First Look: Ecco The Dolphin

GameSpot had the chance to get our hands on the final European version of Ecco The Dolphin: Defender Of The Future, which is soon due out in Europe and will hit US shores in July.

Graphically, Ecco The Dolphin looks nothing but mindblowing. All of the sea's richness is highly detailed in three dimensions. If you swim right over the bottom of the sea, sand whirls up behind you. Coral reflects a rainbow of colors. The amount of detail shown in all the fish swarms around and plants waving silently in the water is nothing short of amazing. The sound is also very well done - waterfalls rumble increasingly loud as you near, and sound effects differ depending on whether you're above or below the surface.

As Ecco, the player swims around the sea, navigating past the various challenges that appear. You can speak to other dolphins, whales, and turtles - all of which will help you from time to time. For example, in the first level a little baby whale is stuck behind some rocks and can't get out. Since Ecco is not strong enough to move the stones he has to get his dolphin buddies to help him with the task. Then the whale is freed, and as a reward, the mother of the whale takes Ecco past a waterfall. Puzzle combinations like this sucked us into this undersea immersive environment.

From what we've seen so far, Ecco the Dolphin looks to be a pretty amazing Dreamcast game. Expect more in-depth impressions of the game from next week's E3 convention.