Alter Echo is THQ's latest entry in the third-person action genre for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Michigan-based Outrage Entertainment is developing the game, which combines a variety of different gameplay elements with a very unique visual presentation. We recently checked out a build of the PlayStation 2 version of the game to see how it's coming together.

You'll play as Nevin, a young man with some unique abilities.

Alter Echo's story is set in the year 2850, when a substance called "multiplast" has become an incredibly precious commodity. The material is coveted for its versatility when handled by psychics called "shapers," who can mold it into anything from clothes to spaceships. You assume the role of a shaper named Nevin, an employee of the IMS Corporation who is dispatched to the planet Proteus, the only planet in the universe where multiplast grows. You're sent there to check on a research facility that dropped out of contact after sending a cryptic final message. Upon arriving on Proteus, Nevin discovers that the research facility's head, a renowned shaper named Paavo, has managed to create an entirely new form of multiplast--called echoplast--that can actually manipulate time. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, Paavo went insane and decided to keep the secrets of echoplast to himself. To make matters worse, his addled mind has also prompted him to wipe out the entire human race. While it may sound like Nevin is headed for a quick defeat by clashing with Paavo, there is one silver lining to the whole mess: The echoplast became sentient when it was created, and it's keen on getting out from under Paavo's thumb. As a result, Nevin is assisted in his battle against Paavo by the new entity. This is especially fortuitous, as Paavo's skills as a shaper have allowed him to unleash a planet full of creatures against Nevin.

You'll have to face off against an entire planet's worth of foes.

The gameplay in Alter Echo features a mission-based structure that has you venturing through Proteus in search of Paavo. You'll interact and play with NPCs, face off against a variety of enemies, solve puzzles, and explore Proteus' twisted landscape. The levels will usually involve defeating enemies, avoiding environmental hazards, and finding switches to open up new areas. Along the way, you'll find an assortment of power-ups that restore your health and grant you temporary benefits like invulnerability. You'll also find various nodes in the game that will give your health a boost or let you upgrade your abilities.

While the game's structure is pretty standard, the actual gameplay mechanics feature some very unique elements that keep things interesting. Nevin is given a special suit made of echoplast upon his arrival on the planet. The suit features a variety of unique abilities that are key to safely making it through the game. You'll be able change into three different modes: melee, stealth, and gun. The melee mode will rely on sword attacks and sword-related combos for attacking your enemies. It's also the best suit to do the bulk of your exploring in, as it lets you perform a double jump. The stealth mode morphs Nevin into a slightly less human form that features a bit more versatility. You'll be able to climb on certain walls and ceilings, fit into small spaces to access different areas, cloak yourself, and use a lizardlike tongue to reach objects or enemies. The gun mode lets you become what is essentially a tank with feet. It shifts you into a large, lumbering form that, while nowhere near as agile as the melee or stealth forms, packs some devastating firepower. You'll be able to use a variety of guns and grenades, absorb certain enemy attacks, launch enemies out of your gun, smash through certain obstacles, and use the turretlike "gun nodes" that are strewn throughout the levels.