Echo Generation is not Cococucumber’s first rodeo as an indie developer. They’ve made a few titles up to this point, with Riverbond being the standout hit previous to this. Echo Generation uses the same voxel style of art which is striking. The game follows a group of siblings and their pets in a seemingly ordinary town.

RELATED: Best Indie RPGs Of The Last 5 Years (According To Metacritic)

Things pick up in the story quickly involving aliens, ghost demons, and so much more. The vibe of Echo Generation is definitely going for EarthBound which has simple characters tackle extraordinary things. The gameplay on the other hand is going for another Nintendo classic, Super Mario RPG. What else should players know before jumping into Echo Generation?

6 Part Adventure Game, Part RPG

Exploring the world in Echo Generation

On paper, Echo Generation is being sold as a turn-based RPG with time-based combat. This means that if players plan out their attacks and blocks right, they can gain bonus damage or defense points. It’s one of the reasons why the RPG games in Mario’s corner got so popular. Getting well-versed with these prompts is important to obtaining victory.

It might also be good to know that this RPG is like an adventure game through a series of fetch quests. In order to get to the next area, a character may need a certain item. Getting that item may require another item and from there it all blows up. For players hoping for a big open-world RPG, this is not it. Players will instead be spending a lot of time in one area for extended periods.

5 Before Fighting, Recruit Lily

Exploring the world in Echo Generation

Echo Generation is very demanding in battle which means grinding is a must. There are no difficulty modes or accessible options in the menu to make the game any easier either. Even the first tutorial battle with the raccoon could get players killed.

RELATED: Indie Games That Are Amazing (After A Rough Few Opening Hours)

Before starting the grind it is a good idea to recruit Lily as soon as possible. She wants a traffic cone which is located in the top left corner of the first area. Talk to the dog and then observe the car. The dog will turn its attention toward the car after that, allowing players to swoop in and grab the cone. Give it to Lily and then she will join the fight.

4 No Difficulties But Don’t Fear Death

Fighting enemies in Echo Generation

Echo Generation is as challenging as some of the hardest games in the Dragon Quest series. It can be brutal even for the most hardcore players since understanding the timing of combat can be tricky at first. While there are no difficulty modes, death, which is certain, should not be feared.

They will faint and then wake up where they fell. Players won’t even lose money like they do in the aforementioned Dragon Quest series. It still would be nice if some difficulty modes or accessible options were added into the game via patches. However, having no death penalty is nice for casual players too.

3 Acquiring Skills

Fighting enemies in Echo Generation

Skills vary up combat even further than simply hitting the attack button as an offensive or defensive maneuver. The main character can get a slap shot ability, for example, that forces players to line up their target in a circle. Lily has a skill that will have players type in a combo with the arrow keys akin to a fighting game.

As players can imagine, these special attacks are quite powerful. Characters will learn new moves not by leveling but by reading comics. They are scattered all over the game through random pick-ups or through rewards. One early secret ability can be acquired after players recruit their cat. Go back to the grandma next door and talk to her for a surprise.

2 Save Items, Backtrack Heal

Exploring the world in Echo Generation

There are shops in Echo Generation which players could surmise since they acquire money from battle. However, accessing the first store will take an hour or two depending on how long players grind for. It will be in the treehouse which can only be accessed after they acquire a certain item. Healing items then are a rare commodity that should only be used during boss battles before the shop opens.

RELATED: Top Retro Indie Games That Will Make Players Feel Nostalgic

In the meantime, the best strategy is to fight one or two opponents, go back home, heal, and then go back out to fight another round. Depending on what system players check the game out on, this grind could feel even longer because of the load times. It’s a necessary step that must be taken in order to level up fast while hoarding items.

1 Level Up Stats In Rotation

The level up screen from Echo Generation

When players do level up, they are given the opportunity to choose one of three things to increase. This, again, is very much like the first RPG in the Mario series. HP can be raised in increments of five points. Attack power will be raised by one, but thankfully that will affect damage more than just a single point.

The last stat that can be raised are the skill points. This category is unique in that skill points are pooled together. This means that all characters use the exact same meter when performing special moves for better or worse. It’s best to level up these stats on rotation for the siblings starting with HP and then working their way around and back again. Skill points can be skipped for pets. Consider their attack and HP above all else.

Echo Generation was released on October 21, 2021, and is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

MORE: The Best And Worst Things About Skul: The Hero Slayer