Echo Generation Is A Cozy, Comfy Holiday Game

The year 2021 is filled with great games. There have been many high-profile releases and some hidden gems. However, there’s one that might be a perfect fit for your comfy holiday play sessions. It’s a turn-based RPG that’s got some adventure and puzzle elements with a bit of humor and a cozy aesthetic. That’s right, we’re talking about Echo Generation, which is also available on Game Pass, so if you’re not sure you’re interested, that’s a great way to give it a shot and see.

Echo Generation in its simplest form is a burrito filled with homecooked 80s and 1990s love.  So yeah, it’s basically Stranger Things meets Earthbound, with a fun turn-based combat system that’s more like Paper Mario or South Park: The Stick of Truth. You control two characters in the story, using ninja shurikens and laser weapons. In combat you can also take a pet along. Over the course of the game you will discover and unlock a lot of cool companions, such as a rapper raccoon or a curious cat. For all the abilities you execute, you’ll need to find a comic book to learn the sweet skill first.

“Modern era” takes on traditional RPGs are always enjoyable, something that Earthbound gets plenty of credit for popularizing and pioneering. Here, we get to roam around town, break into the school, discover the sinister secrets about the principal, and deal with aliens, monsters, mutants, and a ton of other oddities that threaten to break up the good times. If it weren’t for all these threats, we’d just be hanging out at the video store and a super cool treehouse. Echo Generation is rife with nostalgic elements for a time long gone, but it’s okay if you’re not into that – the combat mini-games are amusing enough to carry the game by itself, and the voxel art style is well executed. You’ll find locations such as a haunted pet cemetery or an alien spacecraft that are both fascinating and stylish. Bossfights are my favorite part. There is so much to do, including timing commands correctly and moving your characters around to avoid being killed.

While none of the systems get very deep, what’s there works really well for Echo Generation. This isn’t a massive game that you’re going to sink hundreds of hours into, or even ten probably. This is an RPG that delivers its characters and mechanics pretty quick, and tasks the player with handling some old-school adventure fare along the way, conjuring up notions of King’s Quest problem solving as you ferry items to various townsfolk and find critical objects to advance the tale. Plenty of optional quests and bonuses are out there too for those who really want to explore!

I completely missed Echo Generation when it landed, but I’m glad I discovered it here as the year wraps up. If you’re in the mood for a snack-size RPG that serves up a hearty helping of cozy vibes, look no further. Cookies!