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ECHOPLEX is launching today on Steam!

Press release:
You are followed by an exact duplicate of yourself that repeats everything you do. Every move matters. Every move can be your last. Created by South African studio Output Games, ECHOPLEX was awarded Most Innovative Game & Best Art Direction at Lisboa Games Week IndieDome 2017. The full Steam release features 27 challenging levels and a complete FMV story – with a new user interface, puzzle mechanics, and gameplay improvements.

DON’T LOOK BACK

ECHOPLEX explores the mysterious connection between an engineer working at Clonochem Corporation and an activist protesting the company’s controversial product, Continuum. When the engineer calls a phone number written on a severed arm, he finds himself trapped in a looping simulation with countless iterations of himself.

An eerie “Echo” shadows your every move in ECHOPLEX. Everything you do is repeated by it – and if you stand still for too long, it’s game over! The secret to surviving is to use the entity’s mimicry to your advantage. For example, walking through a trigger will lock a door – but as the Echo passes through the same trigger, the door will open … allowing you to pass through.

As you learn to outsmart your Echo, you’ll be able to unlock a full-motion memory fragment with another clue – a must if you intend to escape the simulation. Once put together, these fragments congeal into “micro-cutscenes” that reveal an intriguing, non-linear narrative.

DEVELOPER QUOTE
Tyron van Vuuren (Founder & Game Director, Output Games):

“With ECHOPLEX, we were looking for new ways to create a fully-realized world that carries emotional weight – something that only real actors can bring to a story. The game doesn’t come to a halt during cutscenes; instead, ECHOPLEX allows players to get involved in the storytelling process – building their own interpretation of events as they piece things together. And although the cutscenes may look expensive, we had a very tight budget. Kudos to the visual effects team who worked hard to achieve those results.”

NEW FEATURES: OFFICIAL STEAM LAUNCH

– Explore 18 challenging new levels.
– Collect fragments throughout each level that combine to form a new video memory when you solve the puzzle.
– Freeze time to explore puzzles.
– Face armed autonomous drones and use them to destroy your Echoes.
– Test your skill against timed static pulses in new platforming elements.
– Rewatch pieces of the story you have collected in new video review UI.
– Experience 4 new story chapters – completing the FMV story!

KEY FEATURES:
– Solve unusual spatial puzzles anchored by an innovative Echo gameplay mechanic.
– Experience a rich storyline through puzzle-solving and live-action video clips shot by indie film director Tyron van Vuuren.
– Explore intriguing, minimalist environments.
– Enjoy an abstract soundscape augmented by a “cyber-horror” score produced by Irish composer Revin Goff.
– Play under intense time pressure as your Echo draws near…

PRICING & AVAILABILITY
ECHOPLEX is now available as a full Steam release (Windows/Mac) for $14.99.

Steam URL:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/611060/ECHOPLEX

ABOUT THE DEVELOPER
Output Games is a small indie studio based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Founded in 2016 by creative director Tyron van Vuuren, the studio’s goal is to push the boundaries of immersive storytelling in games – particularly through experiments with mixed media. Tyron collaborated with developer and art director Henk Scheepers to create ECHOPLEX, the studio’s first game. For more information about ECHOPLEX and Output Games, please visit http://output.games.