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.
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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.