In a distant past, the alien race known as The Foe attacked Earth. The conflict ended when humans and dolphins joined forces to repel the invasion. Peace followed — until now. The Foe have returned with a sharper objective: destroy the Guardian, a massive crystal that anchors Earth's planetary defense system through a powerful forcefield. They succeed in destroying half of it before being stopped. A shard of the Guardian makes contact with the dolphin Ecco and delivers a desperate message: only Ecco can restore what was lost and save the planet from a second attack.