Somber Echoes News

Hi,

I am Melina Spetsieri and I am delighted to announce that I will be the voice of Somber Echoes.



When I was approached by Rock Pocket Games I was immediately drawn into the Greek tragedy aspect of the story, and even more when I learned about the narration.

It has long been a dream of mine to combine my experience as an actress with my love for video games, and this is the perfect opportunity.

Somber Echoes isn’t only inspired by the narrative tradition of Greek tragedies, but also the way they were told.

That is also why Rock Pocket Games were looking for a voice that had certain qualities for the narrator, and I am honored to help bring that to life.

As a Greek with a love of our history of storytelling tradition I am proud to join the game creators on this journey. Hope you feel the same way.

I will also participate on a stream where we play the new playtest for Somber Echoes, where I will talk about the game and you can ask me any questions.

Join me at the Twitch channel: www.twitch.tv/aerosunodos on 16th of August at 8PM CET / 11AM PDT

Cheers,
Melina

https://www.instagram.com/melspetsieri/

https://www.twitch.tv/meownith

Have you ever dreamt of being part of the team that builds a game? Well, now's your chance! The Somber Echoes playtest kicks off on August 16th, and we need passionate gamers like YOU to join the adventure.

Why is playtesting important? It's the secret sauce that takes a game from good to great. By diving into the dark and mysterious world of Somber Echoes, you'll face intense challenges, uncover eerie secrets, and most importantly, provide valuable feedback that directly shapes the final game. The more players we have testing, the more diverse the perspective and the better the experience will be for everyone.

Ready to be a hero? Register now and secure your spot in the Somber Echoes playtest.

It is an exciting time for us at Rock Pocket Studio. Many elements that make up the game are now coming together and thus ready to be shown in the coming months.

We are honored to be a part of the Guerilla Collective Showcase 6th of june, which is also the reason we will share a few new screenshots from the game.

In this shot you can see Adrestia throwing her spear towards an enemy seconds before he can shoot back. In the background you can spot a statue of somewhat of a celebrity from Greek mythology.


An emulated lush forest called simply, the Grove, might sound like just the place to relax after a long day's fight for survival... but don't let your guard down.


The Science Department stands at the forefront of technological breakthroughs, but also hides some
sinister secrets.


Watch the Guerilla Collective Showcase at either Youtube or Twitch June 6th, starting 10 am Pacific - 7 pm CET

The Fracture pulled the space vessel Atromitos into an unknown dimension, opening rifts for terrifying monsters to swarm the ship. All districts aboard the vessel were affected - causing chaos, destruction and despair.

The district called the Cesspit had a profound effect on Harmonia's formative ambition. Initially named The Sewage and Waste Management District, Cesspit was the part of the ship where waste and water were processed and recycled. However - out of necessity it evolved into a makeshift prison. Criminals and “undesirables” for the middle- and upper class were sentenced to forced labor - sometimes, for life.



This is where Harmonia found her catalyst for ambition - as she started rising the ranks of clergy on the ship, she also showed mercy and care for the lowest class on the vessel. Slowly she gathered a religious following.

As Harmonia became the Oracle of Atromitos, she intensified her plans to rise up against Aether and Nyx, a hubris-filled path that pushed many of her former allies away from her. But the Cesspit prisoners blindly followed her. She instructed the construction of a massive portal at the bowels of the Cesspit and through it, they summoned unspeakable allies to aid Harmonia in her cause. The monstrous creatures remained obedient because they were afraid of Harmonia but they still turned the sewage pipes into a maze-like insectoid nest.



Things changed when the Fracture wreaked havoc across the ship. Harmonia’s control over the ship weakened, the creatures became frenzied and sought to satiate their hunger, devouring the unfortunates of the Cesspit.

Attempts to save the ship from the monsters were made. As the Cesspit became a huge nest of unspeakable abominations, the Captain of the Atromito’s guard, Ares, made an attempt to purge it of the monstrosities that had started spilling out of the Cesspit and into the rest of the ship.

In a final attempt, Ares gathered as many hatchlings as possible next to an airlock to eradicate them into space. He failed and his body is still lying where he fell. If you look closely - there are still memos from Aphrodite addressed to her beloved Ares remaining.

We have made the somewhat interesting decision to change the name of Somber Echoes to Sombrero Geckos to accommodate the new protagonist - a gecko sporting a sombrero.

- In self-reflection we have found Somber Echoes to be slightly on the moody side, but intense playtesting has shown that a cute lizard with a fun hat throws a much needed “sparkle” to the mix, says Lead Designer Vangelis Kalaitzis.

- It was frustrating to have all these unused jokes that wouldn’t fit in a greek tragedy. To finally be able to use them feels like an intervention from Dionysus himself.


The rewritten narrative will now see Pete “The Lizard Wizard” as the star in what will be a Greek Comedy Metroidvania, replacing the intendended Greek tragedy.

- We feel that a fun loving protagonist in a contrasting environment adds to the comedy - like the “Ace Ventura of Video games“

Besides the dashing new protagonist, most of the game will stay the same and the intentional release window for late 2024 will stay on target.

- Pete will not only make you laugh, but also move you to tears, says designer Tom-Ivar Arntzen.