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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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!
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. Setsuna86
    Feb 5, 2012
    9
    This game is all about fun. It's very cheap (you can purchase it on Steam for 3.99â
  17. 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.
  18. 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
See all critic reviews »