Echo Tokyo: Intro
- January 27, 2016
- Dharker Studios
Get on Steam"Echo Tokyo: Intro" is a prelude to the world of Echo Tokyo, a cyberpunk city in the sky after a nuclear fog made street level uninhabitable. This steam game includes two graphic novels: Shizume's Origin Story, an interactive graphic novel with full voice acting, and Keiji's Origin Story, a kinetic graphic novel also with full voice acting. Through these stories, players will be introduced to the main characters and the unique living conditions of Echo Tokyo.
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Reviews
- The game features decent artwork and a unique comic-style presentation that adds a refreshing touch to the visual novel genre.
- Voice acting is fully implemented, with some performances being notably good, enhancing the storytelling experience.
- The game offers easy achievements, making it appealing for achievement hunters looking for quick completion.
- The overall content is extremely short, with both stories easily completed in under an hour, leaving players wanting more.
- The writing and storylines are considered mediocre and lack depth, with minimal choices that do not significantly impact the outcomes.
- Art quality is inconsistent, with some visuals appearing rushed or subpar compared to others, detracting from the overall experience.
- story143 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in this visual novel is generally perceived as weak and underdeveloped, with many reviewers noting its short length and limited choices that lead to similar outcomes. While the main character Shizume's origin story offers some engaging elements and multiple endings, it ultimately feels like a setup for future content rather than a complete narrative. Keiji's story, on the other hand, is a linear experience with no choices, leaving players wanting more depth and resolution. Overall, the storytelling is seen as lacking in impact and coherence, despite some intriguing themes and potential for future development.
“Shizume's origin story is the first of the two available adventures in the game, and lets players enroll in the plot of Shizume’s events that changed her as an individual and as a character.”
“The first graphic novel story introduces Shizume Misaki, in this fully voiced interactive graphic novel, telling her tale as she begins working as a fixer within Echo Tokyo.”
“From Shizume's origin story, you can already get the sense that there's a lot of potential for this world/story and it does make you want to find out what happens next.”
“It's a pretty weak story as well as being fairly short.”
“The main story has 5 or so different endings, but all the paths and choices are essentially the same.”
“In Keiji's story, there isn't even a decision to make; you just click through this very confusing story until it ends (after about 5 minutes).”
- graphics46 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the hand-drawn anime style and well-executed backgrounds, while others criticize the inconsistency and rushed quality of the artwork. Many users note a blend of different art styles, leading to a lack of cohesion, and while some visuals are described as decent or even superb, others feel they fall short of expectations. Overall, the graphics are seen as a middle-of-the-road aspect of the game, with potential for improvement.
“The graphics are well drawn and nudity is probably just hidden for Steam users but can be patched.”
“The game has a number of great landscapes and areas and a good art style, drawing heavily from science fiction anime.”
“It is some of the best hand-drawn anime-style artwork I have seen in a long time.”
“There is a strange mix of art styles.”
“Sadly, most of the artwork is rather rushed by comparison.”
“The artwork isn't anything praiseworthy, just sufficient in getting the point across.”
- music29 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as average, with many reviewers noting a lack of variety, as there is often only one track that plays throughout. While some appreciate the smooth and atmospheric quality of the music, others find it repetitive and unremarkable, with only a few standout moments in voice acting. Overall, the soundtrack does not significantly enhance the experience, leaving a mixed impression among players.
“But as for this intro, the soundtrack is really smooth and atmospheric, creating a good and stable base for the action at hand, and still delivering a digital future, with uncertainty at every corner.”
“The story is told through static images, a lot of them, which are very skillfully drawn and it's all set to soothing music.”
“Great art, great soundtrack, two decent stories.”
“Besides this, there's not much really memorable from this visual novel; the few choices and endings don't feel remarkable, nor does anything from the soundtrack stand out, except some of the voice acting, which comes off as somewhat cringeworthy.”
“The music section is lacking in variety, but the stories are audibly narrated for you.”
“There are no sound effects in the game and only one music track, which plays throughout (albeit with mostly appropriate increases or decreases in volume in certain places).”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, primarily consisting of clicking through text boxes with very few choices, resulting in a short experience of only 30 minutes to an hour. Reviewers find the gameplay dull and unengaging, with insufficient content to justify its existence. Overall, the gameplay does not meet expectations, leaving players wanting more.
“Altogether, I like what they can do, but they need to come up with a way that's financially viable and do it with perhaps more gameplay.”
“There's about 30 minutes to an hour of gameplay here.”
“You won't experience any real gameplay or real nudity but instead click through text boxes.”
“I cannot recommend this game because it looks dull, has no real gameplay and the story isn't interesting enough to make that up and it's short as hell.”
“The gameplay is minimal, even for a visual novel, with only a very small number of either-or choices in Shizume's story, and none at all in Keiji's.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by strong performances, particularly from the character Shizume, whose portrayal evokes significant feelings. However, there is a noted inconsistency in voice acting quality, with some characters, including Shizume, receiving criticism for lacking emotional depth in their delivery.
“The actors did a fantastic job, especially Shizume, giving her a strong vibe and a very emotional performance.”
“Shizume was very emotional, and you can tell that if Phoenix is voiced, it will be good.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some praising the voice acting for enhancing the character's mood, while others have reported performance issues and bugs that detract from the overall experience.
“The game suffers from frequent performance issues and bugs that severely impact the overall experience.”
“I encountered numerous bugs that hindered gameplay, making it frustrating to progress.”
“The optimization is lacking, resulting in lag and crashes that ruin the immersion.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by a smooth and immersive soundtrack that effectively sets a stable yet uncertain digital future, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
“The soundtrack is really smooth and atmospheric, creating a good and stable base for the action at hand, while still delivering a sense of a digital future, with uncertainty at every corner.”
“The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into its world with every detail meticulously crafted.”
“From the haunting sound design to the stunning visuals, the atmosphere envelops you, making every moment feel significant.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is rated as average, with a score of 5 out of 10, indicating that while there may be some elements that encourage players to return, overall, it lacks significant incentives for repeated playthroughs.
“The replay value is only a 5 out of 10.”
“I found the game lacks enough variety to keep me coming back for more.”
“After completing the game once, I didn't feel motivated to play it again.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 200 % negative mentions
Users have reported stability issues primarily related to sound, including glitches where audio loops until the player interacts with the game and instances where sound files cut off the last part of sentences, particularly noted in the Keiji route.
“There are persistent sound glitches, such as sound looping until you scroll back or click the mouse button.”
“In some cases, sound files omit the last part of the sentence, particularly noticeable in the Keiji route.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development is positively noted for its distinct "western art" style in character designs, which users appreciate and welcome.
“The character designs have a distinct 'western art' style that I really appreciate and welcome.”
“The depth of character development in this game is truly impressive, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, showcasing their growth and personal struggles.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with any of the protagonists.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful choices that impact character growth; it feels like a missed opportunity.”
“The backstories of the characters are underdeveloped, leaving their motivations unclear and unengaging.”
