Echoes: Operation Stranglehold

Echoes: Operation Stranglehold is a first-person shooter video game developed by Duckroll and published by Ubisoft. The game runs on the Frost-bite engine. It offers team-based multiplayer missions with authored narratives, persistent player characters, and an approachable nature. It is also developer Duckroll’s first title. In Echoes, two factions, "Vandals" and "Security", fight in the outskirts of a utopian city known as "Azrael", a floating utopian city surrounded by the waters of a flooded Earth. Azrael was designed to be a perfect city, with renewable resources and no pollution. However the Security governs the city with an iron fist. Corruption is rampant and with a growing inequality gap the city is on the verge of civil war.

Gameplay
Echoes: Operation Stranglehold is a first-person shooter which features a Parkour System. The game lets players quickly maneuver around environments in dynamic and unique ways all based on player position and immediate need. Echoes contains 2 playable factions; Vandals and Security and up to 64 players on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. First and foremost an online multiplayer shooter Echoes encourages objective based teamwork. Players can "spot" targets: marking their positions to the player’s teammates. Players can also set custom waypoints. The game has a team leader feature where certain players are chosen to be team leaders (randomly based on rank or by vote). Team leaders can deploy weapon, supply, and cover drops to "keep the fight going", and assign various orders to teammates. Also the game features a “frontline” system to keep the action going where objectives are distributed based on the concentration of players in a given area of the map (areas with a high number of players will have multiple objectives instead of having objectives appear in fixed locations spread out across the map). When one player selects a particularly important objective, other team members are offered complementary objectives. A spectator mode is included, enabling players to spectate others in first or third person, as well as use a free camera to pan around the map from any angle.

The game features a Bullet-dropping-system. In addition, the game features a unique “gun first” system where the player can always shoot and perform melee attacks regardless of any other current action they are performing.

Similar to Battlefield 4’s "Levolution" gameplay mechanic. The game utilizes the Frostbite engine to allow players to destroy, deform, and manipulate anything in the environment. This includes effects such as shooting a fire extinguisher to fill the room with obscuring clouds, car alarms going off when stepped on, metal detectors going off once passed through, or cutting the power in a room to reduce others' visibility. Players can create custom characters with additional rewards bought with experience points or unlocked by completing challenges. You decide the combat role you want to assume in the world of Echoes: Operation Stranglehold as you fight to save yourself and mankind's last refuge. Echoes offers a compelling mix of dynamic battlefields, extensive customization options, and an innovative multiplayer experience that will keep you coming back for more.

Character Customization
Echoes’s advanced player customization offers a near-endless combination of looks for your character - allowing for the appearance of your character to be truly unique. As you progress through the game and acquire more experience, you'll have even more opportunities for customization.

Most customization options are locked by default and must be unlocked by leveling up. Things like tattoos, scars, and hair styles are purely aesthetic, while different types of clothing offer small boosts and bonuses. Players are able to create and save up to 12 characters.

Customizable Features
When first creating your character you will be able to alter:

Gender – Male or Female

Faction – Vandal or Security.

Primary Archetype - Character archetypes are basic "themes". Each Archetype has a distinctive character design/appearance, and are used to separate the many differing article of clothing, gear, and body features into a few broader categories. Characters can only use archetypes belonging to the same faction. Archetypes are unlocked semi-randomly (i.e. the order which they are unlocked is random) by leveling up, with extra clothing and gear for an archetype unlocked by completing the required challenges. Primary Archetypes affect the overall look of the character. Physical features such as: height, body thickness, scars, and hairstyles are ‘locked in’ after choosing your primary archetype. Though things like hair, skin, and eye color can be changed after selecting your primary archetype. Also it does not affect articles of clothing.

Voice - Which voice actor will be used when communicating with others.

From then on, you will be able adjust their appearance with:

Sub-archetypes: Affect the clothing and other accessories that can be applied to a character. Sub-archetypes can be mixed and matched on any applicable part of the body. Sub-archetypes do not affect Physical features such as: scars, height, and hairstyles, to change those players must first change their Primary Archetype.

Emblems: Small designs that are associated with a Character and used to represent a player's identity in multiplayer games. They consist of a two-colored design or pattern over a chosen background (typically a geometric shape), with a user-selected color scheme applied to the result.

Parts of the body that can be out fitted with Sub-archetypes:

Face: Tattoos, Masks, Hats, and Face Paint

Chest: Tattoos, Shirts, Jackets, and Pouches/Pads

Arms: Gloves, Tattoos (left and right separate), and Wrist Items

Legs: Pants and Pads

Note: Different articles of clothing can be customized further by adding different camo patterns.

Loadout Customization
After customizing your characters looks you can further customize him/her by deciding what gear your character will bring to the battle. Players can carry up to two weapons (one primary and one secondary), three pieces of equipment, and melee weapon. Unlike most multiplayer shooters Echoes: Operation Stranglehold lacks a class-based multiplayer system. Instead players are allowed to equip any weapon he/she wants.

Each weapon can be custom made to fit the circumstances you're using it in. Weapons can be customized at up to nine different points with various Weapon Attachments. Each time a new attachment is added or removed, the stats of the weapon will change on screen. The weapon can be kitted up to excel in Power, Range, Maneuverability, or Control. Weapons are unlocked by leveling up while attachments are unlocked by completing weapon challenges or obtaining a certain number of kills with the weapon.

The types of attachments and modifications for the weapons customization tool are as follows:. Magazines: Allow for greater ammo capacity, alternative ammunition, and faster reloading.

Optics: Allow the attachment of optics.

Under-barrel: Grips and bi-pods for increased accuracy, or launchers and shotguns for increased damage.

Side Rail: Aiming lasers and various sensors attach here.

Gas Systems: Fire rate adjustments are made here.

Paint: Camouflage (aesthetic only, has no effect on weapon performance).

Barrels: Change the length of barrel for long, close or mid range combat.

Muzzle: Add suppressors for stealth or recoil compensators to increase precision.

Stocks: Change the stock to increase maneuverability or accuracy.

Grips: Changes the pistol grip of the weapon.

Note: When selecting and outfitting a weapon the player should take the weight into account. Depending on the weight of the weapon (maneuverability) the player’s movement speed and parkour abilities may diminish.

In addition to the Character’s firearm he/she may also choose to carry three pieces of equipment.

Equipment is broken down into several categories to choose from:

Soldier: focused on tanking and being the frontline fighter.

Medic: focused on keeping your team alive and making them stronger.

Engineer: focused on building, repairing, upgrading turrets and buffing your teammates firepower.

Operative: focused on stealthy operations, hacking, and sabotage.

Melee weapons allow the player to counter melee attacks. Melee weapons are unique to a character’s Primary Archetype.

Leveling/Challenges
Players increase their level (known as Rank) by earning experience points. Experience points are earned by completing objectives and killing enemies with other xp bonuses thrown in for team work actions. Ranking up unlocks weapons and character archetypes that the player can use.

There are also weapon, equipment, and character challenges which unlock new attachments, equipment, and clothing respectively upon completion.