Strategic Deck-Building In A Supernatural 1987
Back in 2021, an indie game came along called Echo Generation, and I was a big fan. It was a coming of age tale of exploration and adventure, hitting an awful lot of nostalgic notes. Despite enjoying it an awful lot, a lack of fast travel (later added in the Midnight Edition of the game) and the simplistic nature of the combat left room for improvement.
Now we have been lucky enough to get our hands on the Echo Generation 2 demo a little early, and dive into Cococucumber’s unexpected (for me anyhow) sequel. Slated for release at some point in 2026, Day One on Game Pass, the game was officially revealed back at the 2025 Xbox Partner Showcase at which I was absolutely delighted.
This sequel is giving Stranger Things vibes again, with the demo kicking off back in 1987. You play as Sister M, a kid being kept in a secret research facility who is after answers and quickly sets out to tear through the FST (the shady organisation from the first game) defences in a bid for freedom. Before leaving, Sister M tries to find her friends, exploring the heavily guarded base with the support of some empathic scientists. Oh, and it just so happens she is imbued with supernatural abilities.
From Turn-Based Basics To Tactical Deck-Building
The big change is Echo Generation 2 is how the battle system has been overhauled. It’s still turn based, but instead of simply choosing from a few simple moves, it’s now all about building a deck of 12 cards. Each one activates a different attack, or buff for Sister M, meaning there are oodles of tactical possibilities and combinations to play with. Some can only be used a limited number of times meaning choosing when to do so is crucial to success.
In the demo there were a fair few, from straightforward attacks to others that damaged several targets at once. A personal highlight was “Multi Blast” which summons a giant cat which spits out a series of fireballs at your opponents. Then there were other cards which offered benefits such as an extra draw, or doubling damage on the next attack. There are also badges which offer benefits, as well as a skill tree which can be used to develop your character’s abilities as you earn skill points. Once again battles offer rewards in terms of XP and cash.
Elevated Combat
When each card is played in combat it is accompanied by a cool animation, helping the battle system feel elevated way beyond that of the first game. There are also types attached to certain cards, which can be used to shatter enemy shields by matching the corresponding symbols. Not only this, but status effects such as burn, stun, marked and more come into play too.
Well-timed button presses for defence are back, however there is no sign yet of the same mechanic being used for attacks, as in the first game. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, as the focus in Echo Generation 2 feels as if it has shifted away from simply hitting buttons at the right time to making strategic choices, and building a balanced deck and giving the player much more input into how the battles play out.
The retro voxel-art style is present too, and once again looks wonderful. Although, given the setting it’s a lot less bright and cheery than the start to the first game was. Still, it’s just a snapshot of what’s to come in the full game, and the demo ends on a foreboding note.
High Potential In A Denser Gameplay Loop
Just before that however, there’s a big battle that shows just how challenging Echo Generation 2 could end up being. It took me several attempts to come out on top, as one single wrong move meant failure each time. Sometimes it was a tactical error, and on other occasions simply bad luck (my attacks being dodged at the worst possible time). If boss battles are consistently this unforgiving in the full game, it could well switch some people off.
However, that small concern aside, the shift towards a deeper, more tactical battle system in Echo Generation 2 has great potential and I can’t wait to get my hands on the full game when it releases at some point this year.
The free Echo Generation 2 Demo is available now on the Xbox Store, as well as Steam. Give it a whirl and let us know what you think in the comments below. Huge thanks go out to Cococucumber for providing us access and we’ll look to follow this piece with a full review of the game as and when it launches.
Echo Generation 2 is set to release later in 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass.
