Alter Echo takes place on Proteus, a planet whose entire surface is covered by an organic substance called Multiplast. ("Plast" for short.) Multiplast is the most important substance in the Universe because rare individuals called Shapers can physically shape it into all sorts of bio-machines.
You play Nevin, a Shaper who works for one of the many Corporations that mine Multiplast. You’re not just any Shaper—you can also Time Dilate, something most Shapers can’t do. (Your ability to merge with the energy fields of Multiplast is so powerful that you can effectively stop time. Useful in combat, obviously.)
Your employers have sent you to Proteus because a Shaper named Paavo has created a new form of Plast and it’s gotten out of control. The new Plast (called Xenoplast) has become self-aware. It knows that humanity plans to exploit it and it doesn’t want to suffer that fate. To make matters worse, it’s figured out a way to retaliate.
The Xenoplast manufactures enemies to fight you much like our bodies produce anti-bodies to fight infection. These opponents take the form of various combat drones, and later in the game, clones of people you know. It’s a long, hard fight ahead of you, and you’ll have to call upon every ounce of skill and courage you’ve got. The last thing you wanted was to have to save humanity, but hey—if you don’t do it, no one else will.
Features:
- Morphing: an advanced real-time morphing system lets Nevin’s PolySuit change between Melee, Gun, and Stealth modes on the fly during combat.
- Each mode has special abilities:
- Melee Mode: This is the default mode, used for rapid movement to cut down foes with vicious sword combos.
- Gun Mode: Transforms Nevin into a walking tank; used to annihilate enemies with cannons and grenade launchers.
- Stealth Mode: Allows Nevin to become invisible, climb special "stealth paths," and assassinate solitary foes.
- Time Dilation: Nevin’s extraordinary ability to alter time lets him freeze the action. Gameplay transitions to a special Time Dilation display that Nevin uses to cue up "chains" of icons representing special moves and attacks. When time snaps back, he unleashes these moves and lays waste to anything in his path:
- Time Dilation Battles: When one of Nevin’s opponents also has the ability to Time Dilate, it becomes a contest; Nevin and the enemy both assemble chains of special moves across the same Time Dilation display, trying to block each other, cut each other off--the best chain wins and unleashes an unstoppable flurry of attacks
- Use Time Dilation to solve puzzles: Nevin uses his ability to "interface" with the environment, opening new paths and changing the landscape; as usual he must assemble a chain of special moves, but now he has to guide the chain around blocking obstacles and through specific target areas
- Buddy Characters: Nevin’s not alone many times, other characters fight alongside him. They put up a good fight on their own, but they’ll also have special moves Nevin can trigger by executing combos.
- PostFX: Mind-blowing visual effects, camera filters, and screen distortions intensify every moment of the action.
- Unique Adventure: Alter Echo is set on a world whose very surface is alive—and it wants you dead.
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