echo night is a series of first-person horror adventure games produced by from software on the psx and ps2. while the first and third game came out in the west, the second was japan only but does have a really good fan translation available for it
each of the games exists independent of the other with the exception of a few names and little details like that, so we're talking final fantasy-like sequel structure here. the main thing that exists between them is that you are always going to be dealing with ghosts but also the presence of a red stone which has the power to...
it would be reductive to say the stone "grants wishes" because it's a bit more than that. the stone grants you something you desire, but the thing it grants you will effectively always be the thing you desire so selfishly that you can't help but fall under its sway. it's heavily implied (and outright stated in the first game) that the stone houses a demon inside it, though it's only in the first game that the demon needs to truly exert any kind of direct influence. the rest is all people falling to their desire
this effectively always results in loads of people dying, so you will spend the vast majority of these games dealing with ghosts, some of which are extremely malevolent. to get rid of the ghosts, you have to illuminate the room they're in, which will often involve things like trying to find ways to provide power to those rooms, so you get the sort of familiar fromsoft navigation in there. this will also usually involve solving the problems other ghosts have, like getting somebody a drink they really liked, helping an astronaut with his crew, going to...
...going to a...
...going to a casino... .. . . .
listen the games aren't perfect, but their strength relies a lot on how well they execute their setting and their mood, but especially the personalities and emotions of the ghosts you're supposed to help. they're EXTREMELY good adventure games and despite how it may sound, there's really nothing quite like them
