An atmospheric, deep, tense experience. It's absolutely baffling that this game came out only 2 years after its predecessor. The graphical leap is amazing. Everything just falls in place in this game. The environments are detailed, the music is beautiful and atmospheric, the ambience adds so much tention. The implication is sometimes more effective here than the actual scares.
The story is leagues above the first game. It's still lauded as one of the best in the medium and I would have to agree. The one thing holding it back is the sub-par voice acting. There are some standout performances here, but I wasn't impressed. That's basically the only thing I expect to be better in the upcoming remake.
It's a wonderful, thoughtful game that set the standard for its genre that is yet to be matched. Every horror fan should give this one a try.

This is my favourite game that I don't like. I do not like RPG's. Especially turn-based ones. I did not enjoy most of the time spent in Mementos or the palaces. Playing RPG's is tiring to me.
But. The story and characters make this game one of my favourites. As cheesy and lame as it may sound, by the 50th hour little 15-year old me felt like these funny anime characters were his friends. He blushed when sitting with Makoto on the beach. He cared about these fictional people. That's something that can only truly be achieved in a video game, where YOU are the character and everyone interacts with YOU, not some other guy. This is what I expect of a good RPG. I will always cherish this game for how it made me feel, for leaving such an impact on me that even now, years after playing it, I still feel something when listening to Beneath the Mask.
Also I didn't finish it. I got stuck on Shido's palace. I just couldn't do it. F this game.

I started playing this game right after playing the first two and I guess I was just kinda tired of Prime for the moment. Hence why I still didn't finish this one. I do think it's good though, for what I've played at least. The motion gimmicks aren't half bad, they don't really disturb the flow of the gameplay. The new emphasis on story and more of a cinematic direction are kind of... uncharacteristic for this series. It feels like it's stripping away part of Prime's unique character to make it feel more like some other sci-fi shooter. I don't know about this one.
I do appreciate the more linear level design. What for some is a huge turn-off, for me is an absolute plus. I don't like the metroidvania structure, so I had much more fun playing through this than running around aimlessly or following a guide.
I will come back to this game. When I have the time.

I most definitely enjoyed my time with Echoes more than with it's predecessor, even if this one comes with it's own set of problems. As has been said many times before, the game is really hard to navigate. The environments feel samey and the light-dark world format doesn't really help with that. The gameplay is more refined in every way though and ultimately that's why I like this one more than the first. It's just Prime but refined and with a worse world.
Oh, and it's still a metroidvania. I have a personal distaste for these.