Echo Tokyo: Phoenix

Echo Tokyo: Phoenix is a sequel to ET: Intro published some time ago by the Dharker Studios. Is it worth trying if you enjoyed the previous part? First of all, the game doesn't look anything like the previous one. No more comic-like style but a more conventional VN one is used. The story here loosely follows the previous part, and I mean very loosely. To be honest it is barely linked to the prequel and could be read separately, not missing anything significant. As someone who read the ET: Intro I feel disappointed as it feels like a wasted potential. The whole story is centred on Shizume's fixer adventures. There is almost nothing about the elemental encounter from the ET: Intro or any follow up to anything that happened. The brief interaction in one of the routes with the other supposedly main character, Keiji, feels completely pointless and lacks any development. Heck, the fixer 'adventures' feel so incoherent and illogical that I wonder what is the point of this sequel at all. No character or story development, barely any link to the previous part, and feels badly rushed without any sensible ending. The numerous endings only serve as prolongation of suffering; all paths are sho…

Echo Tokyo: Phoenix is a cyberpunk-themed visual novel developed and published by Dharker Studios, set in a dystopian future where advanced technology and societal decay coexist within the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo. The game places players in the role of a fixer—an underground problem-solver who takes on risky assignments for clients operating outside the reach of law and order. Through a narrative driven by dialogue, choices, and character interactions, the game explores the darker side of a futuristic society shaped by corporate power, organized crime, and the desperation of those trying to survive within it. The story follows Shizume, a skilled and experienced fixer who operates in the shadows of Tokyo’s criminal underworld. In this future version of the city, the divide between the wealthy elite and the struggling lower classes has grown increasingly severe. Towering skyscrapers filled with powerful corporations overlook crowded districts where crime and poverty dominate everyday life. Within this environment, Shizume earns a living by accepting dangerous jobs from clients who need problems solved discreetly. These assignments range from gathering information and negotiati…

This novel is unfortunately yet another shortie, but with a very vibrant and charismatic protagonist, occuring sometime in the future. There are barely any, if any mentions of the architecture, technology, or anything alike to further pinpoint it out, so that's probably all I can say for the general introduction. The lead is Shizume just like from the other Intro novel that's basically the introduction that's been cut off and made a seperate novel, this one is the sequel to it. Most of the characters here do have a very bland personality, so don't expect anything serious to go on.. And the artstyle is unique. I liked it though. Now, what else.. The plot. This is where things get fairly interesting, but cut short by Shizume being a fixer. If you've played Cyberpunk 2077, then pretty much that. As much as I'd like to keep it positive, the soundtrack is nothing to boast about aswell. The tracks are enjoyable, but feel as if they were reused somewhere else. I think so, at least, so they didn't hit me particularly hard. They did however allow for some immersion to lose the track of time, which is probably good enough. So, where am I going on with this.. If you're looking for a shor…

VIsual novel. Follow-up to Echo Tokyo: Intro. A bit short, and the options/storylines aren't that hard to suss out. Art is somewhat decent. Would suggest waiting for a discount.

Tokyo hums to my footsteps - not a game, a neon dream stitched from echoes. Every sound is a memory, every leap a dance with ghosts. I didn’t lose - I evolved. 10/10.

The amount of guess work required to get anything done tells me that Shizume is decidedly a terrible investigator. Also - Serenity is precious and deserves the world.