Echoes of Eldoria – Šarmantna precizna platformerska igra

• DEVELOPER: Joshua Shih, Dylan Ott, Iyan McArthur, Ash Howell
• IZDAVAČ: Summit Studios
• PLATFORME: PC
• ŽANR: Platformer
• DATUM IZLASKA: 7. travnja 2025.
• POČETNA CIJENA: 6,89€
• RECENZIRANA VERZIJA: PC

Echoes of Eldoria is an ambitious debut from Summit Studios, combining the punishing precision of Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy with the vertical challenge of Jump King. This 2D puzzle platformer casts you as a young wizard whose powers have been stolen by the dragon Eldaria. To reclaim your magical abilities, you’ll ascend through a whimsical, nature-rich world, solving environmental puzzles and mastering tight, responsive controls. With its charming aesthetic, clever speedrunning elements, and bite-sized gameplay sessions, Echoes of Eldoria is a labor of love, perfect for players who enjoy experimentation and a satisfying challenge.

Precision Meets Puzzles in a Vertical Quest

The core of Echoes of Eldoria is its vertical platforming loop: climb, leap, and puzzle your way up cliffs, waterfalls, and desert ruins to catch Eldaria. You start powerless, relying on basic jumps and a companion flame, Echo, who offers cryptic hints when you’re stuck. As you progress through multiple distinct levels, such as Sylvano Mountain Base, Faelyn Falls, or Reisa Sands, you reclaim abilities that transform the challenge.

For example, the Fleetfoot Amulet grants quick dashes to cross gaps or scale slopes, while a magical vine spell latches onto designated targets, letting you swing to new heights or activate distant switches. The ice beam freezes moving objects, creating temporary platforms, and the gravity-flipping boots allow you to walk on ceilings or undersides near specific zones. Each mechanic is carefully designed, seamlessly integrating with the game’s puzzles. You start with nothing, gradually unlocking these abilities as you progress, culminating in later stages that demand skillful combinations of all your powers.

However, some mechanics feel slightly unpolished, like the vines, which can be unpredictable and require overly precise positioning. Each stage is a continuous ascent with no checkpoints, pushing you to master every move or tumble back to the start. While the Jump King-style challenge tests reflexes and patience, clever puzzles like aligning boxes or timing swings add a Zelda-esque layer of strategy. That said, the game avoids excessive frustration: falling doesn’t punish as harshly as similar titles. Quick respawns and minimal progress loss keep the focus on skillful play rather than rage-inducing repetition.

Personally, I didn’t find Echoes of Eldoria overly difficult, partly because the level design or maps are quite small. Most players will likely finish in under three hours, though some clever “aha!” moments might slow you down as you piece together solutions without handholding. My biggest gripe is the lack of a full map view. Beyond the initial glance at the start, there’s no way to check your overall progress, a missed opportunity for speedrunners and players trying to optimize routes or uncover hidden movement tech.

Cute Meets Challenging

Visually, Echoes of Eldoria evokes the charm of a cozy indie game with its vibrant 2D art style. Crisp, cartoonish environments, from lush forests to misty waterfalls and sunbaked ruins, pop with warmth and personality. The wizard’s small but expressive sprite comes alive through subtle details, like his robe billowing during swings or gravity flips. While spell effects like vines and ice beams stand out against the muted backdrops, the animation feels somewhat limited overall; jumps lack weight, and many actions could benefit from more fluid motion.

At just under 5€ (currently discounted), Echoes of Eldoria offers solid value, though I can’t help but wish for more modes or additional content. While not the most detailed game in its genre, it delivers satisfying gameplay flow that makes it perfect as a “precision platformer for beginners”, an accessible entry point for players new to these kind of platformers.

Priced at 6.89€, it’s an absolute steal for fans of skill-based challenges or those who enjoy supporting indie passion projects. That said, its limited polish, and relatively short length might deter more casual players. What you’re really buying here is potential, a promising first glimpse at what this talented team could create with more resources. Consider this your invitation to a trial by fire (or rather, trial by vine and ice beam).

Recenzentski primjerak ustupio izdavač

3.8