Echo Night
Echo Night is a trilogy of Japanese adventure games developed by FromSoftware. The original "Echo Night" was first released in 1998 for the PlayStation. Two sequels were developed; "" for the PlayStation in Japan in 1999, and "" for the PlayStation 2 which released worldwide between 2004 and 2006. All the titles feature a protagonist called Richard pursuing a magical artifact and interacting with ghosts. Titles are played from a first-person perspective, and place a focus on puzzles and exploration. The original "Echo Night" began as an experimental title based on the realistic graphics created for "King's Field  III". The second game was created around a theme of "quiet horror". "Echo Night Beyond" was developed by a staff of around 70 people. All three titles were produced by series creator Toshifumi Nabeshima. The series has generally met with mixed reception, and has remained obscure. "Echo Night" later inspired Hidetaka Miyazaki while developing "Déraciné" for the PlayStation VR. Common elements. While the "Echo Night" trilogy share common elements, each game takes place in its own timeline. Three recurring elements within the series are the protagonist having the name Richard, the main gameplay and narrative element of interacting with ghosts , and the use of a magical artifact. This artifact is called the Red Stone in "Echo Night" and "Echo Night: Beyond", and the Soul Stone in "Echo Night 2". The gameplay is generally the same across all entries, focusing on exploration of isolated locations and environments from a first-person perspective. During explorations, the player must solve puzzles to progress the narrative, with certain actions leading to different outcomes. A recurring enemy within the series are hostile ghosts, which attack the player under certain circumstances. Fending off ghosts with light is a recurring mechanic. Development. The "Echo Night" series was  created by FromSoftware, a Japanese development studio which had begun game development for the PlayStation with the "King's Field" series. Taking inspiration from the realistic environments created for "King's Field III", the development team wanted to create a non-standard gameplay experience using their knowledge of 3D graphics. Starting out as a pure experiment, it was later approved as a full title. The second game was built around a theme of "quiet horror". Several staff from "Echo Night" returned for the second game. "Echo Night: Beyond" was announced in 2003 as part of FromSoftware's group of titles  for the PS2. It was worked on by a staff of nearly seventy people. The producer for all the titles was series creator Toshifumi Nabeshima. Speaking in 2018, "Souls" creator Hidetaka Miyazaki cited the "Echo Night" series as a direct inspiration for "Déraciné", a first-person adventure title for the PlayStation VR. Reception. "USGamer"s Bob Mackey noted that the game was ahead of its time in its tone and gameplay, comparing it to later independent titles "Gone Home" and "The Vanishing of Ethan Carter", citing it as an important precursor to such exploration-driven projects. In an article looking back  at the original game, "Game Informer" highlighted the "Echo Night" series as one of many different notable series created by FromSoftware prior to the widespread popularity of the "Souls" series. In a series dedicated to cult titles on the PS2, Kristan Reed of "Eurogamer" noted the series' obscurity while calling "Beyond" a worthwhile experience for those with patience due to its unique setting and pacing.