The last time I saw such a small team take this huge a swing at a game was Hollow Knight.
Chained Echoes is a top down 2D turn-based RPG that is equal parts Chrono Trigger and Xenoblade Chronicles. It’s a 40 hour character driven JRPG with an extremely cool world that blends mechs with Game of Thrones.
It’s also extremely smart. It doesn’t waste your time and ensures you’re always engaged and in the action at all times. Its Overdrive mechanic is one of the coolest new video game things I’ve seen in a long time, and it includes so many QOL options it’ll make your head spin. Also the gameplay shift halfway (you get mechs) adds a ton of new traversal options and flips an already great game on its head.
Difficulty is good. Hard at first but if you’re doing side stuff it gets pretty easy to manage around the halfway point.
It is telling that I never do side stuff but I finished Chained Echoes having done most of its side content. I’m also writing this review at 3am because I stayed up late playing the game.
If I had to list any imperfections, I’d say that while the scenario and characters are quite strong, the writing at times can get a little sloppy. In part, I suspect, translation issues, and in part some clunky dialogue that at times conveys serious topics with the gentle touch of a sledgehammer. Still, I get the feeling this game’s heart is in the right place, and I have high hopes for improvements from a sequel.
Overall, Chained Echoes is a brilliant rethink of what it means to be a 2DJRPG in 2022. It’s smart and sleek, and has an enormous amount of high quality content that makes its price tag a steal at full price. A lil rough around a scant few edges, but man what a huge swing this game took.
Chained Echoes is a top down 2D turn-based RPG that is equal parts Chrono Trigger and Xenoblade Chronicles. It’s a 40 hour character driven JRPG with an extremely cool world that blends mechs with Game of Thrones.
It’s also extremely smart. It doesn’t waste your time and ensures you’re always engaged and in the action at all times. Its Overdrive mechanic is one of the coolest new video game things I’ve seen in a long time, and it includes so many QOL options it’ll make your head spin. Also the gameplay shift halfway (you get mechs) adds a ton of new traversal options and flips an already great game on its head.
Difficulty is good. Hard at first but if you’re doing side stuff it gets pretty easy to manage around the halfway point.
It is telling that I never do side stuff but I finished Chained Echoes having done most of its side content. I’m also writing this review at 3am because I stayed up late playing the game.
If I had to list any imperfections, I’d say that while the scenario and characters are quite strong, the writing at times can get a little sloppy. In part, I suspect, translation issues, and in part some clunky dialogue that at times conveys serious topics with the gentle touch of a sledgehammer. Still, I get the feeling this game’s heart is in the right place, and I have high hopes for improvements from a sequel.
Overall, Chained Echoes is a brilliant rethink of what it means to be a 2DJRPG in 2022. It’s smart and sleek, and has an enormous amount of high quality content that makes its price tag a steal at full price. A lil rough around a scant few edges, but man what a huge swing this game took.