Title: Echo Isle
Developer: Josh Koenig Games
Publisher: Josh Koenig Games
Available On: May 20th, 2026
Platforms: Steam
Reviewed On: Steam

Introduction

Echo Isle is a top-down The Legend of Zelda inspired action-adventure puzzle game.

Synopsis

You play as an astral knight named Aster who is on a mission to collect stones to reignite the islands seemingly vacant lighthouse.

Analysis

An astral knight named Aster ends up on an island filled with friendly local inhabitants and horrendous monsters. He must gather Echo stones from the island’s dungeons to relight the lighthouse and save the island.

The gameplay

Echo Isle starts with a star falling from the atmosphere towards an island with a lighthouse. You awaken as Aster, an astral knight who has been sent by the gods to rekindle the light of the lighthouse shrine that protects the Islands inhabitants. The problem is that the light has gone out and the light that was abundant has been replaced by the darkness which brought forth monsters that have weaved themselves into the cracks and crevices of this tiny island. With your timely arrival you must fight them to answer the villagers’ prayers.

The first section is a mini dungeon that is meant to be a tutorial for the player to learn all the important functions of what is coming in the game. Combat is your typical four-directional sword mechanic, which is both familiar and forgiving while in a fight. You will meet the locals and converse about the issues they currently are facing. Check out the village and plan where you must journey before collecting the stones needed to open the door at the base of the lighthouse.

A total of 4 dungeons will be what you come across within the game. Each dungeon is in a different area on the island. Inside each dungeon you will acquire a unique item that will help further you on the adventure. These items include a bomb, a bow and arrow, a leaf, and a fin. These items help you solve the puzzles in the dungeons and the overworld as well as fighting the enemies in different ways. You ultimately will come to a dungeon boss that you must defeat to acquire the stone.   

The game is rather on the short side so once you have navigated the island, completed the dungeons, and collected the Echo Stones, it’s time to unlock the door at the lighthouse. Aster will enter and ascend until you reach the final boss. This encounter is where the difficulty strikingly ramps up and brings the game from cozy-like to soul-like.

I really liked the surprise I received as I started this boss battle, best described as bullet-hell like. I was expecting a slight ramp up in this final fight, but I was met with a training exercise. Though I didn’t expect the difficulty glow up I really enjoyed that I had to create a strategy to win. The fight has various phases that require a lot of evading, mainly jumping and positioning yourself to be in the right spot. The key for me was to try to reach a certain point without using your health potion. If you can get to that point, you will position yourself to be in a great spot at the final stage and secure victory.   

Final Score

Echo Isle feels much like a lot of others, The Legend of Zelda like games which greatly can elevate these types of indie games. When making these games I can see why most developers will stick with the well-known formula that works and from this point, they can decide to stay in that bubble or take a risk and do something unique to try and heighten the experience. Let’s talk about these risks.

The game has so many great details from great musical scores, interesting enemies, fluid gameplay, and clever dungeon design. I was constantly appreciating these assets within the game, and I think the designer did a fine job. That said I feel that what missed the mark for me was the pacing of this game. I really enjoy a game that has a hub in between missions or portions of the game in which you can stop and do something that can benefit you, like upgrades, or dialogue change. This makes the player slow down a bit, help digest the portion of the story that just occurred and help them prepare for the next conflict, but Echo Isle has the enter dungeon, leave dungeon, locate next dungeon speed walk. You try and enjoy what is happening in the moment, but it is so quick that you can’t process it before the next part of the game. The other issue is the lack of use of the item you receive in a dungeon. I felt like I got a new car but couldn’t drive it.   

When it comes down to this game, I enjoyed what I experienced at my own pace trying and minimizing the rushed nature that I feel while playing. This game is a solid reflection of a Zelda top-down game, and I appreciate the time and care that went into the title because sometimes when we risk it, we win big, we lose big, or we come out average. This game is worth a play through and I’m curious to hear others reading this article their thoughts about this adventure.

Image Source: Taken by Author

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Shane Kelley is a Senior writer for Boss Rush Network, as well as a writer for Another Zelda Podcast. His favorite game is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. You can find him on X or Bluesky to talk video games, Marvel, cribbage, and axe throwing. Also at his website, Stillsaneshane.com