When Chase decides to write a college report on a case of mass hysteria that occurred in his old home town of Echo, he uses the opportunity to get his group of childhood friends back together for the week. However, a tragedy from their past weighs heavily on their minds, and the desolate desert town finds itself on the brink of disaster once more in this atmospheric slow-burn visual novel.
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As of this review I haven't finished Jenna's route but I've done the rest and... Oh boy.
I went into this expecting horror obviously but I was served way more than just that. I don't even know if I can really explain this game, dude. Doesn't matter if you aren't gay or a furry, I reccomend this in general.
However I can't stress enough that the order of the routes matters so much-
Carl->Leo->TJ->Flynn (Jenna can be anywhere you want but Flynn's route builds off of TJ's)
I went into this expecting horror obviously but I was served way more than just that. I don't even know if I can really explain this game, dude. Doesn't matter if you aren't gay or a furry, I reccomend this in general.
However I can't stress enough that the order of the routes matters so much-
Carl->Leo->TJ->Flynn (Jenna can be anywhere you want but Flynn's route builds off of TJ's)
gay
leo my beloved
After playing this game. I failed to realize until after playing, how it effected me emotionally. Especially Leo's route. This game is not a horror game. It is more than that. It's about overcoming past trauma and moving on. It's about how someone's death can break apart even the strongest of bonds. That's what really got me. You never see that in VNs anywhere, this visual novel is unique.
The amount of care and thought that went into the storytelling and immersion of this game. Lei is especially a hard topic for me because of my past relationships, it focuses more on moving on and finding closure in an abruptly ended relationship. When Chase abruptly broke up with Leo over how he reacted to a prank about Chase cheating on him, I felt nothing but anger and disappointment in Chase for possibly ruining the best thing in his life.
This outlines that even when you have a strong bond with your partner, one thing is just enough to cause permanent damage. The soundtracks still make me cry. The way they are grafted into the game makes it so you can feel the same emotions that the characters are. It makes you empathetic towards what happened, and instills this longing for closure alongside the main cast. The way they convey the story is grafted in such a way that it tells a deeper story than in just the main game.
All-in-all I really recommend playing this game if you haven't already. This is the most incredible thing I've read thus far and am hoping that this story is expanded on further in the future. But as for right now. Let's just keep it the way it is.... A masterpiece.
The amount of care and thought that went into the storytelling and immersion of this game. Lei is especially a hard topic for me because of my past relationships, it focuses more on moving on and finding closure in an abruptly ended relationship. When Chase abruptly broke up with Leo over how he reacted to a prank about Chase cheating on him, I felt nothing but anger and disappointment in Chase for possibly ruining the best thing in his life.
This outlines that even when you have a strong bond with your partner, one thing is just enough to cause permanent damage. The soundtracks still make me cry. The way they are grafted into the game makes it so you can feel the same emotions that the characters are. It makes you empathetic towards what happened, and instills this longing for closure alongside the main cast. The way they convey the story is grafted in such a way that it tells a deeper story than in just the main game.
All-in-all I really recommend playing this game if you haven't already. This is the most incredible thing I've read thus far and am hoping that this story is expanded on further in the future. But as for right now. Let's just keep it the way it is.... A masterpiece.
This review contains spoilers
I'll rate each route individually. In the order that I played.
Flynn's Route (5/5): You really shouldn't play this first, but this is the most mind melting, dirty descent into madness and I love it to death.
TJ's Route (4/5): I'm not really interested in the scavenger hunt, but the interpersonal stuff and that GOD DAMN ending make this worth playing.
Carl's Route (2/5): Sorry Carl, this is the first route developed and it shows. Really really drags during the whole haunted house sections. And Raven is the worst route exclusive character in the game. Carl's self realization near the end is really good though, so I give it some praise for that.
Leo's Route (5/5): Probably the most heartbreaking route in the game, every character is really well utilized. Also Kudzu is the best route exclusive character in the game, eat shit Raven.
Jenna's Route (5/5): Maybe the best route in the game? I don't know it just really feels like a fulfilling, scary, memorable experience. A fitting route to end this game on.
Flynn's Route (5/5): You really shouldn't play this first, but this is the most mind melting, dirty descent into madness and I love it to death.
TJ's Route (4/5): I'm not really interested in the scavenger hunt, but the interpersonal stuff and that GOD DAMN ending make this worth playing.
Carl's Route (2/5): Sorry Carl, this is the first route developed and it shows. Really really drags during the whole haunted house sections. And Raven is the worst route exclusive character in the game. Carl's self realization near the end is really good though, so I give it some praise for that.
Leo's Route (5/5): Probably the most heartbreaking route in the game, every character is really well utilized. Also Kudzu is the best route exclusive character in the game, eat shit Raven.
Jenna's Route (5/5): Maybe the best route in the game? I don't know it just really feels like a fulfilling, scary, memorable experience. A fitting route to end this game on.
Me: Mom, can I have Higurashi?
Mom: No, we have Higurashi at home.
Higurashi at home:
On a more serious note, this and VA-11-Hall-A might be the only Original English Language Visual Novels I consider to be really good and/or worth experiencing. Reading a furry VN in my college did get me some weird looks from other students though lol, will probably write an actual review in the future but for now, just know it's a cool horror-drama VN.
Mom: No, we have Higurashi at home.
Higurashi at home:
On a more serious note, this and VA-11-Hall-A might be the only Original English Language Visual Novels I consider to be really good and/or worth experiencing. Reading a furry VN in my college did get me some weird looks from other students though lol, will probably write an actual review in the future but for now, just know it's a cool horror-drama VN.