The new MMORPG Into the Echo from the Canadian developer Etlok Studios Inc. aims for greatness. The game is set to revolutionize the MMORPG genre, being fundamentally different and combining the sense of discovery from the classics with new technologies.
What kind of game is this? Into the Echo is a new MMORPG set on the planet Raava. Many millions of years ago, a strange cosmic event occurred on Raava, granting the planet’s inhabitants a unique ability known as Qen.
With the founding of the great “Order of the Silver Birch”, peace was established on the planet after many power struggles, which is now threatened. Strange things are happening on Raava, and the inhabitants can only survive the impending danger if they work together.
To uncover the planet’s secrets, you will travel through time and must solve problems together with other players. The game is being developed in Unreal Engine 5. A short teaser trailer can be found here:
What will the gameplay be like? Not much is currently known about how Into the Echo will play. While there will be the usual PvE and PvP content, the developers aim to move away from the standard formula prevalent in MMORPGs today.
We could try to recreate all the mechanics from the games we grew up with. But in truth, the reason we loved those games was not just their mechanics, but the psychology behind that experience. There was always a sense of the unknown, the mystery lurking around every corner, just waiting to be discovered. The harmony between expectations, speculations, and excitement gave us the sense of fun we long for every time we start a new game.
Akshay Kolte, Executive Producer in the official blog
Therefore, the team’s goal is to capture the feeling and excitement of the old MMORPG classics and apply them to new technology. Into the Echo is meant to be a game “that players would want to live in.” The game’s development system is expected to contribute significantly to that.
The developers have not provided explicit information about this, but a blog entry explains how the underlying idea is supposed to work. The linear leveling system that you’re familiar with from other MMORPGs and games will be replaced with a system the developers refer to as “Hub-and-Spoke,” like the spokes of a wheel. It works somewhat like this:
We basically took everything that can be leveled (e.g. skills) and split it into individual “spokes.” Progress within a “spoke” is measured by category value markers instead of the usual numerical scales. […] While some “spokes” depend on each other, players essentially have complete freedom over which ones they want to level up. Some will choose to master certain abilities completely, while others will prefer to take a bit from everything. As a result, a single player should no longer be defined by a number, but they will have a unique signature that indicates who they are and what they want to become.
Akshay Kolte, Executive Producer in the official blog
The different types of content in Into the Echo will therefore contain specific skill requirements instead of the usual character or item levels. The system also has the advantage that there will be virtually unlimited “spokes” that the developers can introduce into the game alongside new content. Therefore, they do not have to worry about destroying the previous systems, Kolte said.
Here’s how to sign up for the Pre-Alpha: As the game is still in a very early development phase, you can currently only sign up for a Pre-Alpha test. To do this, you need to go to the official site of Into the Echo and scroll down a bit.
There you will find the “Sign up for our pre-alpha” button that will direct you to the sign-up page. After confirming your email address, you can log in and will be redirected to your profile hub. There you can apply for the key by answering various questions. For instance, Into the Echo will ask you about your playstyle and whether you have ever played an MMO before.
However, while the concept of the MMORPG itself sounds interesting, it is still largely just a concept. There is no date for the first tests and no concrete gameplay that interested gamers can visualize. Accordingly, it remains to be seen whether Into the Echo can realize its ambitions in reality.
How does Into the Echo sound to you so far? Is it interesting, overly ambitious, or completely boring? Will you keep an eye on it? Let us know in the comments.
