Review of Echo
| Subject | Echo Echo (1 Year Anniversary Version) |
| By | Helpfulness: 2 Vote: 10shyshydou on 2022-11-20 last updated on 2024-03-04 |
| Review | *biased review incoming* I'm sorry, I know that we're supposed to be as objective as possible, whatever that means, but I can't help myself. Echo is one of the most influential games for me in recent memory, one that helped spark my interest in visual novels as a storytelling medium. This game has been stuck in my mind weeks after I finishing it. Without it, I probably wouldn't even be here on this site right now. I should preface by saying that yes, Echo is a furry game, and yes, it is also pretty gay, but I don't think you should judge it based solely on that. Echo has a lot to offer in substance and in meaning. Challenge yourself to read something you normally wouldn't, from a perspective you know nothing about. Also, there are only like 3 sex scenes, 2 gay, 1 straight (very few considering it's a visual novel) and they don't last long and/or are very skippable so if you don't like that stuff, you should be fine. Ok, onto the review. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Echo follows the story of 6 friends as they decide to reconnect in Echo, an almost deserted southwestern town filled with meth addicts and not much else. It's no secret the towns going under, but something strange is happening in Echo. The people, at least those who remain, have started acting weirder than usual. Since entering the town, an unknown voice permeates the back of your head and tells you what to do, and you're no stranger to experiencing strange visions in the town but now other people are seeing them too, beckoning them outside their window, and they say it looks an awful lot like you. The first time I read Echo I couldn't put it down. Despite how barren and lifeless Echo is, or maybe because of it, the town is just oozing with atmosphere. A certain ambiance that i don't think is captured really anywhere else. The little bit of information we do get on the history of the town or how it works is just enough to let your imagination run wild but never enough to get a full picture. There was always something "off" about the town, something remarkably unremarkable, but it was always there like a looming presence. I always felt on edge, like the town itself was slowly suffocating me. But when shit hits the fan in Echo, it hits hard. That oppressive atmosphere that you were almost getting numb to turns into this hostile free-for-all all where the only objective is to survive the mass hysteria. That's not true for every route, some are more bombastic, while others remain quietly terrifying, but regardless, that feeling of dread never vanishes. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the town itself is like the game's hidden 7th main character, the same way the island in LOST is, if you've ever seen that show. I never had a problem that not every question had an answer, as it makes the town more unsettling even during subsequent routes and replays. I think it would've been a disservice to reveal the mystery of the town, seeing it's what makes the game so interesting. To bring up my LOST example again, that show tried to answer every remaining question in its final season and in doing so, ended with a whimper instead of a bang. Lost is one of my favorite shows, but some things are just better left unwritten. Plus, I'm pretty sure they're going to be answered in the game's prequel series "The Smoke Room" which I have mixed feelings about. I haven't read it yet so maybe I'll change my mind when I get to it. More than its horror elements, a significant chunk of Echo's playtime is focused on its characters and their interpersonal drama. Characters in Echo aren't one note, everyone has their own deeply personal and intertwined histories, things they've done that they regret, and their own motivations as to why they've come back to, or never left the town of Echo. Other than being their own fully-fledged people, Echo makes their friendship believable. Its realistic, naturalistic dialogue is one of the game's greatest feats in my opinion, a breath of fresh air from visual novels of the East where every scene is extended or recapped or has to have some elaborate joke that brings the story to a stop. Every conversation in Echo, every interaction, from friends to acquaintances to strangers, feels strikingly real, like something I could experience in my own life. Fights especially, the verbal kind I mean (although physical fights are well done), are the best I've seen them in any piece of media period. The little intricacies, how small things build to a crescendo, how we say things without thinking in the heat of the moment, and the regret that comes after. Howly, the author, is a master at balancing these emotions with the stories he's trying to tell. Anyway, I said the game is about friendship, but the group's dynamic is more that of a dysfunctional family. They aren't averse to bickering or fighting with each other, a consequence of forming through the necessity of survival instead of camaraderie, but it's still painfully obvious that they care for each other. They're like a family... that occasionally sleep with each other, like the Brady Bunch. Echo has 5 routes, and even if they all contain some sort of "romance", and I use that word very sparingly, Echo isn't a dating sim. It's a story about broken people at its core, broken people trying to escape their past and learning to grow and move on, and true to life, sometimes they can't. The art in Echo is very good. There are a surprisingly high number of cgs for a free game, and they are all high quality and improve the atmosphere and tension of the writing. Even when they weren't present, I never felt lost as to what was happening, especially during action scenes. I also want to give props to the music of the game which really enhanced the emotional moments for me (and also made me cry) Although I did say this review would be biased, I'm not delusional, some parts of the game really aren't worth defending, most notably Carl's route. A regrettable consequence of being the first story written, Carl's route just goes on for way too long with nothing of note. Which is a shame. The story it tells before the inciting incident and its ending are both high points, different from the rest of the game but nevertheless well-written and relatable. But while there were some interesting ideas present and it does give quite a bit of history on the town itself, I don't think they got anywhere near the level of quality of other routes. If every other route was an Oreo cookie, Carl's would be like an oatmeal raisin one, submerged in a lake full of icey water which you'd have to swim through before getting to it. A week and some elbow grease could salvage it but seeing as the creators have already put the game to bed and I'm sure want to focus on newer things, I doubt it will ever happen. Anyway, I hope that was enough to convince you to give this wonderful game a try. It's hard to recommend Echo, seeing as it's targeted to a niche of a niche of a subset of people, but despite that, I think this visual novel can, and should, be enjoyed by a lot more people than it currently is. And Echo isn't the only one. There's a whole market of great gay furry games that will never be appreciated except for a very small pool of people. All I can do as a fan is try and spread the word to as many people as possible, sort of like a gay furry Jesus. To cap off this review, ill give you my preferred story order which is: Leo -> Carl -> Tj -> Flynn -> Jenna And remember you're always moving in circles |
| 2 points |