![]() It might seem a bit straightforward at first blush, but that’s because systems will start to creep up underneath. This is a turn-based RPG, with a turn order and list of commands you can pick from a menu as parties idle on either side of the field. Where Chained Echoes stands out the most for me, though, is its battle system. This gets even more effective when the story splits them up, pairing those who might butt heads together for some interesting moments. Each character slides comfortably into their roles, and there’s a good job done of introducing the player to each “pod” of characters that make up the collective party. Dialogue isn’t just snappy, but well-written too. You see the seeds of an evil scheme in the works? You’ll see it come to a head sooner rather than later. And while Chained Echoes certainly builds up with each narrative beat, it doesn’t waste time in getting to the good stuff, either. RPGs can often have a reputation, earned or not, for having long, drawn-out introductions. It surprised me how fast Chained Echoes gets underway, actually. Schemes are set in motion, plots unfurl, and bodies belie more bodies as the war kicks back into motion, with our party as the one force who might be able to put a stop to it. Chained Echoes doesn’t take long to really drive home how dark it’s going to get. These six make up the core party early on, banding together when a fragile peace between nations is broken. Glenn and Kylian are the last remnants of their mercenary band Lenne is a princess in hiding, attended by Robb Victor is a legendary artist and bard with an enigmatic past and Sienna steals the show as the clever rogue on the run, like if Faye Valentine wielded a katana. Each has their own motivations and drives, with the story’s chaos bringing them together and sometimes forcing them apart. Chained Echoes isn’t just a solid love letter, but an altogether smart, charming, engrossing RPG in its own right.įrom the beginning, Chained Echoes establishes a varied cast of characters that form your eventual party. There’s no denying this RPG is a passion project from a fan of the genre.īut where Chained Echoes has stood out for me, in the roughly 12 hours I’ve played so far, is where it’s forged a new path from the games that came before it. It wears its inspirations so prominently on its sleeve, it opens with a direct reference to the start of Chrono Trigger. It would be fairly easy to call Chained Echoes a love letter to the SNES’ golden age. The project went on Kickstarter in 2019, and launched on Decemfor Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC via Steam. And this year, it really feels like Chained Echoes is surprising folks.Ĭhained Echoes is a new RPG from developer Matthias Linda, a communication designer who started working on the game in his spare time after work back in 2016. We’ve seen it with games like Omori, Gris, and Gorogoa. ![]() This RPG crosses time and space to end the year with a bangĮvery now and then, a game arrives late in the year to surprise us, right as the calendar is coming to a close.
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