in my post-Echo clarity i played through Benefits and Route 65 just to destress from the day (much needed!) and while I still have a lot to say about Echo that will end up being an MLA styled essay, in the meantime I can digest and write about Route 65 a bit
I think this is a really, really nice piece of companion media for Echo. Sure, Route 65 gets a scene taken directly out of it and put into Echo (and it works so well!) but I honestly just wanted more of the Gang in a younger state. Being able to see them at an age where they were coming into their own skin and becoming the people we would know and love/hate in Echo, acting like kids while this heavy trauma just sits around, unspoken, was awesome! I think going through each sort of scenario of Chase coming out to his friends was really nice, and just sort of this precursor to how they are in Echo. Flynn, the smug asshole who secretly just wanted his friends to be happy by getting Leo and Chase together. Carl, who exposes some of his secrets to help make his best friend feel better about his awkward experience. TJ, who, despite his religious background and that (to be fair, usually correct) stigma of Christians not being accepting of gay people (as evidenced by his end text scene) tries his best to be their for Chase and to make him feel better. Jenna, who just wants to be there for her friend and have an ear lent to him despite the shit going on in her home. And Leo, who immediately rejoices because this friend he's cared about cares about him too.
This isn't to say each of their coming out scenes don't come with a negative quality because this is Echo, after all. Like I said, these scenes are indicative of how they will end up being in the main story.
I mean, personally (as a gay furry former-Mormon (yeah gotta flex those things about me) who was terrified of coming out), this little short was almost cathartic. And, I'll be honest, had me feeling wistful, and jealous.
I resonate with Chase here because the process of coming out was a very stressful one for me. It didn't happen all at once, and on accident (although my mom did have her fair share of seeing furry porn saved on my phone at the age of 18) (it was only once), but I remember agonizing about the prospect of what could happen for two fucking years after my older sister came out. Funny, how I was so stressed about being abandoned when my parents were more than fine with my sister, but I guess like in Chase's case, when things hit the fan and you're stressed and anxious, you don't think about these things. Especially as a teen!
But, I digress! The writing here is nice and reminiscent yet different of Echo's main story, because it's sort of this adolescent story and it feels like it! It clocks in at a very short hour-ish, and while I think all the short stories in the Echo anniversary update are far better than Route 65, I still think Route 65 is a nice, not required but beneficial companion story to Echo for those that just want more of this cast. Like me!
side note, I really liked the individual phone-screens at the end of the credits each time, just nice little pokes at the future of these characters! Jenna's definitely didn't spook me!
second side note, i feel like i'm forgetting more here, but I also think I just have said what I needed to say. I might edit this if I think of anything else to put here but whatever! Echo's awesome!
I think this is a really, really nice piece of companion media for Echo. Sure, Route 65 gets a scene taken directly out of it and put into Echo (and it works so well!) but I honestly just wanted more of the Gang in a younger state. Being able to see them at an age where they were coming into their own skin and becoming the people we would know and love/hate in Echo, acting like kids while this heavy trauma just sits around, unspoken, was awesome! I think going through each sort of scenario of Chase coming out to his friends was really nice, and just sort of this precursor to how they are in Echo. Flynn, the smug asshole who secretly just wanted his friends to be happy by getting Leo and Chase together. Carl, who exposes some of his secrets to help make his best friend feel better about his awkward experience. TJ, who, despite his religious background and that (to be fair, usually correct) stigma of Christians not being accepting of gay people (as evidenced by his end text scene) tries his best to be their for Chase and to make him feel better. Jenna, who just wants to be there for her friend and have an ear lent to him despite the shit going on in her home. And Leo, who immediately rejoices because this friend he's cared about cares about him too.
This isn't to say each of their coming out scenes don't come with a negative quality because this is Echo, after all. Like I said, these scenes are indicative of how they will end up being in the main story.
I mean, personally (as a gay furry former-Mormon (yeah gotta flex those things about me) who was terrified of coming out), this little short was almost cathartic. And, I'll be honest, had me feeling wistful, and jealous.
I resonate with Chase here because the process of coming out was a very stressful one for me. It didn't happen all at once, and on accident (although my mom did have her fair share of seeing furry porn saved on my phone at the age of 18) (it was only once), but I remember agonizing about the prospect of what could happen for two fucking years after my older sister came out. Funny, how I was so stressed about being abandoned when my parents were more than fine with my sister, but I guess like in Chase's case, when things hit the fan and you're stressed and anxious, you don't think about these things. Especially as a teen!
But, I digress! The writing here is nice and reminiscent yet different of Echo's main story, because it's sort of this adolescent story and it feels like it! It clocks in at a very short hour-ish, and while I think all the short stories in the Echo anniversary update are far better than Route 65, I still think Route 65 is a nice, not required but beneficial companion story to Echo for those that just want more of this cast. Like me!
side note, I really liked the individual phone-screens at the end of the credits each time, just nice little pokes at the future of these characters! Jenna's definitely didn't spook me!
second side note, i feel like i'm forgetting more here, but I also think I just have said what I needed to say. I might edit this if I think of anything else to put here but whatever! Echo's awesome!