- Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
- Release Date: May 16, 2001
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- Critic score
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- By date
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It looks as though the programmers just rushed to wrap the game up, eliminating any possibility to get a good background story, and incorporating only the basic Multiplayer options (LAN or Internet, but you'll have to set the IP addresses manually).
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Graphics aside, several key issues keep it from reaching the level expected of today's sims, such as: a difficult-to-access multiplayer mode, a mediocre interface, poor sound effects, and harder-than-necessary difficulty.
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I enjoyed playing Echelon. The environments look great, the action is fast, and most of the missions can be taken on the third or fourth try.
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Da GameboyzEchelon didn’t live up to its hype, and although the graphics can keep your eyes interested, the shallow entertainment of air combat will not.
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It's easy to be wooed by Echelon's glorious graphics and its sometimes epic atmosphere, but the game is marred by a few problems which could sadly bring it down with a disappointing thud for many.
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Despite the disappointing AI and intense, at times unfair difficulty levels, it is a fun game. However, it's barely playing the same sport, never mind in the same league as "FreeSpace 2."
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A disappointment. I expected your character to play a more integral role in the story. No such luck. I expected better AI from a game that has been in development for this long. Nope.
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GamePowerEchelon is as beautiful as it is thrilling. No virtual space jock should be without it.
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In spite of its problems, Echelon does hit close enough to the mark to offer some fast and flashy, but ultimately shallow, thrills.
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There is some good fun to be found in Echelon, but it's hidden behind too many problems and unpolished gameplay.
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There is absolutely no progression of personal growth nor will the fundamental storyline leave you wanting more. If there was anything that saves it from the trash it would be its thrilling graphics that go beyond normal second rate flight simulations.
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Whether trying to negotiate a canyon under fire at a high speed in a tutorial, or trying to target without flying in a straight line for too long least you get blown from the sky, Echelon is simply superb graphically.
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Cool ship designs, an inventive flight model and some originality in the overall concept make Echelon a standout in the genre. Some poverty of design keeps the game from reaching the heights it should achieve however.
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The game is really not helped by slightly confusing controls, and it will take a few premature deaths before you really get the hang of them but once you do, the excellent nature of the audio-visuals really draws you into the game and leaves you absolutely hooked.
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It’s a high intensity combat game that could have pushed the genres to new heights. However, many gamers may be turned off by its long list of problems, and rightly so.
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Falls a bit short. Still, a relatively compelling story, good flight controls, and a nod toward realism help block out the graphical glitches and penchant for system-crashing memory leaks.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 7 out of 16
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Mixed: 6 out of 16
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Negative: 3 out of 16
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PaulC.Jan 25, 2010