Ectolibrium

[h1]Introduction[/h1] It’s always a pleasure to play and write about abstract indie titles. The game I shall review today blends platforming sections with concepts of a biological nature, if you will. Let’s focus on the name for a bit. “Ectolibirium” is a portmanteau comprised of ecto (“outside” in Greek) and librium which doesn’t refer to anything in particular unless you wish to interpret it as some form of equilibrium. A balance which needs to be a achieved. The title itself is a clever choice of words which summarizes the game’s story to a certain extent. As the Steam debut of Void Calls, even the developer’s name reminded me of certain visual elements I had witnessed in my playtrhough of The Void. Ectolibrium stands out on its own though and it has plenty more to prove at the time of this writing. [h1]Story [/h1] The intro video sheds some light onto our narrative, even if there are still plenty of questions left unanswered. Mysterious organisms resembling a cross between plankton and embryos have found themselves stranded in yet stranger wastelands. These “outliers” need to adapt and survive the partially submerged terrain which features obstacles and threats alike. Metal d…

[quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]Follow our curator page: [b]IndieGems[/b] if you like and want to see more reviews like this one.[/url][/quote] [i]Ectolibrium[/i] is a game that has some interesting ideas, looks and plays like an arcade-style platformer with some unexpected movement mechanics, but current content is way too early early access and needs significant improvements before it is worth the current asking price of $12.99 USD. To put things into perspective, it took me about [b]one hour to get through all of the currently available content.[/b] There is one "episode" that consists of 10 smallish levels. There are a total of 3 currently planned episodes with the final finished product available in January 2021--2 years from now. The price will hike with each episode, hopefully not by much, because even three times the current content will be hard pressed to justify the current price. Platforming uniqueness is something that many gamers of my generation look forward to. Growing up on this genre along with shmups, fighters, and brawlers, we have seen so many games trying to match the way that those older games captivated the audience w…

Awesome, colorful and weird. Cool art and voices, smooth and intuitive controls. I love that it is a little abstract and strange, but with some great context/story/characters, too. Nice that you can either focus on getting through the levels, or spend extra time finding seeds and fully exploring the landscape.

Rich, vibrant, immensly satisfying. Looking forward to the next episode! 9/10, would drown souls again. (Note to dev: Please provide more opportunities to drown souls in future episodes.)

Ectolibrium is a weird game for weird people. Falling somewhere between flOw and Oddworld, it presents you with a living and bizarre world to explore with an equally bizarre alien character. The platforming is solid, thanks to tight controls, unique movement and organic symbiotic powerups that open up new degrees of freedom for your character. As you fling, float, and crawl through through the level you spread ectoplasm, like a bee spreads pollen, which changes the barren levels into thriving alien ecosystems. Don't expect that all your questions will be answered from just the first episode, you won't even know by the end whether you made the right choice or not. Instead, anticipate scratching just the surface of Ectolibrium's rich lore.

An Alien Vector Based Puzzle Platformer. Ectolibrium is a incredibly unique game. You are the outlier, an alien being, in world that is alien to us and it. You explore this world to discover what it is and how you fit into it. Your character moves by launching off surfaces and clinging to another. Using your limited move set you have to make your way through maze like levels using your overcoming obstacles with your skill and wits. Pros: Unique alien setting. Challenging and entertaining gameplay. The beginning of a mysterious story. (As of writing only episode one is out.) Cons: Might be too alien for some. Takes a few levels to get the hang of. In development, so only the first act is out.