Before the Echo

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 62
  3. Negative: 7 out of 62

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  1. sh4dow
    Sep 17, 2012
    5
    I wish I would have come here and read the reviews before buying it, instead of just watching TB's "WTF is Sequence?".
    Although I may still have gotten it because the major complaint that most seem to have here is not one that I share. I do agree that the dialogue really is pretty childish but I don't have any issue with the basic gameplay.
    The thing I find horrible is the execution.    I wish I would have come here and read the reviews before buying it, instead of just watching TB's "WTF is Sequence?".
    Although I may still have gotten it because the major complaint that most seem to have here is not one that I share. I do agree that the dialogue really is pretty childish but I don't have any issue with the basic gameplay.
    The thing I find horrible is the execution. Just a few songs that you have to repeat over and over to grind for items and at some point, you'll likely to suddenly hit a wall with some enemy because he has so much health and so high a defense that you just can't kill him fast enough, no matter the spell combination. And once again, the grinding would have to commence. But not with me. I've played those same songs over and over already, providing no new challenge upon repetition (unlike games like e.g. Frequency where you would get a rating, you could see your improvement and whatnot) and I won't any more.    … Expand
  2. Brumbek
    Nov 24, 2012
    7
    Sequence is a fun but simple DDR-style rhythm game with just enough uniqueness to keep the 10 hours it takes to reach 100% completion interesting. Its voice acted narrative, level-up system, and loot and inventory elements help it rise above its fundamentally repetitive nature. Several NPCs have some really great dialogue, which kept me eager to push through to the next story scene. ItSequence is a fun but simple DDR-style rhythm game with just enough uniqueness to keep the 10 hours it takes to reach 100% completion interesting. Its voice acted narrative, level-up system, and loot and inventory elements help it rise above its fundamentally repetitive nature. Several NPCs have some really great dialogue, which kept me eager to push through to the next story scene. It would have been nice to have a lot more variety in the music, but thankfully the handful of tracks, especially Ronald Jankee's work, are all great. Considering only two people made the game (and it only cost me $1.25), Sequence was and is a memorable experience worth playing.… Expand
  3. x2495iiii
    Dec 27, 2011
    2
    I like indie games. You don't need a huge budget to make a great game. This isn't a great game. With bland gameplay that lost its novelty about a decade ago and a snark-soaked story that sounds like it was written by someone still in puberty, the game's only saving grace are the solid RPG elements, and those aren't enough to salvage this shipwreck. I give it one point for the art, andI like indie games. You don't need a huge budget to make a great game. This isn't a great game. With bland gameplay that lost its novelty about a decade ago and a snark-soaked story that sounds like it was written by someone still in puberty, the game's only saving grace are the solid RPG elements, and those aren't enough to salvage this shipwreck. I give it one point for the art, and another because one of the many eye-rollingly immature comments in the game's opening did make me chuckle.… Expand
  4. JonesR
    Mar 7, 2012
    6
    If you've ever seen or played Dance Dance Revolution, that kind of sums up the fundamentals of this game. But it is slightly deeper than just hitting the right button with the song rhythm because they throw in some RPG elements like spells, armor, and weapons alongside some basic character stats like hit points and mana. The music is the strong part of the game although so far it's beenIf you've ever seen or played Dance Dance Revolution, that kind of sums up the fundamentals of this game. But it is slightly deeper than just hitting the right button with the song rhythm because they throw in some RPG elements like spells, armor, and weapons alongside some basic character stats like hit points and mana. The music is the strong part of the game although so far it's been mostly techno type stuff. The story is vague and dumb. Overall, it's a bizarre attempt at mixing these two game genres together and the execution comes off pretty weak. It's definitely different...I'll give it that.… Expand
  5. Dashery
    Oct 27, 2011
    8
    For a $5 game I had never heard of before it popped up on Steam, I must admit I am quite impressed. The game-play is okay, it is your typical "DDR on the PC" sort of game, however, if you play on normal or below I have never really felt any urgency to Defend or really even Heal myself (though on a boss fight or two there were times this wasn't true). But the game-play, I feel, isn't whereFor a $5 game I had never heard of before it popped up on Steam, I must admit I am quite impressed. The game-play is okay, it is your typical "DDR on the PC" sort of game, however, if you play on normal or below I have never really felt any urgency to Defend or really even Heal myself (though on a boss fight or two there were times this wasn't true). But the game-play, I feel, isn't where this game shines. The music is catchy and full of silly names. I found myself drifting off to sleep one night and I couldn't get the blasted tune of one song out of my mind! And also: this game is fully voice acted. It's not the greatest voice acting, but it is certainly not the worst. As well, the whole cast of characters are full of internet life, with many "sub culture" jokes finding their way into the game. This and the voice acting really breathe life into Sequence, and that's what I think makes this game worth it.… Expand
  6. genoforprez
    Oct 23, 2011
    9
    A great title for its $5 price if you're up for a complex rhythm game mashed up with some extremely light RPG mechanics. The core of the game is essentially a Stepmania clone (i.e., Dance Dance Revolution with the arrow keys). However, sequence makes things more complicated by giving you three screens to cycle between. The red screen is the DEFEND screen, and all beats you miss on thisA great title for its $5 price if you're up for a complex rhythm game mashed up with some extremely light RPG mechanics. The core of the game is essentially a Stepmania clone (i.e., Dance Dance Revolution with the arrow keys). However, sequence makes things more complicated by giving you three screens to cycle between. The red screen is the DEFEND screen, and all beats you miss on this screen are taken as damage. The green screen is the CAST screen, which only throws beats at you when you attempt to cast a spell or effect via hotkeys on the numpad. Missing beats on the CAST screen causes your spell to automatically fail. The blue screen is a MANA recovery screen. There is no penalty for missing beats, but every beat hit recovers a small amount of mana. The action is complex, as you have to punch the arrows to the beat, cycle between the three screens, and cast spells all at once, which gives you quite a lot to watch. The only things I can say to watch out for with this game is that, firstly depending on your monitor, you may have to manually calibrate lag, and while the game makes adjusting the offset extremely easy, it does not provide a very good means of testing your offset compared to other popular rhythm games. As a result, it can take some trial and error to work out lag issues. Secondly, although this is not a complaint per se, I would caution any prospective buyers that the RPG elements in the game are extremely light. There is no exploration, there are three monsters to fight per floor, and you simply choose the monster as you would a song in Stepmania or DDR. You replay the monsters (i.e., songs) for experience or item drops that give you attack or defense perks, and there are some synthesis/item creation mechanics, but this is a rhythm game with some RPG stuff tacked on, not the other way around. Finally, the game has a sense of humor that some people are going to appreciate for its silliness and some people are going to find just dumb. For me, the humor has been hit or miss, floating at about the 50/50 mark. All in all, though, the game is great for a light and breezy casual game that's easy to jump in and out of, especially considering its low asking price.… Expand
  7. Freeoath
    Jan 8, 2012
    6
    Sequence is a nice game. On it's favor it has nice artwork and a cheap price tag. Sequence's game play is similar to stepmania but with a twist that you gain mana from a mana window to cast spells, those spells have another window to execute the spell. Last you also have a window for defence in which you have to take all in order to not loose health.
    It's a fun game that would have lost    Sequence is a nice game. On it's favor it has nice artwork and a cheap price tag. Sequence's game play is similar to stepmania but with a twist that you gain mana from a mana window to cast spells, those spells have another window to execute the spell. Last you also have a window for defence in which you have to take all in order to not loose health.
    It's a fun game that would have lost it's charm very fast if it wasn't for the story. The story isn't anything brilliant but it keeps you at least a bit entertained through the levels, other then that the game is rather repetitive    … Expand
  8. wjomlex
    Oct 29, 2011
    8
    I've been waiting for a rhythm-RPG for quite some time now, so it's awesome to finally see one. The gameplay is quite innovative, and the writing is frequently hilarious. There's definitely some JRPG grinding going on, which I wouldn't mind as much if there was a bit more song variety.

    This is definitely a very good start to what should be a more-explored genre, but I think there's a lot    I've been waiting for a rhythm-RPG for quite some time now, so it's awesome to finally see one. The gameplay is quite innovative, and the writing is frequently hilarious. There's definitely some JRPG grinding going on, which I wouldn't mind as much if there was a bit more song variety.

    This is definitely a very good start to what should be a more-explored genre, but I think there's a lot of room for further innovation.    … Expand
  9. SpoonGoggles
    Nov 2, 2011
    10
    Amazing game, bought it earlier today and I have been unable to take a break. As a fan of all sorts of RPGs, I can appreciate those elements. but the way they have been meshed together with rhythm gameplay is wonderful. A completely unique experience any rhythm game or RPG junkie should check out
  10. LosTChG
    Dec 30, 2012
    9
    I don't understand the hate directed at this game by the users... it's the best 0,99 euro (on Steam's christmas sale) I've spent in my life. The cost/(benefits*fun) rate is off the charts! I'm just in floor 5, and it's true that it suffers from lack of songs, but those that are present are really fine. The story is silly, but that is one of the points of the game itself! It has been a longI don't understand the hate directed at this game by the users... it's the best 0,99 euro (on Steam's christmas sale) I've spent in my life. The cost/(benefits*fun) rate is off the charts! I'm just in floor 5, and it's true that it suffers from lack of songs, but those that are present are really fine. The story is silly, but that is one of the points of the game itself! It has been a long time since a game made me pop a smile or a laugh.
    I don't understand also why people reverences the artwork... It's the main fail. If you're fan of character animation, body expressions and huge glistering explorable zones, don't waste your money on this. Nevertheless, the authors greatest archievement has been developing such adorable and midly deep characters with so few resources and decent voice acting (at least to me, whom English is a foreign language)    … Expand
  11. eatmyasia
    Oct 25, 2011
    10
    For me, it's a 10 for concept, and a 10 for execution. The 'battles' are fast paced and engaging in a completely new way, and the combat system is so intuitive (especially when using a controller/gamepad as Iridium recommends) that you should find that your proficiency will improve quite rapidly. The art, voice acting/dialogue (particularly the humour), and character of the game is soFor me, it's a 10 for concept, and a 10 for execution. The 'battles' are fast paced and engaging in a completely new way, and the combat system is so intuitive (especially when using a controller/gamepad as Iridium recommends) that you should find that your proficiency will improve quite rapidly. The art, voice acting/dialogue (particularly the humour), and character of the game is so charming, it's something that's difficult to pull yourself away from, and can't wait to jump back into. At only $5 (or less), this game is an absolute steal.… Expand
  12. extracrispy
    Jan 21, 2013
    0
    The music is bland save a few tracks and it becomes very repetitive. There is too much of a grind for items and with this silly "spend xp and have a chance to fail at crafting and learning scrolls" thing just adds more grinding. The story is also lame.
  13. bnub
    Oct 22, 2011
    10
    for a five dollar game, this is a great buy. the gameplay is new and very fun, keeping you doing something at all times. the story line to this game entertaining, and the humor is quite enjoyable. all the RPG elements are extremely well done, and fit the game like a glove. Ronald Jenkees is an amazing artist, and his music never gets old.
  14. Goosebump
    Nov 12, 2011
    8
    Price aside, the main control mechanism feels very clunky with a very unforgiving window of opportunity as to when the arrows can be clicked. This is the type of frustrating element that can lead to a "play once or twice and forget forever" game. It's unfortunate because it's actually a nice little game aside from that. The synthing is a welcome addition to have a sideline objective.Price aside, the main control mechanism feels very clunky with a very unforgiving window of opportunity as to when the arrows can be clicked. This is the type of frustrating element that can lead to a "play once or twice and forget forever" game. It's unfortunate because it's actually a nice little game aside from that. The synthing is a welcome addition to have a sideline objective. It's absolutely worth picking up though for the price it's costs - it's great value. 8/10 overall from me.… Expand
  15. BinarySplit
    Nov 2, 2011
    9
    Incredibly well put together indie game. A ridiculous amount of awesome has been poured into every aspect of the story, characters and even items' flavor text. My only complaint is that the music sounds was pretty boring, but that's easy enough to ignore.
  16. badrain
    Nov 28, 2011
    7
    Very, very nice game. It cost me almost nothing but I would gladly pay double price for it.. or even more. Graphics are mostly static, but artwork is pretty nice.. Voice-acting and music are top-notch, there's also plenty of good humour here. It's a rhythm game, but far more complicated than standard one. You need to control three separate screens, so without an xbox controller you willVery, very nice game. It cost me almost nothing but I would gladly pay double price for it.. or even more. Graphics are mostly static, but artwork is pretty nice.. Voice-acting and music are top-notch, there's also plenty of good humour here. It's a rhythm game, but far more complicated than standard one. You need to control three separate screens, so without an xbox controller you will fail miserably;) Gameplay is difficult, that is for sure... but who does not like challenges? :) I highly recommend this for all lovers of finger-breaking, rhythm games and arcade games in general. It won't steal your heart, but it's charming enough to steal a couple hours of your life ;) In conclusion : 7 points for Sequence!… Expand
  17. dimweat
    Dec 14, 2011
    8
    One of the best indie games on the market. You can tell the guys didnt have the bloated budget or technology of a mainstream title, but they did a great job compensating for it
  18. jamaca5006
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    This game is fun, elegant and smart. For five dollars it is easily one of the better games I have ever bought on steam. The story is a bit campy, but other than that there is not much that I can say negative about this game.
  19. Highwind_Hiatus
    Nov 14, 2011
    7
    For a five dollar game, can't really say much. It's a fun time killer and the dialogue is quirky, charming and at the most not boring. I guess It needs to be harder, even on the hardest setting (social retard mode, funny name) isn't that hard. And more music. The music is very well done. I just wish it wasn't re-used so much. Good concept, leaves you wanting a bit more out of it. But hey.For a five dollar game, can't really say much. It's a fun time killer and the dialogue is quirky, charming and at the most not boring. I guess It needs to be harder, even on the hardest setting (social retard mode, funny name) isn't that hard. And more music. The music is very well done. I just wish it wasn't re-used so much. Good concept, leaves you wanting a bit more out of it. But hey. 5 dollars.… Expand
  20. LeonidasRex
    Nov 26, 2011
    10
    I finally signed up with MC just to give this game a 10. It's a very low-budget game, so don't expect a lot of glitz. But the money was well spent, and the actual game underneath is excellent.
  21. Deadagent
    Dec 28, 2011
    5
    So there is one word that comes to mind when talking about this game, cheap. And while I mean that as a negative this game isnt the holy grail of indie gaming as people say it is.

    Now to get started I gotta say I have played indie games in the past, I have bought every single humble bundle. But what I mean when I say "cheap" is that this game feels like a flash game, more so than most    So there is one word that comes to mind when talking about this game, cheap. And while I mean that as a negative this game isnt the holy grail of indie gaming as people say it is.

    Now to get started I gotta say I have played indie games in the past, I have bought every single humble bundle. But what I mean when I say "cheap" is that this game feels like a flash game, more so than most flash games now days. The gameplay can be described simply an RPG with DDR as the fighting mechanic, wich sounds cool but the game really lacks any energy to deliver said coolness. Part of the problem is the characters stand still, some animation would really help to game this game feel less dull. The music dosent help too much either as it's mostly pretty laid back. Some drum n' bass or eurobeat would really make difference in the tone of this game.

    And lastly we come to the dialogue. oh dear, this is awful. This really feels like the developers are trying way too hard to be funny, and they're not most of the time.
    And it's not like when they fail you think "hey, "A" for effort" but rather "Oh no shut up you hipsters". What it boils down to is that this game feels like its made by hipsters for hipsters, and while that dosent kill the gameplay it still would need some time in development and maybe one more person to be in charge of the step charts.

    After all else has been said, pick it up once it's on sale, its not exactly worth 4â    … Expand
  22. JamesJoker
    Mar 3, 2012
    10
    This is really a fascincating game.
    The game dragged me into playing till i finished the game in one week.
    The story is good, the music great,
    so go get and play it!
  23. mybadgamertag
    Jul 12, 2013
    8
    I am a rhythm game fanatic. I've played Through Fire and Flames on Guitar hero on expert, and I play StepMania, one of the most intense rhythm games out there. When I saw this game I was kinda disappointed at first because the notes (arrows) looked very simple, and at first glance it looks MUCH too simple in comparison to something like Dragonforce on guitar hero, but when combined withI am a rhythm game fanatic. I've played Through Fire and Flames on Guitar hero on expert, and I play StepMania, one of the most intense rhythm games out there. When I saw this game I was kinda disappointed at first because the notes (arrows) looked very simple, and at first glance it looks MUCH too simple in comparison to something like Dragonforce on guitar hero, but when combined with the RPG mechanic, and having to switch between 3 screens, it ended up being surprisingly challenging.

    The crafting system could use some tweaks, and the overall gameplay is somewhat repetitive (as to be expected of a rhythm game) but I absolutely loved the story line, and the songs. One of the only indie games that I've enjoyed.

    Gameplay: 8/10
    Storyline: 9/10
    Repetitiveness: 5/10
    Price: 5/10 ($5 is meh, not good but not terrible)    … Expand
  24. Speth
    Dec 30, 2011
    9
    The game has an interesting story, unusual game-play (similar to DDR) and low price.
    Unfortunately, the normal opponents are practically all the same with a small difference.
    Worth to play.
  25. Setsuna86
    Feb 5, 2012
    9
    This game is all about fun. It's very cheap (you can purchase it on Steam for 3.99â
  26. skrik
    Sep 22, 2012
    4
    I dont like to give bad reviews, but I actually went all the way to create an account to give my advice on this game. This game is a grindfest with rythm gameplay. They keep reusing the same songs over and over again right from the second level. You keep having to re-fight the same ennemies to get XP and the elements to create new items... There is no real RPG in the fact that you dontI dont like to give bad reviews, but I actually went all the way to create an account to give my advice on this game. This game is a grindfest with rythm gameplay. They keep reusing the same songs over and over again right from the second level. You keep having to re-fight the same ennemies to get XP and the elements to create new items... There is no real RPG in the fact that you dont have anything to explore or anything. You jump from menu to menu and when ready to battle you select " battle". That's it. The story isnt compelling either but the dialogues are funny if you like slightly immature jokes. Other issue is that the musics, though nice, dont seem to fit a rythm game to me. They lack contrast and the keys you have to press dont seem to match the musics at all half of the times. Be sure to have a joypad to play too.
    Meh.    … Expand
  27. Whisper
    Nov 7, 2012
    6
    It's a nice little game that I truely enjoy. Some things are great like the game idea and the RPG elements that feels surprisingly fresh. I also enjoy the very simple yet engaging story and the dialog. Specially the snarky tone between the characters

    The things I don't like as much is that the game recycles lots of music (Little more variation would be nice). The thing that really kills    It's a nice little game that I truely enjoy. Some things are great like the game idea and the RPG elements that feels surprisingly fresh. I also enjoy the very simple yet engaging story and the dialog. Specially the snarky tone between the characters

    The things I don't like as much is that the game recycles lots of music (Little more variation would be nice). The thing that really kills it for me is the interface... It's extremely difficult to tell when a spell is ready, and I have lost several battles because of that. Also, the spell effects are ALWAYS in the way of your sight which means; the better you are, the more you will be shooting yourself in the foot. It's really sad, as It's really an easy fix, and the game would be much better without compromising it's unique gameplay.    … Expand
  28. MishterBobo
    Feb 18, 2013
    10
    An absolutely amazing game! While it isn't a game you can really play for 100 hours, I still had a great time playing it. And for only $5! The only issue I have with it is the synthing, and I find it stupid. But still, BUY IT.
  29. RageRuner
    Jun 1, 2020
    8
    This is a good game
    But it's not perfect
    Lets start with its glaring issues, first of all, the grinding. While I don't have a problem with the crafting system which is xp for items, its fine, my problem is, items have CHANCES to drop, meaning you might have to do the same fight 10 times before you get the item you need. Second, the lack of music is kind of annoying for a rhythm game, and    This is a good game
    But it's not perfect
    Lets start with its glaring issues, first of all, the grinding. While I don't have a problem with the crafting system which is xp for items, its fine, my problem is, items have CHANCES to drop, meaning you might have to do the same fight 10 times before you get the item you need. Second, the lack of music is kind of annoying for a rhythm game, and since you have to do the same fight over and over, and that really is a HUGE problem.
    What's good is its story, which, is basic, sure, but its good basic. The mechanics are good too, the spells are all unique, well, their casting is, the attacks are upgraded versions of others. The conversations and such are fun to read, but the 'twist' is very obvious. The difficulties do their job, and being able to play the map of the mana pool as a bonus is pretty cool too, but you can't change difficulties after floor 3. Overall, It's good even if I had less good than bad to say, it is overall a very interesting game. But in honesty I'm probably being bias because I like grindy rpgs.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. RPG Fan
    Jun 19, 2012
    72
    It's a fun game with some great mechanics and intriguing ideas going for it. If there was reduced experience gambling, less incessant grinding and a few additional songs, it could have been a far superior game.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 27, 2012
    70
    If you are not afraid of rhythmic games Sequence should definitely find the way to your screen. You get interesting musical title spiced with RPG elements. [Jan 2012]
  3. Game Over Online
    Feb 7, 2012
    79
    Overall, I was mildly entertained by Sequence, with its good points making up for the repetition, and leaving a bit little left over. Sequence only costs $5 (from Steam or Xbox Live), and it might take you up to 15 hours to complete, so along with it being odd and unique, it's also a pretty good deal. So if you have dexterous fingers and a weekend that you don't know what to do with, then there are certainly worse ways that you could spend your time.
    Read full review
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