Echochrome can be quickly described as M.C. Escher, the game. It's a puzzle game that really forces you to think in a whole new dimension, and can be either a source of immense puzzle-solving pleasure, or frustration, depending on how patient you are.

When it comes to graphics, you can't get much more basic than this game. Everything is in black and white (I don't mean shades of gray, just black and white). Everything is simple and clean line art. There is no shading or shadows, which is good because any of these things would force a certain perspective on the level, and in Echochrome, assumed perspective is what it's all about.

The game's music is basically perfect. The soothing classical sounds play constantly as you work through the game's varied puzzles. The only other sound effect, besides the occasional woosh of going through a hole, is the tapping of your character's feet as he walks around the level as if he is in a grand hall with great acoustics.

Echochrome has a very simple design in mind, but like many great games, being simple to learn doesn't mean it's simple to master. Each level is a series of walkways and columns with various black and white holes sprinkled about. Your goal is to get the character (depicted as a drawing model or "woody" to all of the echoes (shadow versions of him standing still) positioned all over the place.

You don't control the character directly; he is little more than a lemming (except he won't just walk off the edges). As he follows the path in front of him, you can rotate the world and reshape the way it is structured based on your perspective. It sounds weird, I know, but the most basic rule is, if you don't see it, it doesn't exist.

For instance, I mentioned two types of holes, black ones and white ones. Black ones cause your character to fall through the floor, while white ones launch him into the air. If you don't want the woody to use the hole, simply rotate the world so you (the player) can't see it. Out of sight, out of mind, he just keeps on walking as if it isn't there. The same goes with gaps between platforms - if you cover it up, he will just keep on walking as if it were connected.

The other major mental bender to work out is how to use those holes. I said that walking into a black hole causes your character to fall down. It isn't like he falls down in 3D space and only the floor directly below him can save him; instead, if a panel looks like its below, then he will land on that, and the same thing goes for higher walkways when he is launched into the air.

All in all, it's a really interesting concept and I'm not sure if it can be fully comprehended in words. Much like The Matrix, I can't tell you about it, you have to see it for yourself. In order to get a better grasp on the how the game works, I would suggest finding some gameplay videos of it.

Echochrome offers three modes, Freeform, Atelier and Canvas. Freeform lets you play a random level that you have on your system. This includes both the 56 levels that come with the game and any user-created ones that are downloaded when you boot up Echochrome. Atelier lets you play any level you want (that's right, no forced level progression), which are grouped into eights. Each row (labeled by a letter) is noticeably more complex than the one above it. The last mode, Canvas, is the level editor.

The level editor is interesting, because it really forces you to think differently. Even if you've made level mods before, having to think about a world where perspective is everything means you have to really consider balance and have a lot of people play your level before you declare it done, because there seems to always be multiple ways to get to the designated echo.

Echochrome has a doozey of a learning curve. The game is both 3D and 2D at the same time. While everything has a very noticeable 3D look, and objects interact in a 3D manner, it's the 2 dimensional representation displayed on your TV that matters. Wrapping your mind around this new concept can take a bit of work, and there were plenty of times when I was surprised by what strange feats I was able to perform. I was shocked every time the woody went through a hole I wasn't planning on, and he fell through what looked like the lowest level and I quickly rotated the world so something was underneath it to save him.

While you can tackle the levels in any order, I highly recommend going into the tutorial first and taking on the levels mostly in order at first, at least until you get a feel for the game.

Echochrome is a massive undertaking, and I can't imagine some of the difficulties the developers experienced. Having to control all of the movements and perform all of the standard 3D calculations, plus any time the character leaves a platform, considering how the game looks in 2D space and if it appears to be something the character can do. It really is an innovative and great idea, that I'm sure had quite a few hiccups along the way.

As I said earlier, you don't control your character, so the added rushed feeling of having to rotate the world quickly so you don't see various obstacles is a must, well until you realize that there are more controls than simply the camera rotation. You can speed up the rotation by holding down the (R2) button, pause your woody, and put the game in "thinking mode" by tapping Triangle and holding down (X) causes him to move a little faster.

If you already have a PS3, then definitely download this game. If you need something to help you relax after a rough work day, then this game is what you need. Heck, it's a casual game, but if you have been on the fence as far as purchasing a PS3 is concerned, then Echochrome just might be the title to push you over the edge.