A Mythic Metroidvania That Pushes Your Limits
At times, the way certain games are put into specific categories doesn’t exactly help them reach the right audience.
So many games lately have been labelled as a Soulslike or a Metroidvania, and I think us gamers have been so overwhelmed with these genres that it occasionally puts us off from trying new ones out.
Perhaps this is because these games are known for being just too punishing, and for some, the repetition of levels and segments sees the experience losing its shine.
Somber Echoes could well be called a Metroidvania-type of game, and it’s very similar in style to others in that genre. It’s got a brilliantly unique story about it, as well as some great visuals too. However, I am afraid it is also as hard as nails.
Story and Setting in a Sci-Fi Mythology
There was a cartoon series in the ’80s that was based on the story of Ulysses’ journey in a sci-fi setting – Ulysses 31. Somber Echoes has a similar feel, mixing Greek and Roman mythology with science fiction to create a blend of intriguing and unique storytelling.
You play as Adrestia, who awakens on a ship with one goal: to stop her twin sister, Harmonia, from being the harbinger of doom. The story is pieced together bit by bit as you travel, revealing itself in drips while Adrestia regains her memories. You meet famous figures from mythology like Hermes, and the story is full of dramatic narration and text logs you find throughout your journey. It’s a good tale and very epic in its telling.
Platforming into Light
The gameplay puts you in the classic 2.5D setup, with your character jumping and running around the levels. You have a map that shows you a marker indicating where you need to go, and you set off to try and forge a path to it. There are, of course, like in other games in this genre, areas that you might not be able to reach straight away, but to which you can return later, once more powerful, to try again.
Apart from the usual platforming mechanics you would expect from a game like this, there is one unique mechanic found in Somber Echoes – you can turn into a shining ball of light at any point. But why? Well, when you do this, you can direct the ball upwards to get to higher levels or in hope of traversing hard-to-reach areas.
As you progress, your ability gets upgraded, and you can begin to perform more advanced actions. It’s a great mechanic and serves as the game’s unique selling point. You’ll want to call on it too, as the platforming in Somber Echoes is tricky as well, and later on, you will be gnashing your teeth at the number of times you will be repeating certain levels.
Brutal Blades and Divine Dodges
But now we get to the hard part: the combat. And believe me, the combat in Somber Echoes is tricky right from the get-go.
You start with a sword and can hack away at the enemies coming at you. Further to that is the opportunity to utilise a shield, making the most of it so that you can block attacks and projectiles. There is a parry system at play here, and it is that which is vital to learn, because this will be your saviour in the gameplay, especially when it comes to the boss battles.
The question is, did I enjoy the combat? Well, it all works fine, there is no doubt about that, but I don’t think my old nerves can handle games like this anymore. Others, however, will thrive.
Mythic Landscapes and Haunting Sounds
What is a delight are the visuals; they are definitely one of the strongest aspects of the game’s design. The creature design is brilliant, especially in terms of the bosses themselves, which are sometimes terrifying. I loved how the mixture of sci-fi and myth was incorporated into the visual design with great success.
At times though, it’s not particularly clear to see what is going on, action-wise, especially in the tighter combat sections. And complementing things is a good bit of sound direction and design, with some effective sound effects and a heady mixture of ambient and action-based music.
A Challenging But Beautiful Metroidvania
Somber Echoes fits well into its Metroidvania category. It has an explorable map with secrets to find, fast platforming, and hard combat. It also has some great mechanics in terms of the way you can traverse the levels with the ball of light, and how that ability evolves. The story is good, both in terms of its visuals navigation and how it is revealed in stages. The combat is fine too, but on a personal level I’m just a bit tired of constantly being on the edge of death.
But if you have an iron heart and reflexes from the gods, you will have some fun with Somber Echoes.
Important Links
Somber Echoes is One of 2025’s Most Promising Platformers – Now on Xbox and PlayStation – https://www.thexboxhub.com/somber-echoes-is-one-of-2025s-most-promising-platformers-now-on-xbox-and-playstation/
Buy Somber Echoes on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/somber-echoes/9pcq6xzx1n1f
