Echoes From Ciudadela (EfC for my sanity because I can’t spell) is a new indie puzzle game developed by Kronos Interactive that showcases very unique puzzles to unravel the secrets of an ancient civilization that lies dormant within our protagonist’s surroundings.
The game begins with our lead going to a cabin in a secluded area that belonged to his now-deceased father so he could spread his ashes somewhere he spent most of his time. This marks the beginning of our journey into the mysterious ruins of Ciudadela. Now we are to solve and uncover what lies within our surroundings with various types of puzzles and a journal that belongs to your father. It is a rather quick but brain-racking story that could be completed in under 2 hours, but since your very good reviewer is so good at puzzle games, it took him 5 hours to do so.
The combat system in this game is non-existent but rather is switched to a Balearic sling, which we use to solve environmental puzzles, reactivate mysterious machines, and uncover the secrets that lie ahead. We do get multiple types of stones or crystals to use as ammo for the sling, each having its own unique characteristics.
Now the only stand-out part for me about EfC was the music it played throughout the puzzles… It was rather very melancholic with a lot of flute involvement. Now, combining this with my inability to solve puzzles did keep me from losing my mind, but personal preferences aside, it is the kind that would soothe the average player’s experience.
One annoying factor that I encountered in this game is the “Hint” feature. Most puzzles of this game are two-staged, and normally the first one would be
easier compared to the latter one. Now the hint feature would only provide hint for the first puzzle, which is helpful if you are struggling somewhere, but as soon as you complete that puzzle and the second one emerges, the hint button just does not work… I don’t know if this is intentional, but the lack of hints for the harder puzzle is kind of nerve-wracking at some points in the game. The hints would only reset if you were to complete the puzzle or move on to a different room or location where another two-stage puzzle exists, where this entire scenario plays out again only for the first and not the second, so yes, it is kind of a loop.
Graphically, EfC should work on any potato PC of the current era while also looking great visually. I did come across occasional jitters here and there and some system crashes, but it shouldn’t be a problem at all for the average player since the developer is actively pushing out bug fixes and updates; hence, it is way better now than when I started playing it. The character animations do seem funny at times, but it is still somewhat impressive for an indie studio to provide something of this caliber.
Real Talk
Echoes of Ciudadela is a short, charming, atmospheric indie puzzle game that offers clever mechanics to solve its puzzles to unfold a story about this mystical civilization that once walked the same lands as our protagonist. While its core sling mechanic is fun and annoying to use at times, it is rather unique to its peers, which indeed makes the gameplay engaging. Though it has some flaws, it is nevertheless a fun experience for mystery/puzzle enthusiasts.
FINAL SCORE: 65/100
