This Desert Punk Adventure’s Focus On Fluids Creates Intriguing Systemic Action

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What’s piqued my interest about Fading Echo is its desert punk setting with swift and seamless combat, coupled with a unique blend of Japanese manga and American comic styles for its visuals. This intriguing action-adventure game from New Tales, a fresh French developer, has caught my eye, but what truly stands out to me are the numerous names associated with it that I’m familiar with from the tabletop gaming world. However, this isn’t a mere coincidence – Fading Echo has always had links to tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs).

Emmanuel Obert, a co-founder of New Tales and co-director of Fading Echo, shared with me that prior to his involvement in the video game industry, he had been working within the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) industry. Around a decade ago, he devised a TTRPG setting for a circle of friends he encountered during the ’90s and early 2000s in the TTRPG community.

He went on to say: “At one point, we all took turns being Dungeon Masters for our home games. Once a campaign ended, the Game Master would change. When it was my turn, I was and still am a devoted fan of The Chronicles of Amber, but it can be challenging to play in detailed worlds because it’s hard to make changes. It’s also a system without dice. Some tabletop RPG enthusiasts dislike such systems. So I thought, ‘Why not draw inspiration from that instead? Let’s create something fresh.’

As a gamer, I can share my experience in creating the game world known as Fading Echo. Three and a half years ago, when my team at New Tales set out to make games rather than just publish them, we found ourselves without any existing intellectual property or original ideas of our own. That’s when I proposed the fantasy universe I had crafted for my friends in the past – one that the team believed had potential.

We tweaked and adapted parts of this world to make it uniquely ours. Yet, some remnants of the original landscape can still be found in Fading Echo. When asked about the legends within our game, I likened them to our take on the Princess of Amber.

From a lore perspective, Fading Echo is set on the desolate planet of Corel, initially discovered by House Kelevra, where our protagonist One and her mother Rahne belong. Using sophisticated technology and mystical liquids, Kelevra aimed to establish a colony. However, their relentless expansion efforts ultimately shattered Corel, sealing the fate of its inhabitants.

In Fading Echo’s world, we demonstrate the planet’s resilience against those trying to control it by creating a gaming environment rich in systemic complexity that empowers players to creatively engage in combat, movement, and interactions with environmental elements such as lava or contamination.

According to studio head Sylvain Sechi, water serves as the fundamental essence in our game. We further developed this idea by incorporating various types of fluid, such as lava, waste, and corrosion. Every fluid has a unique reaction when they interact with one another. Our focus was on how these fluids behave and the trails they leave behind, and we even considered making enemies out of these fluid substances too.

He went on to explain: “This is how the game’s action was developed. At that time, we weren’t depicting battles. Instead, our focus was on creating a global system where players would feel intelligent. In essence, you can predict how different fluids will interact with each other. For instance, it’s easy to guess that water and lava will solidify to form a rocky platform that you can jump on. However, combat doesn’t have a single solution. It’s more about interactive systems—how can I manipulate or combine fluids in the environment or use my own fluids? If you think strategically, some combat situations can be easily overcome. But if you run out of resources or fail to come up with a smart interaction, you can always resort to attacking with your spear.

Typically, people engage with tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) because they offer an excitement and independence of decision-making that is scarcely found in other games, according to Sechi. This is particularly true when dice are involved, as they can lead to quite unpredictable outcomes. The sense of freedom within these game systems is something we deeply appreciate, and our aim was to replicate this experience.

As a passionate fan, it’s no secret that the foundation for our new project was laid with elements reminiscent of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG). With such a rich and vibrant community, it was only natural for us to reach out to other voices in this realm.

Now, I can proudly say that Critical Role’s Matthew Mercer and Laura Bailey lend their talents to key characters within our game. Additionally, the multi-talented Jasmine Bhullar, known for her work on DesiQuest, Coffin Run, and Battle for Beyond, has joined our team as both a writer and the voice of Rahne!

Lastly, Samantha Béart, whose impressive resume includes Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow, brings her acting prowess to our project as One. Though Fading Echo doesn’t require dice rolling or deck building, it is shaped by the hands of many who share a deep love for tabletop roleplaying games.

We encountered Jasmine among our fellow French individuals, as we had the shared goal of making Fading Echo part of an expansive multiverse, requiring interaction with numerous people. Simultaneously, we aimed to involve some members from Critical Role. We persistently reached out to them each day until they eventually consented, though I’m sure they might have asked us to stop bothering them. [laughs] However, it was pure luck that brought them on board. The story of meeting Samantha in London is quite amusing; it seems we were both attempting to impress one another.

In a new role, Béart is set as ‘One’, a character on a journey to uncover her identity and find a way to protect her home, the floating islands of Corel. Endowed with the ability to manipulate water, she can summon waves and generate powerful, thunderous effects. Moreover, she has the unique ability to transform into a small, droplet-like slime which can navigate through narrow spaces, dive beneath enemies or obstacles, and attack with an impactful splash upon landing on them.

Béart shared with me that he’s dabbled a bit in the game. Having received a Steam key for New Tales, he’s delighted because it allows him to play the game beforehand, which is beneficial since actors often find themselves wishing they could reconsider their performance if they hadn’t known how the game would actually play out upon release.

Beart shared with me that experiencing the game and observing One firsthand has greatly improved their understanding of the character for acting purposes. They pointed out how the symbol on One’s head corresponds to her “face” when she transforms into a water droplet, a detail I hadn’t initially noticed but adds consistency to One’s character. Initially, I assumed that One’s humanoid warrior and water droplet forms had distinct personalities or voices due to their contrasting styles. However, Beart shared that after playing the game, they came to a different conclusion: the triangular symbols resembling smiles are present in both forms, serving as a constant characteristic of One’s character. In other words, these symbols symbolize a consistent aspect of her personality across her two forms.

That [expression/symbol] appears to be the essence of her characterthat’s how I interpret it,” Béart expressed. “[It is] delightful to portray a character who isn’t just about destruction and fire in a game. Typically, as the main character, you’re responsible for causing damage, but water as an element has never been a part of my roles before, so the possibility of exploring that aspect is incredibly intriguing to me.

In a unique twist for video games, Béart has played an influential role in molding One’s character development. The collaborative approach they took with the developers, even joining in team interactions, is more commonly associated with actors in film, television, or theater, rather than gaming. “It’s quite advantageous to have that comprehensive understanding before diving in,” Béart commented. “Remarkably, I didn’t breach any confidentiality agreements. Amazing, isn’t it? There was no need for threats of legal action. I was part of the Discord server, and I could observe everyone’s progress.

They went on saying, “It’s somewhat reminiscent of Lucasfilm’s early days when everyone worked together in a large workshop. Props could interact with scriptwriters, and both could converse with the cinematographer. This was genuine collaboration, unlike the more segmented approach common in the games industry. Frankly, it’s amazing that each game gets completed at all given the challenges they face. The work these studios do is truly commendable. When actors recognize this effort, it significantly improves our interactions with developers.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, the actors didn’t interact until after the game was over, or if they happened to meet during a break. For Fading Echo, I haven’t started recording yet. Instead, we’re going to have a reading session with the other actors. This might lead to some adjustments based on the chemistry and how it comes across, which is quite unusual in video games. However, I believe Blizzard is one of the few companies that do something similar. New Tales aims to incorporate some of the best aspects of what’s been learned in this industry.

Béart expressed a preference for seeing actors play more significant roles in games, as they do in film, TV, and theater. He pointed out that, lately, actors have been used mainly for promotional purposes rather than as integral parts of the game. However, he emphasized that having well-known actors can greatly enhance a marketing campaign by attracting fans who connect with them. If a game relies on storytelling, these fans will identify with the actors and their performances. Béart also mentioned the importance of getting to know the actor beforehand, to ensure they are a good fit for the project, considering factors like personality, values, and professionalism, to avoid potential problems down the line.

Béart might stick around with this team for some time. However, whether this happens or not largely depends on how well Fading Echo is received and performs. It appears that this game could be the start of a series exploring various universes. Within Fading Echo’s storyline, there’s a universe called the Echoverse, where you’ll explore multiple realities in the game. As shown in the trailer, your character One travels from her predominantly desert reality to one that’s completely underwater at one point.

In the universe of Echoverse, certain primary realities serve as foundations where alternate realities, referred to as mirrored realities or Shadows, can emerge. For instance, Corel is one such primary reality, abundant in resources upon discovery, and since it remains untouched initially, no alternate realities are present. House Kelevra perceives this as a chance: They can mold Corel to their liking, influencing its development to produce the desired realities. Consequently, Corel’s shadows reflect more the exploitation by House Kelevra rather than anything else, revealing glimpses of their misdeeds and heinous actions. As One embarks on her quest, she encounters places that seem familiar but have been drastically altered due to a malicious decision taken by someone else.

Exploring alternate realms and encountering unique life experiences, such as New Tales did, is one reason they sought out Bhullar. As Obert explained, “Drawing from various industries” broadens our horizons and presents opportunities we might not otherwise consider. Being a French studio collaborating with an American-born, Indian writer living in the US offers us a fresh approach to character development, storytelling, or dialogue creation. We wouldn’t be able to do this on our own; it’s beyond our capabilities. To craft a multiverse, we need diverse viewpoints – as many people thinking differently as possible.

As a fan, I can’t help but express my excitement about the unique blend of talents we have here! You see, what makes our team special is that we’ve got folks who share a common craft but hail from different industries. Take Jasmine, for instance – she hasn’t had any experience in or contributed to video game development until now.

But oh boy, does she ever bring something truly fresh and innovative to the table! Her perspective is like a breath of fresh air, injecting our project with a newfound energy and vitality. It’s just amazing to witness how her unique background enriches our collective efforts!

In Sechi’s words, “Our composer and cinematic team aren’t from the video game world, which can make blending their talents a challenge initially. However, they infuse our source with a creative DNA that makes it distinctive and remarkable. We’re fostering creativity and promoting innovation.

It appears that Fading Echo will be an exciting game to play, and I can hardly wait until it comes out. This action-adventure game is set for launch on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, but a release date hasn’t been revealed yet.

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2025-07-09 21:40