Can someone maybe tell me if there is a good forum in which people are talking about Echo? I would really like to share some thoughts and see what others think.
That’s exactly why I don’t casually recommend Echo to others, because some people really don’t get it, and think that FVN is just about pleasure or thrill-seeking.
I honestly suggest that before some people play it, they should at least Google what “psychological horror” actually means. No, its purpose is not to make you feel scared psychologically…
Spoiler warning:
Believe it or not, “the mystery isn’t everything.” You’ll have to, like Flynn, reflect on what the cost of obsession with the truth really is. How much more mental energy are you going to pour into something that will never lead anywhere, just like Leo? Honestly, even saying this kind of ruins the experience, you have to explore and discover what’s wrong by yourself, otherwise it’s meaningless.
Carl’s route is very formulaic, it’s the weakest and most off-theme route in the whole game. That’s a common consensus among fans, and I’m not here to argue with it.
What I can’t understand is why some people keep misunderstanding and thinking that those who appreciate Echo must like its characters. That’s exactly what I admire about Echo, even though it makes it nearly impossible to commercialize, and even though its subversive nature might offend some people, it doesn’t shy away from portraying the contradictions of human nature (including queers). You can hate them if you want. You don’t have to love a single one of them to finish the game. But can hatred really solve the mystery or the problem? You probably wouldn’t enjoy seeing them suffer, right? (If your answer is “yes,” then I can’t help you.)
Imagine you’re a psychologist, a person’s flaws, dreams, and supernatural experiences are all defense mechanisms shaped by their environment and past trauma. Chase’s amnesia and multiple personalities come from his escape from reality. Leo falls in love with someone who no longer exists, so he creates Embrace. Flynn’s pursuit of truth turns him into the cause itself (the socket man).
It’s also worth mentioning that the game contains meta elements. Flynn’s route and the formatting and structure of choices already hint this (or rather, explicitly show). The player’s involvement usually only makes Chase mess things up even more. If you save Jenna’s route for last (it’s more functional than impressive), you can interpret the entire journey as a process of reconciliation, between you and Chase. You’ve done everything you could, and couldn’t, and yet you still can’t fix everything. So please, forgive others, and forgive yourself. I don’t have the right or ability to demand that from anyone, but doing so might make your heart hurt a little less.
Final comment explaining my opinion on this game. (More spoilers probably)
Starting with what psychological horror is. From Wikipedia "Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience." Do you want to know what this game would need to do to disturb me with mental or emotional states? Make me care about, sympathize with, or relate to its characters or world. This game does very little to do this, and as mentioned before; the characters are boring and grating, so I'm not going to care about them.
As for your point on whether I'd want these characters to suffer, I don't have to want, I'm forced to! That's most of the game!! And by making your characters have the depth of a cardboard cutout, it doesn't make me feel anything to see them hurt.
And arguably the worst part. "The mystery isn't everything." I've explained how other parts of this game have failed to resonate with me, so after everything else what's left is the mystery. So in my case, the mystery is everything, and it was dissatisfying and bland, two words that I think can sum up my whole experience with this game.
I think most of my problems with this game come down to, it's really not my thing, I don't understand, or I don't like the way it's presented. I'll let y'all continue to enjoy it, I'm probably annoying people anyway. Off to the next thing I'm going to obsess over, positive or negative!
I am in utter disbelief after reading about your opinion, did you check whether this is the visual novel you're actually referring to!?
It is so baffling seeing that someone has basically the polar opposite opinion about this visual novel than me.
This piece of media has, in my opinion, one of the best character writing of anything that I've ever read. And seeing you boil down their personalities to two or three words makes me feel like the whole point of every single one of them has gone over your head.
These characters act anything but stereotypical, and even the ones that do seem archetype-ish, like Carl, make a point by portraying the deeper parts of their reality.
And now that I mention Carl, let us take him as an example. He is one of the "weakest" characters personality-wise, but it is easy to see that such is the point; Carl has been consumed by monotony and depression to the point where his personality as a whole has been watered down to the core, which resulted in an "erasure" of his confidence and sense of self-worth. This premise is typical, yes, but in a relatable, realistic way, not stereotypical. He's not a caricature, yet even he thinks of himself that way. That's where his richness as a character lies.
And the animosity amongst the friend group is such a refreshing dynamic that it couldn't work any better; It feels awful seeing them deal with each other, and that's genius writing. The years of tension and basically forced friendship (because of social circumstances) is felt through every argument and interaction. You feel how everyone knows each other so well, that they've reached a point that they have nothing nice left to say, and communicating that much every time is pretty much a feat. The conversations, the interactions, feel realistic and backed up by backstories, and that just gives so much to the immersion of this visual novel.
I could write paragraph after paragraph about what each character entails, but that would make things too long.
With Echo you're reminded that you're not reading a simpleton visual novel about a bunch of sweethearts in a creepy place. The tension and the insanity within Echo and the friend group sells the horror beautifully and realistically.
The unorthodox way that Echo has of telling its story is key to absorbing the reader into the experience. It's not disappointing; it's novel. And you came here with unfair expectations when you wanted a chewed-up novel without ever having to squint between the lines.
Of course I don't think Echo is perfect, but i greatly appreciate each of the aspects that make it unique as a novel. I'd love to see more writers dare to take up such an experimental atmosphere and message like what Howly did here.
This is actually very fascinating for me because I felt absolutely the opposite.
But first: Pleas don't get me wrong here. I didn't write the following text to look down on you. Explaining this via text always sounds arrogant but you should know that I don't know you so I really try to summarize the reason why you MAYBE didn't see it as a good VN.
From my view Echo works if you have reflected very much on your own psychological problems, your emotional and mental construct and if you have gone through a lot of pain yourself to see the depth behind this story.
Thats why I assume it doesn't work if you haven't evolved a certain level of unconditional empathy to build this very important connection to those characters AND if you haven't understood the complexity of what it means to be human. If you don't see those levels, of course it feels boring and like it doesn't tell you anything. The story itself is packed as a pretty simple surreal nightmare but written and told in a very real and authentic way of how trauma breaks the mind. It is the huge amount of subtle details, not the haunted town story plot.
The deeper you look the more of those interconnecting details you can find and it really surprised me when I started to realize that the writers really know how trauma works.
I know not everyone can see this but the question is "Is it worth to go through this in your life to be able see it." No of course not. You can be quite happy that you can't relate to it.
That's why it is so brilliantly written for people who are receptive for this kind of story.
Warning: spoilers. Lots of spoilers. You have been warned.
This is one of the most disappointing pieces of media I have ever seen. I don't think words alone can describe my utter hatred towards this game and its characters. I finished four out of five routes last week, and I won't be completing route five. This game has disappointed me too much already.
The first problem is that the plot is never concluded. You have a mystery and you don't solve it, I don't care if "That's the point!" It's really unsatisfying and leaves me feeling like I've wasted my time. Even playing two routes back to back should answer the questions the first one left it doesn't. Flynn's route and TJ's routes should answer the questions the other leaves, and it doesn't. It doesn't answer the question of who murdered Sydney, it just leaves it and chooses to only use it to attempt to make you feel something, and it doesn't work.
The town history plot was boring from the beginning, as well as the entirety of Carl's route. It was so slow and felt like it was 75% filler, and the interesting part, being the part where Carl, Jenna, Raven, and Chase are in the weird places, is basically summed up to be a dream. A very frustrating ending that is always unsatisfying!
The final plot point is the town histaria plot, which is just stupid. It's impossible to take seriously and gets boring in 15 minutes. Leo's whole route is basically about this and it doesn't work considering half the people in Echo are already insane, so you just make it absurd by making them more insane.
The second big problem is with the characters, I hate every character in this game. They are all the most bland, unlikeable, annoying characters I've ever had the displeasure of going through a story with. Carl is a stereotypical stoner but with mental issues, Leo is an obsessive ex, TJ is Religious and way too sensitive, Flynn is an asshole, and Chase has no personality. This is the main cast and there isn't a single interesting one. There all dicks to each other and it makes the whole game grating to go through.
Finally, the complete lack of horror, comedy, or anything interesting in the writing. This is the most suggestive part given everyone's humor and what makes people scared is different. What's here for horror is the equivalent to a creepypasta, the dream sequences, the gore depictions, and the torture scenes aren't even disturbing. Any attempt at humor falls flat on its face, there are maybe three instances where I laughed, one of those being a scene that's supposed to be scary. (See my previous comment for the image)
Overall this games complete lack of anything interesting or enjoyable is disappointing. 0/10
Hiya! So not trying to shit on anyone's parade, but felt like I had to write this given that I felt a bit cheated by the raving reviews.
Maybe it was just the specific route I took, but I was very disappointed by this VN. After getting invested in the characters and the compelling premise, the story turned to a long, laborious and repetitive series of surreal, dream like sequences - kind of what I'd imagine a datura or DPH trip to be like. These sequences didn't seem to serve the plot for much, so I just end up skipping through the rest of the VN (about half). I was a waiting for some kind of conclusion to the plot points I'd already seen, but it never came. It ended kind of abruptly, leaving the vast majority of the conflict unresolved.
I think it's only fair for anyone planning on playing this game to know this. Also your mileage may vary! I'm aware this game has several different routes. I did enjoy the artwork and character design. Lovely characters with a lot of potential. As an alternative, I would highly recommend Adastra (very NSFW), also by the creators of this VN.
If you're still interested in the game don't let me stop you, it just mightn't be the best introduction to the VN format if you get the same route as me and wouldn't want anyone to be put off playing other VNs. <3
I'm assuming you're talking about Flynn's route. It's true that the end of the route is really hazy and confusing, and the change of style is jarring, (as it has been done by another writer) but not nonsensical.
I believe that this portion of the novel is highly symbolic and requires an understanding of the nature of echo and the rest of the routes, i did this route last so i could at least grasp whatever the hell was going on.
It seems to me that as Flynn burns in the mines, he becomes one with the "victims" of Echo, their minds fusing and intermingling into a supernatural being that (i think) already existed. The memories and acts of the being are reenacted as Flynn AND his possessor, Samuel Ayers are assimilated into the being (rumored to be the socket man)
The wiki affirms that the scenes seen are actually being done by Flynn rather than them being memories, proposing that whatever Flynn becomes is beyond linear time, but its up for debate.
The thing is that Echo is notoriously vague and enigmatic and confirms little to nothing about its supernatural nature, so no certainties should be expected, really.
hey neat vn but just putting it out there that while the content warning mentions how the game can be emotionally intense it kind of leaves out that there is a very disturbing depiction of sa during one of the routes so keep that in mind if that sort of thing is something you wouldn’t be able to sit through
Echo is one of the best VNs I have ever played. It is not your typical furry VN where there is only sex and relationships. Echo is a real story full of mysteries and secrets. And the music simply perfectly conveys the atmosphere of what is happening on the screen... I think everyone should play this amazing game. This game makes you want to come back again and again until you uncover the story of this city to the end. If you are looking for a VN that is worth playing for the story, then this is the VN for you. Overall, this is an amazing work.
To clarify, this vn isn’t really a mystery. ECHO’s power is so immense that merely trying to grasp the enigma behind it is far beyond the reach of mortals.
In truth, there isn’t a definite answer to any of this, but that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless. So what if life is nothing more than a vast cycle? You’ll experience pain again and again, but happiness will too.
I played it two months ago and it threw me into a emotional life changing deprssion. I am already out of it again but it left deep marks.
It truly is a masterful work and even if it hurt it still rocketed to place 1 as my most favorite VN from the furry community. And maybe also place 1 as psychological horror overall.
don't ignore the mental health disclaimer please, you'll regret it. if you look at the cw and think "im okay to play this, im stable," then you're not. someone stable would have glossed over it because they already know it doesn't apply to them. the vn can wait until a time where you are able to think about this comment and laugh at how much better things have gotten. <3
FR, it took me 10 months to finish the game, just because I chose Flynn's route as my first one, I wanted the drama and to dive straight into the gossip , ended up feeling really shocked, a bit disgusted by how toxic the enviroment around him felt, and somehow I felt really sad for him in the end
I started this VN half a year ago, had to stop after two days, tried again tonight, and now I feel like I´ll be having nightmares.
Amaizing work, this hit me harder than any other anime, book or movie, altough at this rate I will never finish this game, I usually do all routes but I can´t even continue Leo´s route (my first) for more than two hours without feeling like I can´t breath.
Dont download from links in the comments they are FAKE, and will get you hacked don't download from "Dev Slime" and other users if you download them they are ratware and will steal EVERYTHING from EVERY browser they possibly can.
It's always a euphoric experience when you play a visual novel for the first time, & you go into it with the most positive attitude... & yet you finish it off with a broken heart in many ways, yet you wouldn't trade that pain for anything else in the world. THAT was what playing Echo was like for me.
I remember vaguely coming across a comment years ago saying that something along the lines of, "You're probably not mentally ready for what this vn will do to you." I took it with a grain of salt & hit download. The more routes I played, the more my heart shattered, & the more invested I found myself wanting answers. Like... the end of Tj's route man. That broke me.
All in all, if you're thinking about giving this game a try, do be warned: it's not for the weak at ALL. I shed some tears, & my overall perspective has changed from first playing the game. I'm definitely not the same from when I started, versus finishing as of last night. A beautifully written game, I recommend playing it at night, since that's what I did to heighten the experience for me bwahaha, & grab yourself a drink. Preferably alcohol for my tastes, but juice or water would suffice just fine.
Kick back, TRY to relax, & enjoy the wondrous story Echo has in store for you :)
one of the standout experiences of media in my life. about 40 hours spread in a period of 3-4 years, i'm really sad i can't experience any of it for the first time anymore, even though i'm not always fond of the characters' decisions/actions. i definitely feel like a different person before and after this, just like with adastra.
Its so sad that Echo was just discontinued, i would've loved to see more about the characters including Keith and the tetanus alley crew, how they handle life after the events of the game, answers to all the questions raised by the game. Overall theres a bunch of things that the game does incredibly well but, kinda forget about some other things.
Ps: Micha is the best character of Echo, prove me otherwise.
Well there's Arches, though I think only one or two characters that appeared in echo reappear there. Stories have to end somewhere, they can't spend an infinite amount of time exploring every detail. I mean if you really want that level of detail there's a ton of fanfic out there.
Echo is discontinued? I thought it was just finished. Also, I agree with wanting to see more about the characters. I'd love a Sydney route; I really enjoyed the brief moments we had in Flynn's route and I want to see everything that happened from his perspective.
There was so much that they could have, added to the universe, they tried something with The smoke room but they had some complications and now the project is gone and the fact that The smoke room was set in a different universe. They're dont need to be routes, just new hidden stories like the others, again would've been awesome.
Hi, Echo was not discontinued. The original Echo is fully finished, and the sequel Arches is also fully finished. The project is not "gone" and technically could be revisited, though probably not anytime soon.
Hi I need help, about echo Iv just download the game on android but for some reason when i start a game and typing on tge screen a few times it exit the game, iv tried deleting it and then downloading it again and even restarted the phone but nothin seems to work
Are there any plans to ever use the characters here again (be it actual new content, a reboot, or something similar to Route 65) again? Really I’m just desperate for this story not to be over…
If you really want more content there's an infinite amount of fanfic out there. Stories need an endpoint, you can't go on forever. FYI Route 65 began as a fanfic that eventually got adopted into the canon.
My turn. I guesss i played this VN fist time in... early 2024, and since then i wish i could delete my memory just to play this VN again and be amazed all over again. Well... this one and Adastra if i have the option to choose two.
deletion might be the only thing separating our memory from a hard drive... though I inevitably find myself wishing the same. these games really are quite strange
I thought I was ready to read it cause I keep seeing a good reviews of this, but it turns out I keep crying in leo's route😭 I didn't expect it to be this good, everyone thought this is just a horror Visual Novel, but it's not, IT'S A MASTERPIECE💕😭
Hi I need help, Iv just download the game on android but for some reason when i start a game and typing on tge screen a few times it exit the game, iv tried deleting it and then downloading it again and even restarted the phone but nothin seems to work
I've played this game fully like five times since it released, and have been active in its community and it has genuinely changed me as a person AND I REALIZED JUST TODAY I NEVER RATED IT.
Play this. If you're queer, and a furry, you should play this. It's damn good.
(No spoilers) Made an account just to say how much this game impacted me. I've played quite a few VNs and a friend recommended this as their whole server have played it. I didn't know what to expect or what it was, but I wasn't ready.
I did TJ's route first and while very sad, I was struck by the atmosphere and writing, I love Stephen King and clearly the writer does too. But after that first ending I didn't know if it was worth playing more. I did Jenna next and for the love of god I was not ready for how deep the rabbit hole of the story and characters goes.
You begin to see yourself and people you know reflected in Chase's friends and the people you meet as you try and cobble together what you can about Echo's secrets. 10/10 I cannot believe this isn't for sale on Steam and it's free. Just try it out.
Wait, Rushnerd? Goddamn, my friends and I have been watching your YouTube videos for a decade now. I still send people that Raccoon.mid video you made 12 years ago. Crazy to see you pop up here.
Never fails to amaze me how many people remember, but I haven't heard that one in a looong time. I really appreciate it! My friend told me to try Arches next so I'm going to try that out. Thanks for making amazing games, McSkinny!
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Can someone maybe tell me if there is a good forum in which people are talking about Echo? I would really like to share some thoughts and see what others think.
Thank you.
https://www.reddit.com/r/FurryVisualNovels
Here is the only place I know
Thank you so much!
Are you active there, too?
I read posts mostly
That’s exactly why I don’t casually recommend Echo to others, because some people really don’t get it, and think that FVN is just about pleasure or thrill-seeking.
I honestly suggest that before some people play it, they should at least Google what “psychological horror” actually means. No, its purpose is not to make you feel scared psychologically…
Spoiler warning:
Believe it or not, “the mystery isn’t everything.” You’ll have to, like Flynn, reflect on what the cost of obsession with the truth really is. How much more mental energy are you going to pour into something that will never lead anywhere, just like Leo? Honestly, even saying this kind of ruins the experience, you have to explore and discover what’s wrong by yourself, otherwise it’s meaningless.
Carl’s route is very formulaic, it’s the weakest and most off-theme route in the whole game. That’s a common consensus among fans, and I’m not here to argue with it.
What I can’t understand is why some people keep misunderstanding and thinking that those who appreciate Echo must like its characters. That’s exactly what I admire about Echo, even though it makes it nearly impossible to commercialize, and even though its subversive nature might offend some people, it doesn’t shy away from portraying the contradictions of human nature (including queers). You can hate them if you want. You don’t have to love a single one of them to finish the game. But can hatred really solve the mystery or the problem? You probably wouldn’t enjoy seeing them suffer, right? (If your answer is “yes,” then I can’t help you.)
Imagine you’re a psychologist, a person’s flaws, dreams, and supernatural experiences are all defense mechanisms shaped by their environment and past trauma. Chase’s amnesia and multiple personalities come from his escape from reality. Leo falls in love with someone who no longer exists, so he creates Embrace. Flynn’s pursuit of truth turns him into the cause itself (the socket man).
It’s also worth mentioning that the game contains meta elements. Flynn’s route and the formatting and structure of choices already hint this (or rather, explicitly show). The player’s involvement usually only makes Chase mess things up even more. If you save Jenna’s route for last (it’s more functional than impressive), you can interpret the entire journey as a process of reconciliation, between you and Chase. You’ve done everything you could, and couldn’t, and yet you still can’t fix everything. So please, forgive others, and forgive yourself. I don’t have the right or ability to demand that from anyone, but doing so might make your heart hurt a little less.
Final comment explaining my opinion on this game. (More spoilers probably)
Starting with what psychological horror is. From Wikipedia "Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience." Do you want to know what this game would need to do to disturb me with mental or emotional states? Make me care about, sympathize with, or relate to its characters or world. This game does very little to do this, and as mentioned before; the characters are boring and grating, so I'm not going to care about them.
As for your point on whether I'd want these characters to suffer, I don't have to want, I'm forced to! That's most of the game!! And by making your characters have the depth of a cardboard cutout, it doesn't make me feel anything to see them hurt.
And arguably the worst part. "The mystery isn't everything." I've explained how other parts of this game have failed to resonate with me, so after everything else what's left is the mystery. So in my case, the mystery is everything, and it was dissatisfying and bland, two words that I think can sum up my whole experience with this game.
I think most of my problems with this game come down to, it's really not my thing, I don't understand, or I don't like the way it's presented. I'll let y'all continue to enjoy it, I'm probably annoying people anyway. Off to the next thing I'm going to obsess over, positive or negative!
I am in utter disbelief after reading about your opinion, did you check whether this is the visual novel you're actually referring to!?
It is so baffling seeing that someone has basically the polar opposite opinion about this visual novel than me.
This piece of media has, in my opinion, one of the best character writing of anything that I've ever read. And seeing you boil down their personalities to two or three words makes me feel like the whole point of every single one of them has gone over your head.
These characters act anything but stereotypical, and even the ones that do seem archetype-ish, like Carl, make a point by portraying the deeper parts of their reality.
And now that I mention Carl, let us take him as an example. He is one of the "weakest" characters personality-wise, but it is easy to see that such is the point; Carl has been consumed by monotony and depression to the point where his personality as a whole has been watered down to the core, which resulted in an "erasure" of his confidence and sense of self-worth. This premise is typical, yes, but in a relatable, realistic way, not stereotypical. He's not a caricature, yet even he thinks of himself that way. That's where his richness as a character lies.
And the animosity amongst the friend group is such a refreshing dynamic that it couldn't work any better; It feels awful seeing them deal with each other, and that's genius writing. The years of tension and basically forced friendship (because of social circumstances) is felt through every argument and interaction. You feel how everyone knows each other so well, that they've reached a point that they have nothing nice left to say, and communicating that much every time is pretty much a feat. The conversations, the interactions, feel realistic and backed up by backstories, and that just gives so much to the immersion of this visual novel.
I could write paragraph after paragraph about what each character entails, but that would make things too long.
With Echo you're reminded that you're not reading a simpleton visual novel about a bunch of sweethearts in a creepy place. The tension and the insanity within Echo and the friend group sells the horror beautifully and realistically.
The unorthodox way that Echo has of telling its story is key to absorbing the reader into the experience. It's not disappointing; it's novel. And you came here with unfair expectations when you wanted a chewed-up novel without ever having to squint between the lines.
Of course I don't think Echo is perfect, but i greatly appreciate each of the aspects that make it unique as a novel. I'd love to see more writers dare to take up such an experimental atmosphere and message like what Howly did here.
This is actually very fascinating for me because I felt absolutely the opposite.
But first:
Pleas don't get me wrong here. I didn't write the following text to look down on you. Explaining this via text always sounds arrogant but you should know that I don't know you so I really try to summarize the reason why you MAYBE didn't see it as a good VN.
From my view Echo works if you have reflected very much on your own psychological problems, your emotional and mental construct and if you have gone through a lot of pain yourself to see the depth behind this story.
Thats why I assume it doesn't work if you haven't evolved a certain level of unconditional empathy to build this very important connection to those characters AND if you haven't understood the complexity of what it means to be human. If you don't see those levels, of course it feels boring and like it doesn't tell you anything. The story itself is packed as a pretty simple surreal nightmare but written and told in a very real and authentic way of how trauma breaks the mind. It is the huge amount of subtle details, not the haunted town story plot.
The deeper you look the more of those interconnecting details you can find and it really surprised me when I started to realize that the writers really know how trauma works.
I know not everyone can see this but the question is "Is it worth to go through this in your life to be able see it." No of course not. You can be quite happy that you can't relate to it.
That's why it is so brilliantly written for people who are receptive for this kind of story.
Warning: spoilers. Lots of spoilers. You have been warned.
This is one of the most disappointing pieces of media I have ever seen. I don't think words alone can describe my utter hatred towards this game and its characters. I finished four out of five routes last week, and I won't be completing route five. This game has disappointed me too much already.
The first problem is that the plot is never concluded. You have a mystery and you don't solve it, I don't care if "That's the point!" It's really unsatisfying and leaves me feeling like I've wasted my time. Even playing two routes back to back should answer the questions the first one left it doesn't. Flynn's route and TJ's routes should answer the questions the other leaves, and it doesn't. It doesn't answer the question of who murdered Sydney, it just leaves it and chooses to only use it to attempt to make you feel something, and it doesn't work.
The town history plot was boring from the beginning, as well as the entirety of Carl's route. It was so slow and felt like it was 75% filler, and the interesting part, being the part where Carl, Jenna, Raven, and Chase are in the weird places, is basically summed up to be a dream. A very frustrating ending that is always unsatisfying!
The final plot point is the town histaria plot, which is just stupid. It's impossible to take seriously and gets boring in 15 minutes. Leo's whole route is basically about this and it doesn't work considering half the people in Echo are already insane, so you just make it absurd by making them more insane.
The second big problem is with the characters, I hate every character in this game. They are all the most bland, unlikeable, annoying characters I've ever had the displeasure of going through a story with. Carl is a stereotypical stoner but with mental issues, Leo is an obsessive ex, TJ is Religious and way too sensitive, Flynn is an asshole, and Chase has no personality. This is the main cast and there isn't a single interesting one. There all dicks to each other and it makes the whole game grating to go through.
Finally, the complete lack of horror, comedy, or anything interesting in the writing. This is the most suggestive part given everyone's humor and what makes people scared is different. What's here for horror is the equivalent to a creepypasta, the dream sequences, the gore depictions, and the torture scenes aren't even disturbing. Any attempt at humor falls flat on its face, there are maybe three instances where I laughed, one of those being a scene that's supposed to be scary. (See my previous comment for the image)
Overall this games complete lack of anything interesting or enjoyable is disappointing. 0/10
"Asian, Asian, Asian; Sorry for being Asian" ahh like
Hiya! So not trying to shit on anyone's parade, but felt like I had to write this given that I felt a bit cheated by the raving reviews.
Maybe it was just the specific route I took, but I was very disappointed by this VN. After getting invested in the characters and the compelling premise, the story turned to a long, laborious and repetitive series of surreal, dream like sequences - kind of what I'd imagine a datura or DPH trip to be like. These sequences didn't seem to serve the plot for much, so I just end up skipping through the rest of the VN (about half). I was a waiting for some kind of conclusion to the plot points I'd already seen, but it never came. It ended kind of abruptly, leaving the vast majority of the conflict unresolved.
I think it's only fair for anyone planning on playing this game to know this. Also your mileage may vary! I'm aware this game has several different routes. I did enjoy the artwork and character design. Lovely characters with a lot of potential. As an alternative, I would highly recommend Adastra (very NSFW), also by the creators of this VN.
If you're still interested in the game don't let me stop you, it just mightn't be the best introduction to the VN format if you get the same route as me and wouldn't want anyone to be put off playing other VNs. <3
RADICAL spoiler alert!
I'm assuming you're talking about Flynn's route.
It's true that the end of the route is really hazy and confusing, and the change of style is jarring, (as it has been done by another writer) but not nonsensical.
I believe that this portion of the novel is highly symbolic and requires an understanding of the nature of echo and the rest of the routes, i did this route last so i could at least grasp whatever the hell was going on.
It seems to me that as Flynn burns in the mines, he becomes one with the "victims" of Echo, their minds fusing and intermingling into a supernatural being that (i think) already existed. The memories and acts of the being are reenacted as Flynn AND his possessor, Samuel Ayers are assimilated into the being (rumored to be the socket man)
The wiki affirms that the scenes seen are actually being done by Flynn rather than them being memories, proposing that whatever Flynn becomes is beyond linear time, but its up for debate.
The thing is that Echo is notoriously vague and enigmatic and confirms little to nothing about its supernatural nature, so no certainties should be expected, really.
hey neat vn but just putting it out there that while the content warning mentions how the game can be emotionally intense it kind of leaves out that there is a very disturbing depiction of sa during one of the routes so keep that in mind if that sort of thing is something you wouldn’t be able to sit through
Spoiler. (And a ton of empty space.)
I find this image very funny.
spoiler tag this er something plz lol
sorry bout that.
Echo is one of the best VNs I have ever played. It is not your typical furry VN where there is only sex and relationships. Echo is a real story full of mysteries and secrets. And the music simply perfectly conveys the atmosphere of what is happening on the screen... I think everyone should play this amazing game. This game makes you want to come back again and again until you uncover the story of this city to the end. If you are looking for a VN that is worth playing for the story, then this is the VN for you. Overall, this is an amazing work.
Probably because all the sex vns are for people LOOKING for them so it would make sense that they're giving us what we want
Spoiler:
To clarify, this vn isn’t really a mystery. ECHO’s power is so immense that merely trying to grasp the enigma behind it is far beyond the reach of mortals.
In truth, there isn’t a definite answer to any of this, but that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless. So what if life is nothing more than a vast cycle? You’ll experience pain again and again, but happiness will too.
I finished this VN (all routes) years ago, and it still impacts me to this day. Masterful work.
I played it two months ago and it threw me into a emotional life changing deprssion. I am already out of it again but it left deep marks.
It truly is a masterful work and even if it hurt it still rocketed to place 1 as my most favorite VN from the furry community. And maybe also place 1 as psychological horror overall.
don't ignore the mental health disclaimer please, you'll regret it. if you look at the cw and think "im okay to play this, im stable," then you're not. someone stable would have glossed over it because they already know it doesn't apply to them. the vn can wait until a time where you are able to think about this comment and laugh at how much better things have gotten. <3
FR, it took me 10 months to finish the game, just because I chose Flynn's route as my first one, I wanted the drama and to dive straight into the gossip , ended up feeling really shocked, a bit disgusted by how toxic the enviroment around him felt, and somehow I felt really sad for him in the end
this game is probably one of the best vn I've ever played in my life, amazing work for the plot, the drawings, everything!
first vn to actually make me cry at each ending...
I started this VN half a year ago, had to stop after two days, tried again tonight, and now I feel like I´ll be having nightmares.
Amaizing work, this hit me harder than any other anime, book or movie, altough at this rate I will never finish this game, I usually do all routes but I can´t even continue Leo´s route (my first) for more than two hours without feeling like I can´t breath.
Dont download from links in the comments they are FAKE, and will get you hacked don't download from "Dev Slime" and other users if you download them they are ratware and will steal EVERYTHING from EVERY browser they possibly can.
Ok is better only from the official links i guess
It's always a euphoric experience when you play a visual novel for the first time, & you go into it with the most positive attitude... & yet you finish it off with a broken heart in many ways, yet you wouldn't trade that pain for anything else in the world. THAT was what playing Echo was like for me.
I remember vaguely coming across a comment years ago saying that something along the lines of, "You're probably not mentally ready for what this vn will do to you." I took it with a grain of salt & hit download. The more routes I played, the more my heart shattered, & the more invested I found myself wanting answers. Like... the end of Tj's route man. That broke me.
All in all, if you're thinking about giving this game a try, do be warned: it's not for the weak at ALL. I shed some tears, & my overall perspective has changed from first playing the game. I'm definitely not the same from when I started, versus finishing as of last night. A beautifully written game, I recommend playing it at night, since that's what I did to heighten the experience for me bwahaha, & grab yourself a drink. Preferably alcohol for my tastes, but juice or water would suffice just fine.
Kick back, TRY to relax, & enjoy the wondrous story Echo has in store for you :)
Flynn's and Leo's route BROKE me
I know right! had me terribly sad
guys can someone please tell me the name of the track "mitt.ogg"??? i cant find the actual name anywhere and shazam doesnt recognize it.
Is it this track?
People have uploaded most of the OST to YouTube thankfully
oh thanks, i didnt know that mitt is its actual name
does anyone know what happened to the fangame Echo: The Canon Route? i cant seem to find the thing
moral of the game : never EVER date your ex
This image, which could perfectly be in echo, It is part of the saltpeter mines of northern Chile, the image taken from Wikipedia
as a chilean that went to live for a while there the whole north can be part of echo lol
Also Chilean, I forgot to mention that lol
I just finish Arches and just known that I should play Eacho first.
I honestly would pay to being able to play it for the first time again 🤗
when bros on his 10th Flynn burning joke so you fucking turn into a witch
one of the standout experiences of media in my life. about 40 hours spread in a period of 3-4 years, i'm really sad i can't experience any of it for the first time anymore, even though i'm not always fond of the characters' decisions/actions. i definitely feel like a different person before and after this, just like with adastra.
Is anyone else unable to open this on Mac?
I'm playing it on my Mac fine. Do you get a specific error? And this might be a dumb question but you've downloaded the Mac version?
its a tracback.txt error. Says: I’m sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.
After initialization, but before game start. Exception: CoreAudio error (OpenAComponent): -50
then a long list of text
getting the same error myself currently
Its so sad that Echo was just discontinued, i would've loved to see more about the characters including Keith and the tetanus alley crew, how they handle life after the events of the game, answers to all the questions raised by the game. Overall theres a bunch of things that the game does incredibly well but, kinda forget about some other things.
Ps: Micha is the best character of Echo, prove me otherwise.
Well there's Arches, though I think only one or two characters that appeared in echo reappear there. Stories have to end somewhere, they can't spend an infinite amount of time exploring every detail. I mean if you really want that level of detail there's a ton of fanfic out there.
Echo is discontinued? I thought it was just finished. Also, I agree with wanting to see more about the characters. I'd love a Sydney route; I really enjoyed the brief moments we had in Flynn's route and I want to see everything that happened from his perspective.
P.S.: Kudzu is cooler than Micha ;)
There was so much that they could have, added to the universe, they tried something with The smoke room but they had some complications and now the project is gone and the fact that The smoke room was set in a different universe. They're dont need to be routes, just new hidden stories like the others, again would've been awesome.
Hi, Echo was not discontinued. The original Echo is fully finished, and the sequel Arches is also fully finished. The project is not "gone" and technically could be revisited, though probably not anytime soon.
How in the hell ive missed the hidden side stories -_-. welp here we go again
A question, can you do Jenna's route with the option of being gay? Or is it mandatory to put the bi option?
Yes, you can play Jenna's route with the option of being gay and that does change some dialogues and things btw Jenna and Chase.
Hi I need help, about echo Iv just download the game on android but for some reason when i start a game and typing on tge screen a few times it exit the game, iv tried deleting it and then downloading it again and even restarted the phone but nothin seems to work
Its a bug with newer models, unfortunately theres no fix. The only way to play echo now is on Pc
Are there any plans to ever use the characters here again (be it actual new content, a reboot, or something similar to Route 65) again? Really I’m just desperate for this story not to be over…
Yeah... i have terrible news for you.
If you really want more content there's an infinite amount of fanfic out there. Stories need an endpoint, you can't go on forever. FYI Route 65 began as a fanfic that eventually got adopted into the canon.
My turn. I guesss i played this VN fist time in... early 2024, and since then i wish i could delete my memory just to play this VN again and be amazed all over again. Well... this one and Adastra if i have the option to choose two.
deletion might be the only thing separating our memory from a hard drive... though I inevitably find myself wishing the same. these games really are quite strange
I thought I was ready to read it cause I keep seeing a good reviews of this, but it turns out I keep crying in leo's route😭 I didn't expect it to be this good, everyone thought this is just a horror Visual Novel, but it's not, IT'S A MASTERPIECE💕😭
I don't get it? Flynn's ending? Five years later? Am I right? or I made the wrong decision 😆😅
I read it on my own, changed my life.
Started reading it with a non-furry friend. A year later, we finished it.
Had a blast the entire time, thank u everyone who worked on this game, much love
I read this a year ago. Masterpiece of queer fiction. Cried many times
echonomy ❤
Hi I need help, Iv just download the game on android but for some reason when i start a game and typing on tge screen a few times it exit the game, iv tried deleting it and then downloading it again and even restarted the phone but nothin seems to work
I've played this game fully like five times since it released, and have been active in its community and it has genuinely changed me as a person AND I REALIZED JUST TODAY I NEVER RATED IT.
Play this. If you're queer, and a furry, you should play this. It's damn good.
Please do NOT play this with silent hill soundtracks.
that's a good idea
(No spoilers)
Made an account just to say how much this game impacted me. I've played quite a few VNs and a friend recommended this as their whole server have played it. I didn't know what to expect or what it was, but I wasn't ready.
I did TJ's route first and while very sad, I was struck by the atmosphere and writing, I love Stephen King and clearly the writer does too. But after that first ending I didn't know if it was worth playing more. I did Jenna next and for the love of god I was not ready for how deep the rabbit hole of the story and characters goes.
You begin to see yourself and people you know reflected in Chase's friends and the people you meet as you try and cobble together what you can about Echo's secrets. 10/10 I cannot believe this isn't for sale on Steam and it's free. Just try it out.
Wait, Rushnerd? Goddamn, my friends and I have been watching your YouTube videos for a decade now. I still send people that Raccoon.mid video you made 12 years ago. Crazy to see you pop up here.
Glad ya dug the gay stuff, gay dude.
- McSkinny
Never fails to amaze me how many people remember, but I haven't heard that one in a looong time. I really appreciate it! My friend told me to try Arches next so I'm going to try that out. Thanks for making amazing games, McSkinny!
Show post...
It's really good, I share something that can help you.
https://itch.io/jam/conseguir-diamantes-gratis-toda-la-verdad-2025
Damn i really wished there was a better ending for leo, honestly a really great novel despite not enjoying the ending lol but still yk it was good
Leo's ending (the good one) Is the ideal send off for the game and I'm glad I did him last. It gave me peace at least.
yeah ik, I just really wanted to see Leo and him back together