History VideoGame / EchoNight

''Echo Night'' is an obscure SurvivalHorror series that debuted on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation by Creator/FromSoftware. Each of the games uses the [[AdventureGame First Person Adventure]] format, putting the player directly in the shoes of the unfortunate Richard Osmond, solving puzzles and struggling to survive while helping ghosts.

The third installment was released in 2004 as the series' only entry on the UsefulNotes/{{PS2}}, and it also jumps the series into the year 2044. ''Echo Night: Beyond'' sees Richard Osmond and his fiancee Claudia Selfer about to fulfill their dream of being married on the moon. But before landing, their shuttle takes severe damage, and Richard wakes up outside the station disoriented and alone.

* ArtifactOfDoom: The Soul Stone in all 3 games. Can grant the wielders desires, but A) The Stone requires sacrifices to power it, and B) WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity.

* GuideDangIt: Some parts of ''Beyond'' give no explanation as to what has to be done, and to make things worse, certain objects that you examine cannot be examined a second time, meaning you can miss important information clicking around on the walls.

* JustifiedSavePoint: Phones in ''Echo Night.'' This begs the question: Who's on the other side of the line when Richard calls to save the game...?

* OminousFog: In ''Beyond'', fog will actually make the shades more hostile, so Richard must find ways to clear away -- or, if failing that, avoid -- the fog.

* SchmuckBait: One ending in the second game has a woman offer the player the Soul Stone. The woman clearly has no love for the Stone and all the pain it caused [[spoiler: and she had just shot the previous owner in the back. If you accept, she'll make sure you join him]].

** In one of the bad endings in ''Lord of Nightmares'', [[spoiler: Richard Osmond releases his fiancée in the clock tower, Albert Clancy threatens him with a shotgun. Christina jumos in front of Albert to protect Richard and is shot. Seeing that his only means to save Jessica, leaves the room and shoots himself. Later, Richard climbs down the clock tower and sees an awakened Jessica just outside the clock tower, goes to her and stabs her.]]

* DownerEnding: Some of the multiple endings. Such as one ending in ''Beyond'', in which [[spoiler:Richard kills himself]].

** In ''Lord of Nightmares'', one of the very first rooms is a chamber where the body of Jessica Clancy. [[spoiler: The doors that lead to said chamber are double doors with a female face on each, hinting at the twin reveal later in the game.]]

* HauntedHouse: The setting of ''The Lord of Nightmares.''

* SeparatedAtBirth / LongLostRelative: [[spoiler: In ''Lord of NIghtmares'', Christina Collins, Richard Osmond's fiancée, was born Rebecca Morgan, the twin sister of Jessica Clancy (née Morgan). After a zeppelin accident, the twins' parents die, Rebecca loses her memory and becomes separated from her sister.]]

** In ''Lord of Nightmares'', one of the very first rooms is a chamber where the body of Jessica Clancy. [[spoilers: The doors that lead to said chamber are double doors with a female face on each, hinting at the twin reveal later in the game.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In ''Beyond'', the only character that seems alive is Kenneth. [[spoiler: When you find he is a android, it hints on how you managed to still be alive as well]].

* BookEnds: In ''Beyond'', if the player gets the game's best ending, the game begins and ends with a shot of coffin containing the body of [[spoiler: Claudia]] floating through space.

* UndeathAlwaysEnds: This happens in the best ending of the second game: [[spoiler:after getting rid of the stone for good, the mysterious red-haired woman loses has immortality granted by said stone]].

%%* ApocalypticLog: Found throughout ''Beyond''.

* DarknessEqualsDeath: A gameplay mechanic of the first and second game, where ghosts will only attack you in dark rooms. The first course of action is always to find a light switch whenever possible.

* MultipleEndings: The first game and ''Beyond'' have four endings each, while the second game has 3 endings.

* ObviouslyEvil: The medium from ''Echo Night''. Whatever his deal is.

* PermanentlyMissableContent: {{Averted|Trope}} with the Astral Pieces in the first game -- the whole ship can be explored any time to collect any missing Astral Pieces.

%%* UndeathAlwaysEnds

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The only character that seems alive is Kenneth. [[spoiler: When you find he is a android, it hints on how you managed to still be alive as well]].

* OminousFog: In ''Beyond,'' fog will actually make the shades more hostile, so Richard must find ways to clear away -- or, if failing that, avoid -- the fog.

* ReplacementGoldfish: In ''Beyond'' [[spoiler: Richard]] is a robotic copy of the original made by [[spoiler: Claudia.]]
* RoboticReveal: In ''Beyond'' [[spoiler: Kenneth and the player character, Richard,]] are both android copies of their human counterparts.

* ArtifactOfDoom: The Soul Stone in all 3 games. Grants the wielder considerable power, but A) The Stone requires sacrifices to power it, and B) WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity.

* EarnYourBadEnding / EarnYourHappyEnding: A common trait of the games in the series is that to get the most conclusive endings (The good/evil endings of the first two games and the happiest ending in ''Beyond''), you'll need to go the extra mile to get HundredPercentCompletion (Get all Astral Pieces in the first game, get all or no Astral Pieces in the second game, and pick up some items from a room unlocked by helping all the ghosts pass on in the third game).

* MultipleEndings: All three games have four endings.