2023, 12:13
    • Devil May Cry 3 Review - Sony PS2
      by Archives
      Family reunions tend to follow one of two distinct protocols: everyone meets up, reminisces and has a good old chat and a laugh; or everyone meets up, reminisces and remembers why it’s been so long since they last saw each other, the evening ending in a ferocious argument. Why is this relevant to this Devil May Cry 3 review?
      The latest meeting of the divinely comedic twin siblings of Dante and Vergil falls rather violently into the second category. Something about their murdered mother’s amule...
      06-09-2022, 08:30
    • Silent Hill 3 Review - Sony PS2
      by Archives
      Fear. It’s something that collective consciousness values as a desirable commodity, especially in the pop culture spin of everyday modern life - An element that mainstream entertainment likes to use in distilled form when it comes to getting a rise out of our adrenaline glands. Whether it be watching the latest slasher flick, experimenting with the next extreme sport or avidly reading the current best-selling horror fiction… On the whole, we take pleasure out of being scared. Read this Silent...
      11-07-2022, 13:50
    • Viewtiful Joe Review - Nintendo Gamecube
      by Archives
      Pink Lycra. There just isn't enough of it in video games. So Capcom have bravely stepped-up to the plate and given us a game, starring a Hot Pink hero, clad in a spandex jumpsuit, that isn't afraid to be laid back and humorous in style, whilst containing some rock-solid gameplay at its core. Like a piece of candy with a stone centre, Viewtiful Joe is sweet and tempting to the eye, but underneath is solid rock. Our hero is introduced in the opening cut-scene as a bubble-headed, California-accented Sk8r Boi, o...
      15-05-2022, 11:48
    • Castlevania: White Night Concerto Review - Nintendo GBA
      by Archives
      Castlevania: White Night Concerto is the latest instalment in Konamis Castlevania series. It is the second title for the GBA, but the first Castlevania game appeared on the NES back in 1987. It is ostensibly a platform game, like its predecessors. Certain things have remained constant throughout the series- in all but a couple of Castlevania outings, the main protagonist (in this case Juste Belmont) brandishes a whip. Secondary weapons are also available. Again these weapons are the same as tho...
      03-04-2022, 15:57
    • Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Mugen no Frontier EXCEED Review - Nintendo DS
      by Steven Walker
      For the uninitiated, Super Robot Wars Original Generation Saga: Mugen no Frontier (Endless Frontier) is an action-RPG spin-off from the popular Super Robot Wars series. The player has to use attacks to keep enemies in the air in order to do maximum damage, and string together as many attacks as they can. Timing and knowledge of characters' moves is the key to success. SRW OG Saga: Mugen no Frontier EXCEED is the sequel, and goes to show that a follow-up can be better than the original.
      T...
      04-01-2022, 15:20
    Working...
    X