Line #3 VisualNovel/Arches

Context VisualNovel / Arches

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1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_8403_3.jpeg]]
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3	''Arches'' is 2021 PsychologicalHorror {{UsefulNotes/Furry\|Fandom}} VisualNovel developed in MediaNotes/RenPy by the [[https://itch.io/profile/echoproject Echo Project]] group. It is the official sequel to ''VisualNovel/{{Echo}}'' itself ([[TimeyWimeyBall in so far as the multiple different timelines go]])[[note]]It goes for a "neutral" timeline which doesn't show off the main cast nor does it kill off the main antagonists.[[/note]], following [[ParanormalInvestigation paranormal investigator]] Devon Ortega and his boyfriend Cameron Wilson.
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5	Unlike the previous installments such as ''Echo'' and ''VisualNovel/TheSmokeRoom'' (hell, even ''VisualNovel/Adastra2018'') there is no sole POV protagonist; rather, both halves of the couple share the narrative space. This story is every bit about the horrors of Echo as the traumas and insecurities of the couple, and how they might heal from it (or not).
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7	!!''Arches'' provides examples of:
8	* ArtShift: The sole sprite artist is Paintfox, which goes for a more cartoony style as opposed to the more realistic or Disney-esque sprite designs of the previous installments. [[ArtStyleDissonance This by no means dims the horror]].
9	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Brian is dead, Echo is uninhabited, Cam, Dev and Artie all survive with Artie recovering from his brain injury and with a bright future ahead of him, but their experiences in Echo changed them forever, both are suffering panic attacks, and Cameron develops schizophrenia. They struggle for years with the the drug treatment and their side effects which puts a strain in their relationship, and even 3 years later the negative symptoms linger, he seemingly giving up on his passion for music, Artie is scared of Cameron's psychic powers and Cameron decides that for Artie's good he will avoid him. Yet, there are still other upsides, while Cameron stopped seeing Artie, Dev and Artie have a long stable friendship ahead of them, Cam and Dev get married, and Dev comes to the conclusion that whether there is a life after death or it's just the end it doesn't matter, because either way he and Cam will always be together.]]
10	* FourFingeredHands: Going along with the new art style, the characters are drawn with four-fingered hand-paws whereas the characters in ''Echo'' were drawn with five.
11	* LinearVisualNovel: It has a sole route, also in deep contrast to all other visual novels by the Echo Project.
12	* IstanbulNotConstantinople: As per usual for the series. Here we're given Deseret (possibly Utah or Colorado) and Southland (Australia).
13	* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: It's a driving point of the story whether Cameron really is a psychic, just mentally ill or the latter with Echo making him the former.
14	* RotatingProtagonist: The story is told from the third-person, constantly switching between Cameron and Devon's P.O.V. with Arturo joining the rotation later.

Context VisualNovel / Arches