Echo Grotto

played on HTC Vive with Vive controllers this game gives me a safe environment to satisfy my urge to explore the unknown using a limited toolset and my own wits and ability to conceptualize a space in my head to get around. i've played less than an hour and already love it; i could see myself sinking many hours into this

This game is actually pretty good, i would've given it a thumbs up if my belt hadn't made the pickaxe that i dropped on the floor by accident clipped through the floor, never to be seen again, i would've really recommended it but... It glitched so badly i couldn't collect any gems because of it, please fix this or just make the objects not interact with each other when they're on the belt. I had to restart it to look for it again but i literally explored the whole cave system just making wait points for the gems to collect them later... And then it failed miserably

I've only played this game with the index controllers, so you're mileage my vary with other control setups. I found this game extremely atmospheric and enjoyable. The cave is beautiful and spooky at the same time. Sound design is extremely well done with dripping water and softly moaning breezes in the distance, and just the slightest hint of background music to add vague ambiance as you dive deeper and deeper into the dark. On the index controller, tossing the teleporter beacons worked very well and felt extremely natural. I did however notice that tapping the action button to go back to your previous beacon can very easily register extra inputs and send you back to the start of the cave when you only wanted to back up a few beacons. The one complaint I will make is that the placement of the belt felt slightly awkward. It seemed like I had to look down at a little to sharp of an angle to see what was on my belt, and it sometimes got in the way when I would try to bend down to pick things up because it just slides up and down rather than tilting away with your waist the way a real belt would (understandable, the vive isn't tracking your waste) I don't know what the solution here is, but I think it's worth noting. Overall I think the atmosphere is great, the environments look cool and a little spooky in the limited light of your flashlight or glow stick, and for the most part the controls are quite good. I could never bring myself to go into a cave like this in the real world, and this is a fun way for me to get this experience safely.

What really stands out about Echo Grotto is the game's soundscape and the sincere environment it helps build. Wind traveling through the caverns. The crackling of your lantern. Playing Echo Grotto at night, in a dark room, with no external noise made for a very surreal experience. More auditory additions such as the chirping of crickets or sloshing of eel-occupied water would do even more for the atmosphere and help telegraph the occasionally startling creatures. Including bats seems like a missed opportunity, but I get the feeling they were left out as a part of the game’s commitment to comfortable spelunking. Those first few caverns were a delight. but I gradually lost interest as I began to see the same cavern segment reappear. Failing to find the snorkel to pass underwater barriers locked my off from many routes. It also bummed me out to see distant lighting errors and frightening clipping with no out-of-bounds protection. I recommend sticking with the intended teleporter-throwing locomotion. There's a level of authenticity to the slow-paced, intentional placement of tethers. Swapping over to teleportation made swiftly blinking through the halls of the cavern a little too forgettable and ultimately finished off the novelty of what Echo Grotto supplies. Nonetheless, the game certainly delivers on a comfortably chilling fear-of-the-dark sensation that still feels adventurous. With more variety and perhaps a tailored caving experience in place of generated caverns Echo Grotto would've stood out even more.

Very good game. worth the price if you just want to spend some time exploring the caves without the possibility of getting killed by enemies. though it is randomly generated,, most places does look the same, but the depth of the cave while looking down a caravasse takes my breath away everytime. Only Downside of the game is the lights.. you have many different to choice from, though,, they are all unlimited use. you can never run out of batteries wich i think is a bad thing. or at least i wish you could choice wether or not you want a timer, so that you would be forced to save battery time and use glowsticks only when so needed. but over all * Worth A Buy! <3 * I highly sugest using this music in the background while playing " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYsOukQw78s "

This is a very cool game! I just wish it had a bit more to do but it is very relaxing.

really nice! i love the exploration. i want to explore more, but its a bit frustratingl here are some issues i had: - there are some lighting glitches on my screen - the knuckles grab lets go very often for me, its really frustrating - if i squeeze hard on the knuckles it very quickly picks up all my teleporters and zoops me back to the start... i wanted to keep those teleporters to help show my path.