Echoes of the End

For $40, you’ll get 15 or so hours of a lite Icelandic folklore version of the modern God of War games. It comes with caveats – finding the right difficulty and looking past annoyances with puzzles and combat – but I’d recommend giving Echoes of the End a go.

There is a lot I enjoyed about Echoes of the End. Great characters, incredible vista, and fun puzzles. It's a shame that the combat can become frustrating, and some technical issues prevent it from reaching its full potential.

Echoes of the End is annoying, because it just needs a bit more time to iron out the niggles and give it that extra layer of polish. As it is it's got a lot going for it but some will lose sight of it through some issues that get in the way.

Echoes of the End is a commendable first effort from Myrkur Games. Its detailed Icelandic vistas give the production a true AAA feel, and the combat system is satisfying, though it would benefit from greater enemy variety. The game also deserves credit for its wide range of environmental puzzles. However, its Achilles’ heel is poor sound design, with weak effects and an utterly forgettable soundtrack.

With a major imbalance throughout its structure, a clear lack of experience in some decisions, and the need for greater refinement, Echoes of the End is an average action-adventure game that fails to deliver its full potential despite having some good ideas.

Echoes of the End draws inspiration from titles like Hellblade or God of War, offering a linear adventure with stylish but shallow combat, limited exploration, and a cliché-ridden story. Despite technical issues, its promising magic system adds some genuine appeal.

Echoes of the End is hugely ambitious and often delightfully traditional in the best kind of way. It's also riddled with baffling design choices, clunky mechanics, and some truly clunky dialog. Nevertheless, it's a great calling card for a studio that will do better in the future.

Ambitious but lacking bite, Echoes of the End borrows from bigger names yet struggles to engage. Its visuals are stunning and the puzzle-platforming has flashes of brilliance, but a directionless story and clunky combat drag it down. Ryn’s magical powers shine, though whenever they’re not in focus the experience falters. The potential is there, but it largely goes unrealized. Worth a shot for fans of narrative-driven adventures, but expect some frustrations.

Echoes of the End is a good first game for Myrkur Games. Despite the predictable story and uncharismatic characters, the studio's effort is remarkable. The game stands out for its scenery, puzzles, and good optimization on consoles.

Echoes of the End is a game with good intentions but struggles to shine in its key areas, particularly combat. While its visuals are eye-catching and it presents some appealing ideas, the experience quickly loses momentum due to unpolished mechanics and a clunky combat system.