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I'm... wow. Flabbergasted by just how incredible this VN is. After playing though every route, I can say with certainty this is the best VN that I have ever played, and probably ever will. That said, heed that content warning; this is not for everyone. If you could be potentially triggered by sensitive subjects, themes, or images, you must put your own health first and keep yourself away from this. It goes to some incredibly dark places.

With that in mind, I'd like to, without spoiling anything, convince you to play this if you feel capable of doing so. Firstly, I must sing the praises of the writing, as of course that is the crux of any good visual novel: the writing is stellar. Very minimal grammar mistakes and typos, firstly, and beyond that surface-level, there is so much depth behind the writing. This is paced beautifully. Within I'd say 15 minutes, this story had its hooks in me. Its introduction has a way of feeding you just enough information to get your curiosity piqued, in probably the most natural way I've ever seen any VN do so. The narration feels very genuine, natural, like one's own inner monologue, and every new piece of info from the narrator is mentioned as if it's already understood, leaving you, the reader, with oodles of questions that spur you further into the narrative, seeking answers.

Then we have all of the characters... and wow. Every single one is extremely well-rounded and expertly written. You can feel and understand every one of them, their actions and behaviors consistent with their own personalities and the situations they're put in at every moment, and each one, including those that are minor and seemingly inconsequential, are deeper than they first seem. You will fall in love with at least the main cast if you play through all routes, which you will need to in order to fully understand the underlying story, which brings me to my next point.

You're always moving in circles. This is the thematic center of this game... and you as a player are forced to embody it, if you wish to get to the bottom of this story. You will have to return to the beginning, you will have to retrace your steps, you will have to move yourself and this world in circles if you want any chance at understanding it... and it is brilliant. I first properly picked this game up around 2 weeks ago... and I wasn't comfortable leaving it untouched for more than a couple days, because Echo has this insidious draw to it. And I adore that. Let this game suck you into it, and let yourself get captivated by the town of Echo. This game will leave a lasting impact on you, in my opinion for the better.

As a final note, my personal recommendation for the order of character routes is as follows: Carl, Leo, Flynn, TJ, Jenna. Carl's route is a more gentle descent into madness than the rest, and it should tell you whether you're interested in the rest of the routes, and then Jenna's ending is probably the best, most positive send-off you could hope for from this trying experience. But of course, your journey through the town of Echo is your own... and you'll come back. They always do.

My girlfriend won't stop bragging about her ability to feel out the best ending with Shadow. Thank you for this bonding experience.