This seemingly small tweak adds a surprisingly deep layer of strategy to what is usually a taken-for-granted combat system. Pushing the indicator into the green “sweet spot” zone raises the party’s offense and defense levels, but becoming careless will push the indicator past the green zone and into the red, giving enemies the upper hand.Īs combat plays out, the gauge displays a random skill type while most skill families will inch the indicator toward the dreaded danger zone, using a skill of the displayed type actually lowers it. As long as the indicator remains in the neutral zone, damage taken and received is at standard levels. The on-screen overdrive gauge indicator moves left and right along it depending on the actions characters and enemies take. Each of these skills falls into one of six families, which coincide with the combat overdrive gauge. Chained Echoes treats the term “skills” as a catch-all that incorporates special physical attacks, magical spells, healing abilities, and more. What stands out is how more nuanced systems are steadily introduced, not replacing the familiar core combat options but subtly nudging them to new heights. It takes almost zero effort to come to grips with the ground-level basics: turn order is displayed on-screen, while characters have standard combat options such as attack, defend, skills, and items. The writing is well-considered, filled with charm and humor, and plenty of twists and turns along the way.Įqually as impressive as the story is the game’s combat system, particularly in how it manages to take the often-copy-and-pasted turn-based combat basics and innovates on them rather than simply iterating. Even as new heroes and villains continue to be added to the cast until fairly late in the game, including some optional party members, the narrative continues to grow and evolve in intriguing, if not wholly bombastic, ways. That’s not to mention a satisfying rogue’s gallery of villains, ever scheming new plots and machinations for the heroes to foil. There are rarely any stretches of time that don’t feature at least a couple of interesting story beats, with just about all party members receiving their fair share of growth and screentime. How brooding.įor its considerable length, the game’s narrative is paced exceedingly well. The next forty to fifty hours see interested parties from all corners of Valandis chase after the grand grimoire, the small unassuming stone that caused the disaster in Wyrnshire, in order to win the war, as Glenn and Kylian, having survived the explosion, find themselves criss-crossing the land, entangled in a web of machinations and joined by an ever-growing retinue.Ī darkened throne room filled with threatening bad guys. They get far more than they bargained for, however, as they unwittingly cause a calamitous explosion, killing thousands and kicking off the game’s chain of events. The game’s intro chapter sees Glenn and Kylian, two capable Sky Armor pilots - this game’s version of flight-enabled mechas - who have joined a band of mercenaries on a mission behind enemy lines to help reclaim the recently invaded city of Wyrnshire. The game follows an ensemble cast of characters of various fantasy races from all over the continent, brought together for various reasons but ultimately looking for a way to bring the constant hostilities to an end. War has been a way of life for its citizens for hundreds of years, with entire generations living and dying never knowing any other way of life. In short, developer Matthias Linda has tapped into a very specific niche, setting a high-water mark of quality in the process.Ĭhained Echoes takes place on the war-torn continent of Valandis, a place constantly embroiled in conflicts between its three dominant kingdoms. A crisp pixel-art style and stellar musical compositions wow the eye and ear as it weaves an involved and lengthy narrative full of twists and turns. It successfully sets out to reinvigorate the well-worn turn-based combat formula found in many games of that era while adding many smart and well-considered elements to the mix, ultimately creating a bold and involving combat experience that feels classic and fresh at the same time. It lovingly embraces its 16-bit JRPG inspirations while never feeling derivative in the slightest. Chained Echoes is a game that effortlessly evokes superlatives.
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