ECO: A Game of Survival
| Developer: Denton Designs | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Ocean | Sound: |
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| Year: 1988 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Unclassifiable | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
4/10 | |
Evolution, video games!
In the midst of an inhospitable world, represented in vector 3D graphics from the great era (wireframe), you control a small insect engaged in a merciless survival race.
First imperative: eat, before being eaten. It’s quite anarchic, just like life. One moment, you get caught by a predator without being able to do anything; the next moment, you’ll die of hunger for failing to find prey of your size within the allocated time… I suppose that was intentional.
If by chance you pass the food quest stage, then comes reproduction. Find something similar to yourself and click on the corresponding icon. They spare you the gender distinction, all being hermaphroditic!
Once mating is accomplished, congratulations, you’ll be allowed to fiddle with the offspring’s genetic code. Elongate the legs, grow wings, change the size, the shape … and you’ll be projected into the skin of the new generation, embarking on a new food/reproduction cycle. A useful genetic mutation will increase your survival chances while elevating you a few places in the food chain. Otherwise, you’ll most likely end up in the belly of a more apt creature…
It’s a good concept, but largely underexploited. There are far too few different species and things to do. Moreover, I didn’t notice any effects related to climatic conditions or day and night passages, apart from cosmetic ones; and the time limit was perhaps unnecessary.
An interesting and original experience nonetheless, twenty years before Spore (PC, 2008) and 24 years before Tokyo Jungle (PlayStation 3, 2012)!
The music reminds me of Star Goose.
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