You have eight character slots to build out with your formation, with up to four characters being allowed to actively fight. Although, given how quickly the tide of battle can change, it’s recommended to at least have a healer on your team. You’ll come across support, offensive, and defensive units and depending on your play style, you can build your team however you feel best.

Your skills are your most viable asset, with a wide variety of effects across many different characters. You can choose to use a regular attack, use a skill using your TP, use an item, or defend. Turns are decided based on your speed stat. There will be some fights that are required with regular enemies, no matter how hard you may try to avoid it. Although, that doesn’t mean that you can avoid all battles. Since you are able to see all enemies on the map before entering battle, you are able to prepare initially before going into battle. Some of these tutorials, such as how hate (aggro) is built up, come much later than expected in the game rather than in the early stages when battles are first introduced. In the beginning portions of the game, there are quite a few tutorials that go through the basics.

You’ll come across monsters that you can engage with in battle. There are moments when Glenn will turn around and burst into a standard JRPG speech about believing in yourself, or Lenne reminiscing on how the world has changed in a way a bit too lofty for a regular conversation.Ĭhained Echoes is a turn-based RPG where you can explore around the continent of Valadis. The only criticism that comes to mind would have to be how sometimes, it can feel as though the storytelling is a bit heavy handed with its themes. It’s really amazing how built out this world is, both with its characters and its general world building. Even the side characters, who you can recruit to be a part of your clan later in the game, are given their own mini-spotlights as well. When it comes to the actual storytelling, a lot of effort is put into building out the main cast. But as is standard in the game of politics, this treaty is just a front, as Taryn is looking for a reason to start the war again. Due to said explosion, a peace treaty has been formed. You find out later that that stone actually caused an explosion that killed thousands. But things aren’t what they seem, as the moment that you go to destroy the Opus Stone, a bright light envelops everyone. The kingdom of Taryn just conquered Wyrnshire and you’ve got to help get back control of the city. Your name is Glenn and you are on a suicide mission to destroy the Opus Stone. Only, instead of a loving parental figure urging you nicely, your mother turns towards you, and slaps you right out of your dream sequence and right onto an airship. But just how high of a note is it? Labeled a love letter to classic JRPGs, how does this title hold up for people who don’t have that nostalgia?Ĭhained Echoes opens up with you waking up because your mom has burst through your door. Coming in at the end of the year, Chained Echoes truly has taken the RPG scene by storm and ended 2023 on a high note.

The community loves to hear stories of developers taking a long journey to publish a labor of love, especially when said labor of love ends up beloved in said community. Solo dev projects are not a strange thing in the world of gaming.

Chained echoes