Take a look at what's going on, at The Town Crier!
Nice premise, those 3 screenshots are all with the creature in the same form though? Cool artwork, the use of colour is reminiscent of Bastion and Transistor.
Ooh, that is a nice idea! And yeah, look forward to seeing what variants/forms are available (Also is it just me or is the specimen really kind of adorable?)
So what are the controls/gameplay like? Is it a bit platformery with upgrades available, or are there puzzles to solve etc too?
All I really know about Ecco is that Tom Baker did the voiceovers (which was an excellent move, and one I'd definitely advise emulating, though I imagine he's not doing much work nowadays and certainly not at indie-affordable prices!)