How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 79 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 6h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (24)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“ECHO is a game brimming with smart ideas that should appeal to lovers of good sci-fi and stealth/action alike. Ultra Ultra has done a superb job in creating an intriguingly eerie world that piques interest early on, first with a slow build up, and then effortlessly drawing you in for the long haul without having to be overly reliant on a heavy narrative to drive the story forward.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A stealth game built on a philosophical concept: fight an army of yourself that respawns better, faster, and stronger based on your own expanding growth. ECHO boasts a rich and well-designed sci-fi world that isn’t bogged down by plot or exposition. There isn’t much to do beyond the core sneaking, and the midpoint drags, but this is a genuinely unique and intense title that deserves to be experienced. ”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Echo truly surprised me in ways I didn’t expect. It’s very serious in its setting, absolutely nailing this mishmash of sci-fi horror and tension perfectly combined with stealth and A.I. elements that push the narrative further and extend to its moment to moment gameplay. I haven’t heard many people talking about Echo, and I surely hope that changes. If a sequel ever comes or a new setting with similar style ideas on gameplay emerge, count me in. Echo nails exactly what it’s going for. P.S. it has one of the most creative and cool looking start menus.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Echo is a fun and enjoyable game defined by a well-executed gimmick. Without the adapting Echoes, it would be a standard stealth shooter. With the Echoes, it becomes distinctive and interesting. The adapting AI is as much a proof of concept as a fun gameplay mechanic, but it works very well at being both. Echo shows that modern stealth games have a whole lot of room to grow and evolve. For fans of the genre, it's well worth playing, assuming you can get past the slow start and occasional technical hiccups.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“There’s definitely room for ECHO to improve and expand, but it’s a smashing debut nonetheless. Ultra Ultra has performed a deft balancing act here and one that carefully avoids over complicating things, much to the benefit of the player. It’s far and away one of 2017’s best sleeper hits and we can’t wait to see what the studio has coming next.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Echo offers something that I don't think anything else has done. It's creepy and imaginative and despite some flaws that come with the limited budget, it offers a lot of engaging, memorable and unique moments.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“I have never played another game quite like Echo before. Folks are always rallying for innovation in the industry, and I can’t think of too many better examples of that in recent years. It’s not all perfect, but what’s there is extremely refreshing. This is not an easy game. You will die a lot. You will get angry. However, when you finally defeat your opponents, it’s like sex. A huge release where, for a few small minutes, you genuinely feel like you just accomplished something. It’s glorious.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I was prepared that ECHO is perhaps agonizingly hard, given its unique gameplay mechanics. But it wasn’t, as I completed it somewhat effortlessly. Maybe it was due to my anticipatory play style. I confess, I watched several streams of PC version of ECHO a few weeks before the PS4 release. So I kind of knew what not to do in the game. Thank you, you all pioneering Ens on PC streams who clanged too much to their guns. ECHO is intelligent sci-fi without any artificial provocation or emotion manipulation. It’s cool and enigmatic to the end, and much like Kubrick’s movies I referred to earlier, it takes a certain state of mind to appreciate its fearful symmetry.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“ECHO is a game with a singular gameplay mechanic that it delivers on with precision. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“ECHO was a very pleasant surprise. It will most certainly test intelligence and patience of gamers with its puzzle of enemies in tightly built rooms, while testing the amount of anxiety one can take with jump scares and pressure to get to the next checkpoint. That’s the charm of the game. Ultra Ultra did a fantastic job with ECHO and it shouldn’t be missed.”
read full review ↗ - 91
“ECHO is the worst game imaginable if you have a problem with delayed gratification. If, however, you’re in the market for a game where a little bit of patience goes a long way, it’s well worth your time.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I really enjoyed Echo, but like a song played on repeat, I could only suffer so much repetition before it began to lose me.”
read full review ↗
Cubed3
Push Square
ZTGD
Worth Playing
TheSixthAxis
Wccftech
Destructoid
Darkstation
DualShockers
Digital Chumps
Gaming Age
PlayStation LifeStyle…and 12 more tracked reviews.