Recent years have provided multiple examples of small AA studios navigating the industry with more freedom and flexibility than their AAA counterparts, crafting experiences that rival (or surpass) the best on the market. Black Myth: Wukong, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and more have been hailed as champions of the AA scene by outperforming the financially bloated multi-team efforts that often spill out under major publishers. The 40-person Iceland-based studio Myrkur Games is looking to be the next in this prestigious lineup with their debut epic fantasy title, Echoes of the End. The budding studio has sought to craft an action-adventure that focuses on fast-paced combat, inventive mechanics, and breathtaking landscapes, all wrapped up in a captivating narrative with which players can fall in love. Such goals may sound obvious for all developers, but achieving each is difficult enough without considering the resource limitations of a smaller developer bursting onto the scene.
Echoes of the End follows the magically-imbued ranger Ryn, a reviled but valuable vestige who has responsibility thrust upon her in the wake of her father’s death. Unfortunately, fate wasn’t done piling on her following the familial passing; her brother Cor soon finds himself captured by the invading, rival faction known as the Dalsmen and their own immorally-aligned vestige. These events set Ryn out across the lands of Aema to rescue her brother from the clutches of those looking to destroy the protective Wards and plunge the world in chaos. This isn’t a journey Ryn endures alone; she’s joined by Abram, a scholar with a connection to Ryn’s late father, and it’s the dynamic between these two that makes up much of the game’s personality. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but that doesn’t make the relationship evolution from a reluctant partnership to a more meaningful bond any less enchanting. And it’s all further elevated by exceptional motion-captured performances that bring exchanges between both characters to life.
Witcher Adjacent
Regrettably, the narrative at the heart of it all doesn’t fare as well as Ryn and Abram’s interactions. Despite exploring themes of identity, exclusion and family, the story fails to build upon itself in meaningful ways after setting up the stakes in the opening moments. It’s a shame because investing in Ryn and Abram felt effortlessly engrossing, whereas the antagonist Aurick and his vestige, Zara, failed to evoke the same attachment. The same could be said of the rest of the plot, which peters out early on and leaves little else to latch onto in terms of driving forces pushing through the roughly 13-hour adventure. But at least the world in which it all takes place is a stunning sight. Myrkur Games has painted a beautiful fantasy interpretation of their Icelandic vistas, brought to life in stunning detail thanks to Unreal Engine 5.
When it comes to gameplay, Echoes of the End is comprised of two halves: visceral combat and puzzle-based platforming. The former fares worse than the latter. The combat system blends Ryn’s swordplay with her magical abilities, allowing for a flow that straddles the line between Witcher and Jedi. It’s an enticing prospect when put in those terms, but the execution is lesser than either referenced style. Pulling enemies into the reach of a companion’s blade or slamming foes into each other make for engaging interactions, but the limited magic resource puts a cap on how often these greater experiences can occur. And all combat concludes with the repetitive finishers that lose their luster after the hundredth animation against Reigendal’s armed forces and Aema’s beasts. It’s all flashy enough to look decent, but it feels unresponsive at times when attempting to dodge or parry. None of this evolves in any major way despite the presence of a skill tree; the included skills are light modifications to mostly pre-existing maneuvers, making the late-game gameplay appear fairly similar to the early hours.
Puzzling Performance
Where the game manages to surpass the middling combat is in its puzzles and traversal. Throughout the journey, Ryn manipulates structures to traverse floating platforms, rotate objects and even rewind time in concentrated areas. The puzzles are cleverly designed and feel rewarding even if they never truly present a major challenge. The traversal sits in a similar position, tied to solid (if a bit rigid) platforming. It’s one more way the player is able to engage with the different layers of the stunning environments spanning the adventure. The traversal mechanics are far from revolutionary in their design, but they still serve the game well.
Now I’m well aware of the technical problems plaguing the game across different platforms. Unreal Engine 5 games, while visually impressive, are commonly riddled with technical issues. Echoes of the End is no different in this regard. This review was conducted on the PlayStation 5 Pro, with the game running in the 60 FPS performance mode. Performance mode is the more consistent experience compared to Quality. However, even with the performance setting enabled, minor stutters still occurred at times. It doesn’t fully detract from the overall experience, and it sounds like the snags I faced pale in comparison to other platforms, but such issues remain noticeable.
Echoes of the End Review Verdict
Echoes of the End: Ultimately, Echoes of the End is an admirable first outing for Myrkur Games. The gorgeous environments are captivating and sit only second to the compelling nature of Ryn and Abram's relationship. Elsewhere, the game fails to engage as successfully on the broader narrative front as well as with its middling combat, and technical difficulties chip away at individual moments. Still, Myrkur has shown their strengths, which we hope to see fleshed out in their next project. – Joshua
[Editor’s Note: Echoes of the End was reviewed on PlayStation 5, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]
