A really excellent retro inspired indie rpg that matches and, at times, exceeds its inspirations. I'm finding the story to be quite gripping, the characters are likeable, and I'm a fan of the Overdrive mechanic. The main downside is that the combat can feel clunky in the early game when you have less character and options to work with. Really fun for a completionist due to the built in achievement system.
Esse jogo mostra como é possivel fazer um JRPG moderno, sem se apoiar na nostalgia dos classicos. O combate por turno é unico e desafiate, uma hitória extremamente madura porem tropeça no final e a exploração do mundo é incrivel.
Amei cada segundo que passei nesse mundo.
Amei cada segundo que passei nesse mundo.
Chained Echoes, 2022's biggest surprise for me. This was my "first" JRPG ever, at the time I had only played 20-30 minutes of Chrono Trigger and FFVI in the past, got bored and never touched them again... And I'm not sure if Pokémon or Fire Emblem count as JRPGs (Maybe Fire Emblem does, but it's not traditional like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy). I found out about it while checking what games were joining game pass. It looked nice, it was very well regarded, and I was looking for an excuse to play a JRPG. And what a journey it was.
The story is great, with some "WTF" moments, unexpected twists and, without spoilers, a bittersweet ending that leaves an opening for more. And hopefully there is more, since the worldbuilding is very well done, and present enough to leave you curious to what's happening in other regions of Eldrea. The whole setting is actually very interesting, it being a mix of fantasy with advanced steampunk technology (Varying from flying ships, staples to such genre, to literal Iron Man-esque armors, bordering full blown mechas). All the characters are interesting, and while some aren't likable at first, you'll get to know them enough to understand (And change) them.
For a game to get me hooked into it, it needs good gameplay. My previous experiences with JRPGs were poor, so I didn't have high expectations when it came to enjoyment, but I was willing to try anyway for reasons already mentioned. And luckily, the battle system is great, with many different mechanics, some familiar to JRPG fans such as status effects and attack orders, and some new such as the overdrive bar, aggro system and sky armor. And while it is rich in content to learn, it's not at all overwhelming and hard to understand, making my experience as a beginner much better. Also, get ready because it's gets a lot harder later on, there's a big difficulty spike on the second half of the game.
This game is an audiovisual treat. The 16-bit art style is gorgeous and colorful, full of details everywhere, but to me, even better than the visuals was the OST. The game's soundtrack is superb, a lot of times I literally stopped what I was doing just to listen to the songs. Every single one of them is fitting to where it plays, there's a lot of variety to them and their themes, and they get into your head easily.
While I don't have any major complaints to make about the game, there are a few nitpicks of mine not allowing me to give this game a 10/10. The crystal system was kinda useless, it didn't do much for me for most of the game and it felt like a gacha roll every time I got new crystals. I also think that there should've been more side quests, and while the ones that were there were almost all great, I still would've liked some more. Another thing, maybe a little more variety in equipment would be better, which if I had to guess unfortunately wasn't a thing because it counted on the crystal system to make weapons and armor feel and act different. Speaking of weapons and armor, maybe next time same weapon types could have different sprites, instead of just being stat upgrades.
My last "two" (I don't know if the last one counts) issues with this game are accessibility issues: To me, it felt like the characters moved really fast. I did get used to it, but it can be a little dizzying at first, maybe making them a tad slower would fix it. And the other problem is localization, with the only languages available being English, German (Dev's native language, makes sense), French and Korean (...Why?). I feel like at least Japanese should've been there too, all things considered, and I would also recommend Spanish and Portuguese (My native language) to be added. I know it's a niche title and the costs may be worse than it's worth, but in cases like this at least allow for community translations.
Overall, I'd recommend this game to pretty much everyone, be them new to JRPGs like me or veterans. A fantastic journey that took me 70-80 hours, so you better get some spare time to play. Too bad it was overshadowed by other games, and released after the awards season.
SCORE: 9/10
The story is great, with some "WTF" moments, unexpected twists and, without spoilers, a bittersweet ending that leaves an opening for more. And hopefully there is more, since the worldbuilding is very well done, and present enough to leave you curious to what's happening in other regions of Eldrea. The whole setting is actually very interesting, it being a mix of fantasy with advanced steampunk technology (Varying from flying ships, staples to such genre, to literal Iron Man-esque armors, bordering full blown mechas). All the characters are interesting, and while some aren't likable at first, you'll get to know them enough to understand (And change) them.
For a game to get me hooked into it, it needs good gameplay. My previous experiences with JRPGs were poor, so I didn't have high expectations when it came to enjoyment, but I was willing to try anyway for reasons already mentioned. And luckily, the battle system is great, with many different mechanics, some familiar to JRPG fans such as status effects and attack orders, and some new such as the overdrive bar, aggro system and sky armor. And while it is rich in content to learn, it's not at all overwhelming and hard to understand, making my experience as a beginner much better. Also, get ready because it's gets a lot harder later on, there's a big difficulty spike on the second half of the game.
This game is an audiovisual treat. The 16-bit art style is gorgeous and colorful, full of details everywhere, but to me, even better than the visuals was the OST. The game's soundtrack is superb, a lot of times I literally stopped what I was doing just to listen to the songs. Every single one of them is fitting to where it plays, there's a lot of variety to them and their themes, and they get into your head easily.
While I don't have any major complaints to make about the game, there are a few nitpicks of mine not allowing me to give this game a 10/10. The crystal system was kinda useless, it didn't do much for me for most of the game and it felt like a gacha roll every time I got new crystals. I also think that there should've been more side quests, and while the ones that were there were almost all great, I still would've liked some more. Another thing, maybe a little more variety in equipment would be better, which if I had to guess unfortunately wasn't a thing because it counted on the crystal system to make weapons and armor feel and act different. Speaking of weapons and armor, maybe next time same weapon types could have different sprites, instead of just being stat upgrades.
My last "two" (I don't know if the last one counts) issues with this game are accessibility issues: To me, it felt like the characters moved really fast. I did get used to it, but it can be a little dizzying at first, maybe making them a tad slower would fix it. And the other problem is localization, with the only languages available being English, German (Dev's native language, makes sense), French and Korean (...Why?). I feel like at least Japanese should've been there too, all things considered, and I would also recommend Spanish and Portuguese (My native language) to be added. I know it's a niche title and the costs may be worse than it's worth, but in cases like this at least allow for community translations.
Overall, I'd recommend this game to pretty much everyone, be them new to JRPGs like me or veterans. A fantastic journey that took me 70-80 hours, so you better get some spare time to play. Too bad it was overshadowed by other games, and released after the awards season.
SCORE: 9/10
Jogo extremamente injustiçado.
Na minha opinião, Chained Echoes da de 10 a 0 em Sea of Stars, e ele acabou não tendo o reconhecimento que merecia.
A história pode não ser a das mais inovadoras, mas ela quebra a espectativa em muitos momentos. Você acha que sabe pra onde ela vai, mas ela acaba embarcando em um rumo totalmente diferente. E é por isso que ela consegue te prender do começo ao fim.
O combate é em turnos, mas o sistema de Overdrive dá um elemento estratégico nas batalhas. Ou seja, não basta executar os comandos, precisa pensar antes de fazer.
Os personagens são muito bem construídos e carismáticos, cada um tendo seus dramas e traumas pessoais.
A pixelart do jogo é linda e os cenário extremamente coloridos. A maioria dos inimigos possuem um design extremamente marcante, principalmente os bosses. A trilha sonora é espetacular.
O jogo não é perfeito, é claro. A dificuldade pode ser extremamente frustrante em alguns momentos. Você vai suar muito em lutas contra alguns bosses da história. E em alguns pontos, o jogo acaba exagerando demais nas homenagens e referências que acaba sendo até parecido demais com as fontes que o inspiraram.
Chained Echoes é fruto de um trabalho de uma pessoa que amava RPGs e usou todas as referências que tinha no desenvolvimento. Tem sim seus problemas, mas eles são pequenos perto das qualidades do jogo, e infelizmente merecia ter sido comentado mais.
Na minha opinião, Chained Echoes da de 10 a 0 em Sea of Stars, e ele acabou não tendo o reconhecimento que merecia.
A história pode não ser a das mais inovadoras, mas ela quebra a espectativa em muitos momentos. Você acha que sabe pra onde ela vai, mas ela acaba embarcando em um rumo totalmente diferente. E é por isso que ela consegue te prender do começo ao fim.
O combate é em turnos, mas o sistema de Overdrive dá um elemento estratégico nas batalhas. Ou seja, não basta executar os comandos, precisa pensar antes de fazer.
Os personagens são muito bem construídos e carismáticos, cada um tendo seus dramas e traumas pessoais.
A pixelart do jogo é linda e os cenário extremamente coloridos. A maioria dos inimigos possuem um design extremamente marcante, principalmente os bosses. A trilha sonora é espetacular.
O jogo não é perfeito, é claro. A dificuldade pode ser extremamente frustrante em alguns momentos. Você vai suar muito em lutas contra alguns bosses da história. E em alguns pontos, o jogo acaba exagerando demais nas homenagens e referências que acaba sendo até parecido demais com as fontes que o inspiraram.
Chained Echoes é fruto de um trabalho de uma pessoa que amava RPGs e usou todas as referências que tinha no desenvolvimento. Tem sim seus problemas, mas eles são pequenos perto das qualidades do jogo, e infelizmente merecia ter sido comentado mais.
A tempos um RPG não me pegava como esse! Achei o cast meio extenso somente e a história faltando explicar algumas coisas!
O melhor JRPG, que ironicamente, não foi feito por um japonês.
Não sou de escrever reviews, mas neste caso me senti na obrigação, pois apesar de ser um dos melhores jogos que joguei nos últimos anos, não teve o reconhecimento que merece.
Esse jogo é tudo de bom, desde a história que mistura diversos elementos sci-fi com a fantasia (semelhante ao Final Fantasy IX), até os personagens carismáticos e o combate super divertido. Ou seja, dá pra ver que a as pessoas responsáveis pelo projeto fizeram tudo com muito carinho e pensando sempre na satisfação do jogador. Inclusive, consertando diversos problemas frequentes nos JRPG's, pois em Chained Echoes:
➛ Não precisa ficar curando a equipe toda vez após um combate, pois você começa todas as batalhas automaticamente com a vida e a mana cheias, deixando todas as lutas à mercê de suas próprias habilidades e não no uso de items.
➛ Não há qualquer tipo de "𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑚" ou "𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔", pois os personagens evoluem através dos grimórios recebidos das batalhas importantes, e portanto, você não precisa ficar derrotando os inimigos repetidamente.
➛ A dificuldade é justa e balanceada, permitindo que você escape das batalhas com 100% de chance TODA VEZ, para que você sempre consiga reagrupar e tentar novamente.
Portanto, por favor joguem esse jogo incrível e vamos apoiar os desenvolvedores, principalmente Mathias Linda, para que façam cada vez mais projetos nesse estilo!
Não sou de escrever reviews, mas neste caso me senti na obrigação, pois apesar de ser um dos melhores jogos que joguei nos últimos anos, não teve o reconhecimento que merece.
Esse jogo é tudo de bom, desde a história que mistura diversos elementos sci-fi com a fantasia (semelhante ao Final Fantasy IX), até os personagens carismáticos e o combate super divertido. Ou seja, dá pra ver que a as pessoas responsáveis pelo projeto fizeram tudo com muito carinho e pensando sempre na satisfação do jogador. Inclusive, consertando diversos problemas frequentes nos JRPG's, pois em Chained Echoes:
➛ Não precisa ficar curando a equipe toda vez após um combate, pois você começa todas as batalhas automaticamente com a vida e a mana cheias, deixando todas as lutas à mercê de suas próprias habilidades e não no uso de items.
➛ Não há qualquer tipo de "𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑚" ou "𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔", pois os personagens evoluem através dos grimórios recebidos das batalhas importantes, e portanto, você não precisa ficar derrotando os inimigos repetidamente.
➛ A dificuldade é justa e balanceada, permitindo que você escape das batalhas com 100% de chance TODA VEZ, para que você sempre consiga reagrupar e tentar novamente.
Portanto, por favor joguem esse jogo incrível e vamos apoiar os desenvolvedores, principalmente Mathias Linda, para que façam cada vez mais projetos nesse estilo!
fun lil rpg
Que historia maneira, que mecanica de combate gostosa. Se todo ano eu jogasse um RPG nesse nivel, eu seria uma pessoa mais feliz.
This was sooo close to being a perfect game. I thoroughly enjoyed playing this one.
The art and cutscenes are beautiful and wonderfully done. The monsters, the backgrounds, the mechs, everything is well done. The story is a bit generic RPG at first; extra flair towards the later half. I loved the introduction and designs of the enemies. The combat was engaging with the Overheat bar. There's no random encounters (you see the enemies on the map) and no drag auto-combat system.
You restore health and "magic" after every encounter, which is awesome. No carrying around an absurd amount of healing items or visiting an inn.
The game will occasionally screw with your party formations and put your bench warmers up front to solely irritate you. A couple of fights have lame one shot mechanics. Not fun to play against. Grinding the game wasn't bad until you get unlucky with RNG enemy drops.
The good far outweighs the negatives on CE. I felt a bit sad once I collected the platinum. Almost wanted it to continue.
The art and cutscenes are beautiful and wonderfully done. The monsters, the backgrounds, the mechs, everything is well done. The story is a bit generic RPG at first; extra flair towards the later half. I loved the introduction and designs of the enemies. The combat was engaging with the Overheat bar. There's no random encounters (you see the enemies on the map) and no drag auto-combat system.
You restore health and "magic" after every encounter, which is awesome. No carrying around an absurd amount of healing items or visiting an inn.
The game will occasionally screw with your party formations and put your bench warmers up front to solely irritate you. A couple of fights have lame one shot mechanics. Not fun to play against. Grinding the game wasn't bad until you get unlucky with RNG enemy drops.
The good far outweighs the negatives on CE. I felt a bit sad once I collected the platinum. Almost wanted it to continue.
This review contains spoilers
Aqui vai ser uma análise da história, vou falar um pouco da gameplay, mas meus maiores problemas com esse jogo definitivamente são da história.
O jogo começa com uma premissa básica, um drama de guerra em um mundo de fantasia com algumas coisas de steampunk, o primeir arco é bem interessante e coloca um objeto pique bomba atómica. O que me deixou fisgado foi o jeito que o jogo tava guiando a história, um jogo querendo criticar a monarquia enquanto se passa na monarquia, porra muito foda, só que isso foi jogado no lixo depois.
O personagem que mais criticava a monarquia reclama que ser rico é muito ruim por alguns motivos lá e se mostra ser do mal, a visão de que todos monarcas são ruins é jogada fora pra tipo "só tem uns ai que são meio merda" e bem... o personagem falando que não odeia todo mundo da igreja (que literal abusava e matava a raça dele) pq bem isso é muito fácil e ele n quer ir pro caminho fácil... isso implica umas visões bem esquisitas do desenvolvedor, principalmente por ele ser alemão.
Toda essa pegada mais liberal me deixou muito triste, principalmente por ele começar me dando esperanças de ler uma história pique tactics ogre/final fantasy tactics e é jogado no lixo. Fica ainda pior considerando os outros problemas que tive com a história, ele apresenta essa ideia de bomba atomíca com um twist bem maneiro, é uma arma feita pelos Deuses que é tão poderosa que ta muito longe da nossa compreensão, é algo que pra eles é pequeno, mas pra gente é gigante. Essa ideia é interessante pra caralho, mas piora quando o jogo fica te dando lore drop fudido por horas e horas e invés de focar em desenvolver os personagens ele fica dando esse lore drop, que é chato pra caralho, eu não quero saber da vida passada do protagonista, eu quero saber da treta que ta rolando agora. Isso é muito chato cara, tipo real eu não consegui me importar com a lore do mundo, me deu a mesma vibe de um rpg onde o mestre ta muito feliz com o mundo que ele criou, mas não criou algo tão legal assim, tipo sei lá cara. Outro problema é o jeito que ele usa twist, toda hora tem twist, chega num ponto que tu já espera twist ent não é mais twist, tipo sei lá é só chato, além de usar suícidio como twist algumas boas vezes, isso é bem incensivel, é só shock value.
Esse é mais um daqueles indies derivativos, que o tempo inteiro me lembrava de um jogo, mas bem eu podia só jogar esses jogos invés de jogar o Chained Echoes. O combate também é uma merda, por não ter XP todo combate parece só o desenvolvedor tentando fazer o jogo ter mais tempo e a quantidade pequena de recompensa só fez eu não gostar da batalha, todo combate parece um boss e isso é um saco. Sei lá, quando todas reviews são tipo "WOW ESSE JOGO FOI CRIADO POR SÓ UM CARA" isso é um problema.
O jogo começa com uma premissa básica, um drama de guerra em um mundo de fantasia com algumas coisas de steampunk, o primeir arco é bem interessante e coloca um objeto pique bomba atómica. O que me deixou fisgado foi o jeito que o jogo tava guiando a história, um jogo querendo criticar a monarquia enquanto se passa na monarquia, porra muito foda, só que isso foi jogado no lixo depois.
O personagem que mais criticava a monarquia reclama que ser rico é muito ruim por alguns motivos lá e se mostra ser do mal, a visão de que todos monarcas são ruins é jogada fora pra tipo "só tem uns ai que são meio merda" e bem... o personagem falando que não odeia todo mundo da igreja (que literal abusava e matava a raça dele) pq bem isso é muito fácil e ele n quer ir pro caminho fácil... isso implica umas visões bem esquisitas do desenvolvedor, principalmente por ele ser alemão.
Toda essa pegada mais liberal me deixou muito triste, principalmente por ele começar me dando esperanças de ler uma história pique tactics ogre/final fantasy tactics e é jogado no lixo. Fica ainda pior considerando os outros problemas que tive com a história, ele apresenta essa ideia de bomba atomíca com um twist bem maneiro, é uma arma feita pelos Deuses que é tão poderosa que ta muito longe da nossa compreensão, é algo que pra eles é pequeno, mas pra gente é gigante. Essa ideia é interessante pra caralho, mas piora quando o jogo fica te dando lore drop fudido por horas e horas e invés de focar em desenvolver os personagens ele fica dando esse lore drop, que é chato pra caralho, eu não quero saber da vida passada do protagonista, eu quero saber da treta que ta rolando agora. Isso é muito chato cara, tipo real eu não consegui me importar com a lore do mundo, me deu a mesma vibe de um rpg onde o mestre ta muito feliz com o mundo que ele criou, mas não criou algo tão legal assim, tipo sei lá cara. Outro problema é o jeito que ele usa twist, toda hora tem twist, chega num ponto que tu já espera twist ent não é mais twist, tipo sei lá é só chato, além de usar suícidio como twist algumas boas vezes, isso é bem incensivel, é só shock value.
Esse é mais um daqueles indies derivativos, que o tempo inteiro me lembrava de um jogo, mas bem eu podia só jogar esses jogos invés de jogar o Chained Echoes. O combate também é uma merda, por não ter XP todo combate parece só o desenvolvedor tentando fazer o jogo ter mais tempo e a quantidade pequena de recompensa só fez eu não gostar da batalha, todo combate parece um boss e isso é um saco. Sei lá, quando todas reviews são tipo "WOW ESSE JOGO FOI CRIADO POR SÓ UM CARA" isso é um problema.
Anyone who's played and loved Sea of Stars but somehow managed to overlook this one—play it, please. I'm eager to hear the opinions of someone who's played both games cover-to-cover, because I think Chained Echoes comes out on top for me personally.
So, I'd like to start by acknowledging that this game is a commendable effort, considering it's the work of a single individual. Set in a fantasy world, mixing fantasy and sci-fi tropes, it draws inspiration from many other jRPGs
In my opinion, the story is far from boring; on the contrary, I found it to be really captivating. Discovering certain aspects and encountering unexpected plot twists made me more inclined to delve deeper into the narrative. The combat system is also quite enjoyable, since it doesn't push for extensive grinding, partly because leveling up is a rather slow process and because all enemy encounters are hand-placed: this is something that I particularly like, also because you are always allowed to get the fuck out of a fight without any kind of punishment. I also appreciate how, at the end of a fight, all characters in the party are automatically healed, giving purpose to the utilization of all available resources in battle. I undoubtedly have also to include the Overdrive Bar in all of this. It is a widely debated component that, overall, I don't mind; however, even on Normal difficulty, I find it quite easy to end up in disadvantage and in those cases the Overdrive Bar becomes a drawback for the player (me) pretty often
Also I really loved the pixel art, the world-building (to some extent) and the animations
Unfortunately, I didn't really come to like the whole game
Be it because of inconsistent writing and ideas, unsatisfying characters (also, too many of them; a couple of them are well developed at the expense of the other 10), weird difficulty spikes (e.g.: encounters of three-four enemies that knock out the entire team, I really hate how Agility works here) and breakability (e.g.: again, the Agility system), weird class regulation (e.g.: of course you normally need a healer to survive in any jRPG, but, in the first 10hrs or so, Victor's Mazurka could arguably be the most important piece on the board - Amalia enters the chat), the music and sound design, the introduction of mechs for exploration (I liked the idea, I didn't like its execution), all the little secrets (I'm talking about the arrow-signals on the ground), the crystal system
This time I don't want to be harsh, so I won't get into the details. In any case, I truly hope that the developer will keep up with his work
In my opinion, the story is far from boring; on the contrary, I found it to be really captivating. Discovering certain aspects and encountering unexpected plot twists made me more inclined to delve deeper into the narrative. The combat system is also quite enjoyable, since it doesn't push for extensive grinding, partly because leveling up is a rather slow process and because all enemy encounters are hand-placed: this is something that I particularly like, also because you are always allowed to get the fuck out of a fight without any kind of punishment. I also appreciate how, at the end of a fight, all characters in the party are automatically healed, giving purpose to the utilization of all available resources in battle. I undoubtedly have also to include the Overdrive Bar in all of this. It is a widely debated component that, overall, I don't mind; however, even on Normal difficulty, I find it quite easy to end up in disadvantage and in those cases the Overdrive Bar becomes a drawback for the player (me) pretty often
Also I really loved the pixel art, the world-building (to some extent) and the animations
Unfortunately, I didn't really come to like the whole game
Be it because of inconsistent writing and ideas, unsatisfying characters (also, too many of them; a couple of them are well developed at the expense of the other 10), weird difficulty spikes (e.g.: encounters of three-four enemies that knock out the entire team, I really hate how Agility works here) and breakability (e.g.: again, the Agility system), weird class regulation (e.g.: of course you normally need a healer to survive in any jRPG, but, in the first 10hrs or so, Victor's Mazurka could arguably be the most important piece on the board - Amalia enters the chat), the music and sound design, the introduction of mechs for exploration (I liked the idea, I didn't like its execution), all the little secrets (I'm talking about the arrow-signals on the ground), the crystal system
This time I don't want to be harsh, so I won't get into the details. In any case, I truly hope that the developer will keep up with his work
A new take on an ancient and tried formula that excels in many areas but has its stumbles. The world and characters feel very much alive and distinct while not feeling alien but that isn’t why I enjoy this game so much. The choices to have health and “legally not mana” refill after each fight makes every fight tense and rewarding, coupled with the facts that they are random encounters, no levels, and plenty of room to experiment with team lineups and skill combos make for a VERY satisfying early game. Those same traits mean exploring and engaging with the world are often the best ways to increase your character’s strength which can make for a very satisfying experience. The game leverages this to its benefit by often telling the player to go off and explore the world. This approach comes with some drawbacks, one minor and one very very annoying. The minor(or major depending on the type of gamer you are) drawback is that you very much are on a treadmill in terms of power for much of the game and you will never completely out-scale early-game enemies. Given how much the game encourages backtracking to earlier areas it can be somewhat disheartening to return to those early areas and have the enemies still put up a fight. The annoying drawback is that limited leveling means that gear is the main way you increase your powers, and Matthias Linda decided to steal the Xenoblade system. I am a fan of that system in that game. I like that system in that game because it feels like it’s the player’s choice to engage with it and there is no penalty for experimentation. In chained echoes, it is the main way you can get an edge on the game’s pretty tough difficulty curve, and there are so so so goddamn many of those fucking stones they throw at you, and slotting them into gear feels bad because you will have to change gear and your gems will be worse once you take them out. Furthermore, this game makes the cardinal sin of adding mechs and not going balls to the walls with customization options. Maybe it’s my fault for playing Armored Core before writing this but the mechs only feel like bigger numbers. This game feels like it was made by a kindred spirit who thinks Xenoblade X had a ton of great ideas and it tried to execute them better, which to its credit it does when it works. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always just work.
wish this had a more optimal release date in 2023 so it could have gotten more attention from outlets and what not.
gameplay is the strongest element of this. enjoyed the overdrive system for battles, though the sky armor battles were definitely the weaker element and didn't enjoy the implementation there. the skills level up system is integrated very well and there are non-story opportunities to progress that which i appreciate.
plot and characters are fine. i found the secondary characters more engaging than glenn and lenne at the end of the day. sienna, amalia, and victor ended up being my favorites and i think the localization gave them actual unique cadences / speaking quirks than others. i know some people pointed out translation issues when this initially released, but i think those got cleaned up by the time i picked it up. i believe everything on this was done by one person, so while i understand, this might have benefitted from a localizer able to help give the characters more character to put it simply.
the music is great to listen to, i will be adding it to my favorite game ost tracks playlist. looking forward to what matthias linda puts out next.
gameplay is the strongest element of this. enjoyed the overdrive system for battles, though the sky armor battles were definitely the weaker element and didn't enjoy the implementation there. the skills level up system is integrated very well and there are non-story opportunities to progress that which i appreciate.
plot and characters are fine. i found the secondary characters more engaging than glenn and lenne at the end of the day. sienna, amalia, and victor ended up being my favorites and i think the localization gave them actual unique cadences / speaking quirks than others. i know some people pointed out translation issues when this initially released, but i think those got cleaned up by the time i picked it up. i believe everything on this was done by one person, so while i understand, this might have benefitted from a localizer able to help give the characters more character to put it simply.
the music is great to listen to, i will be adding it to my favorite game ost tracks playlist. looking forward to what matthias linda puts out next.
Old school turn based RPG, with tons to do, an adult themed story, great performance, and fun combat. I found myself thrilled to do the side missions though I wish the island had more depth to it.
My only complaints are the sky armor battles being mediocre compared to the party battles, and the graphics being a step down compared to the quality of the game.
9.5/10
My only complaints are the sky armor battles being mediocre compared to the party battles, and the graphics being a step down compared to the quality of the game.
9.5/10
Chained Echoes is exactly what you expect it to be. A retro indie game, trying its own take on classic JRPGs from back in the day. In my opinion, it actually succeeds in it, but it just doesn't reach greatness, like the games that inspired it.
The thing that you'll immediately notice when starting Chained Echoes is its charm. It oozes style and nostalgia with its beautiful graphics and solid environmental design. It's definitely a treat, if you like games like this. Characters and their animations are cool to watch, the monsters are quite creative, bosses look threatening, the world looks beautiful, dungeons are cool and the overworld map is just perfect.
In this beautiful world, I loved how fast and freely you and your armor can move, how quick you can explore the fairly linear areas and just how well each event is paced. You pick up things pretty easy and they never overwhelm or stay long enough to bore you. I also liked the focus on the main quest and how they handled the few sidequests you can find. More open world games and RPGs should take notes from this design.
On top of that, you have a very fun and engaging combat. It's quick, clean of grinding, the overdrive system keeps you on your toes and the freedom to swap characters and improvise during battles, creating your own strategy, was very neat. You can see how well the combat works during boss fights. They're not only epic, but require some thinking in order to win, while maintaining everything fast and fun.
It comes at a cost though. Chained Echoes is a very easy game, with very few good challenges. It manages to wipe the need of grinding, maintaining the flow with easy encounters. I actually don't mind it too much, but I know some people will not enjoy it. Also, while dungeons are cool to explore, some of the gimmicks are a hit or miss. They're good, for the most part, but some of them, like the final one, can get really annoying.
My biggest gripe with the game is something that I actually enjoyed. The story. It is good, but it's not great. It's engaging, but also sort of forgettable. The writing is mostly at fault here, along with how I just couldn't develop a good bond with almost any character or villain. It's all thrown at you. Motivations are shallow, with its issues being resolved with ease, sometimes. And that's a shame, because it actually reaches epic proportions at times, but it never really breaks the bubble of just being a decent story. Good, yes, but I wish it were much much better.
Soundtrack disappointed me as well. There are some really good songs in the game, but not a lot them. It's mostly repetitive, failing to immerse you in parts of the story. One other thing that kept distracting me, this time in regards to gameplay, was character progression. This type of leveling up system just did not work for me, as I felt I wasn't getting stronger or improving at all, just learning new things, often not as useful as who I was in the beginning. Leveling weapons and armor suffer from the same problem, since using crystal, upgrading them and then having to do it again and again once you get a different item just didn't cut it for me.
But, at heart, Chained Echoes is a good game! One that mostly succeeds in doing what it sets out to do. It did manage to scratch the itch for a good "classic" JRPG, even if just a little.
So if you really want to play FF6, but not replay FF6, now we have a solution for you now!
The thing that you'll immediately notice when starting Chained Echoes is its charm. It oozes style and nostalgia with its beautiful graphics and solid environmental design. It's definitely a treat, if you like games like this. Characters and their animations are cool to watch, the monsters are quite creative, bosses look threatening, the world looks beautiful, dungeons are cool and the overworld map is just perfect.
In this beautiful world, I loved how fast and freely you and your armor can move, how quick you can explore the fairly linear areas and just how well each event is paced. You pick up things pretty easy and they never overwhelm or stay long enough to bore you. I also liked the focus on the main quest and how they handled the few sidequests you can find. More open world games and RPGs should take notes from this design.
On top of that, you have a very fun and engaging combat. It's quick, clean of grinding, the overdrive system keeps you on your toes and the freedom to swap characters and improvise during battles, creating your own strategy, was very neat. You can see how well the combat works during boss fights. They're not only epic, but require some thinking in order to win, while maintaining everything fast and fun.
It comes at a cost though. Chained Echoes is a very easy game, with very few good challenges. It manages to wipe the need of grinding, maintaining the flow with easy encounters. I actually don't mind it too much, but I know some people will not enjoy it. Also, while dungeons are cool to explore, some of the gimmicks are a hit or miss. They're good, for the most part, but some of them, like the final one, can get really annoying.
My biggest gripe with the game is something that I actually enjoyed. The story. It is good, but it's not great. It's engaging, but also sort of forgettable. The writing is mostly at fault here, along with how I just couldn't develop a good bond with almost any character or villain. It's all thrown at you. Motivations are shallow, with its issues being resolved with ease, sometimes. And that's a shame, because it actually reaches epic proportions at times, but it never really breaks the bubble of just being a decent story. Good, yes, but I wish it were much much better.
Soundtrack disappointed me as well. There are some really good songs in the game, but not a lot them. It's mostly repetitive, failing to immerse you in parts of the story. One other thing that kept distracting me, this time in regards to gameplay, was character progression. This type of leveling up system just did not work for me, as I felt I wasn't getting stronger or improving at all, just learning new things, often not as useful as who I was in the beginning. Leveling weapons and armor suffer from the same problem, since using crystal, upgrading them and then having to do it again and again once you get a different item just didn't cut it for me.
But, at heart, Chained Echoes is a good game! One that mostly succeeds in doing what it sets out to do. It did manage to scratch the itch for a good "classic" JRPG, even if just a little.
So if you really want to play FF6, but not replay FF6, now we have a solution for you now!
This game had me in an absolute vice grip. The art, music, combat is all exceptional. It's an homage to older rpg's, but maintains its own essence well. There are hints of FMA, Berserk, and NGE for fans of anime, while also having some feel of FFVI / Chrono Trigger. This game really outdoes itself on all fronts, and I had an absolute blast with it.
It prides on modernising the RPG genre by subtracting the usual tedium on grinding and massive item usage but requires proper understanding character roles, synergy, momentum and equipment load outs in its punishing but fair turn based combat for success. Brilliant, multifaceted narrative that kept me guessing with its twists and turns with each new addition that is built on a world filled with the seemingly endless cycle of destruction, bloodshed and personal trauma. An overlooked but genuine diamond in the rough.
or me it's simply 10/10. So maybe you dont need to read other people's long writing that tries to nitpick the game. I put many hours in so far and im freakingly loving every minute of it. My takeaway is you experience it yourself. Dont take anyone else' opinion for granted. I loved and finally 100% it!
This review contains spoilers
this was a really good modern rpg but I would have given it a 5 had they kept it a little more linear and not just dump me to explore the world at the midpoint of the game
Um dos melhores RPGs dos últimos anos. Excelente combate, história excelente, personagens ótimos.
A MUST PLAY, PLEASE GIVE ME A SEQUEL
Uma surpresa muito boa para mim que não esperava muito, muito bom.
A game I think would had been praised just as high as Sea of Stars if it had not come out in December of 2022. Made by a solodev it’s crazy how much is in this game. The story actually surprised me in ways I did not expect and I really liked the world a lot. Some of the characters felt a bit soulless compared to others but that is expected when there are many to choose from. The combat system was unique and cool and I loved the reward board system. If you enjoy old school turn based rpgs then you should check out this game as it combines many small things from games like Suikoden(castle recruiting) and robots like Xenogears.
Eu decidi escrever uma review dele enquanto to jogando porque quero comparar a minha visão na metade do jogo com a do final.
Chained Echoes pra mim simboliza tudo que eu gosto e não gosto em rpgs, ele tem um gancho de história interessante pra caralho, onde controlamos um soldado confuso que fica "overwhelmed" pela grandiosidade da guerra que o cerca, ele não sabe pra onde se mexer, o que ele tem que fazer e até quebra no meio do jogo
Mas isso é jogado de lado quando a gente é apresentado pra vilões rísiveis do quão maniqueista eles são escritos, tem o rei malvado, mas ele não é malvado por ser um rei (isso é comum, mas nesse jogo é ainda mais tenso pq ele tenta se aprofundar no quão ruim monarquia é e tem até um personagem que fala que monarquia é ultrapassada e todo ser humano merece o mesmo direito a vida casa etc, mas hahaha ele é do mal wow que surpresa) ele é malvado pq ele é do mau (ou alguem controla ele ainda n peguei isso direito) e prum jogo que utiliza a bomba atomica caracterizada por uma arma feita por seres fora da compreensão humana me surpreende ter esses momentos bem superficiais.
A gameplay ela é muito boa quando ela quer e muito entediante quando quer também, tem um estilo inspirado em chrono trigger de todo encounter ser scriptado, mas dá pra fugir deles e tal o que pra mim não é um problema, o combate é absurdo de gostoso de jogar, então tipo qual o problema? Bem falta de progressão e customização, o jogo não tem XP ent tu não sente que os combates tão servindo pra alguma coisa, já que n tem XP e o sistema mais próximo disso é tosco dms e acho que nem precisava ter lol, assim fazendo com que eu queira skippar 80% deles. Mas ainda assim as boss fights são bem divertidas pq brincam muito no jeito que o combate funciona.
Sei lá, eu to com medo desse jogo sendo bem sincero ASKFOAPFKAO
Chained Echoes pra mim simboliza tudo que eu gosto e não gosto em rpgs, ele tem um gancho de história interessante pra caralho, onde controlamos um soldado confuso que fica "overwhelmed" pela grandiosidade da guerra que o cerca, ele não sabe pra onde se mexer, o que ele tem que fazer e até quebra no meio do jogo
Mas isso é jogado de lado quando a gente é apresentado pra vilões rísiveis do quão maniqueista eles são escritos, tem o rei malvado, mas ele não é malvado por ser um rei (isso é comum, mas nesse jogo é ainda mais tenso pq ele tenta se aprofundar no quão ruim monarquia é e tem até um personagem que fala que monarquia é ultrapassada e todo ser humano merece o mesmo direito a vida casa etc, mas hahaha ele é do mal wow que surpresa) ele é malvado pq ele é do mau (ou alguem controla ele ainda n peguei isso direito) e prum jogo que utiliza a bomba atomica caracterizada por uma arma feita por seres fora da compreensão humana me surpreende ter esses momentos bem superficiais.
A gameplay ela é muito boa quando ela quer e muito entediante quando quer também, tem um estilo inspirado em chrono trigger de todo encounter ser scriptado, mas dá pra fugir deles e tal o que pra mim não é um problema, o combate é absurdo de gostoso de jogar, então tipo qual o problema? Bem falta de progressão e customização, o jogo não tem XP ent tu não sente que os combates tão servindo pra alguma coisa, já que n tem XP e o sistema mais próximo disso é tosco dms e acho que nem precisava ter lol, assim fazendo com que eu queira skippar 80% deles. Mas ainda assim as boss fights são bem divertidas pq brincam muito no jeito que o combate funciona.
Sei lá, eu to com medo desse jogo sendo bem sincero ASKFOAPFKAO
This was a game I did not have much expectations for. I had heard murmurings of positive things and just decided to take the plunge. Thankfully I did, as I found a very enjoyable adventure with fantastic gameplay that kept me engaged throughout my adventure. I have heard numerous complaints about the plot and characters, but I found them both acceptably done. While some characters blend in and don't ever get the attention they need, others receive interesting developments, for better or worse. Plot-wise, the game achieves what it needs to, but does struggle with some character favorability, which does get in the way of the overarching plot.
Gameplay-wise, the only major issue is the crystal system which is confusing and difficult to manage. You get plenty of crystals throughout the game, but can very rarely construct the things you need without some level of grinding, only getting the appropriate ability to grind those crystals after the game becomes dramatically easier and you no longer need them.
The game has everything an RPG enthusiast needs. A lot of exploration, side quests, customization, and solid gameplay. The only major issue is how easy the game gets at the end. It starts with solid challenge, but you get so many means of leveling up (in this game being in the form of boss kills or collection rewards) that the latter half of the game becomes a breeze and requires self-imposed challenges to be satisfying.
All in all, a satisfying adventure that won't stand alongside your childhood favorites (as nothing really can), it has enough heart and finesse to be a worthwhile and enjoyable experience.
Gameplay-wise, the only major issue is the crystal system which is confusing and difficult to manage. You get plenty of crystals throughout the game, but can very rarely construct the things you need without some level of grinding, only getting the appropriate ability to grind those crystals after the game becomes dramatically easier and you no longer need them.
The game has everything an RPG enthusiast needs. A lot of exploration, side quests, customization, and solid gameplay. The only major issue is how easy the game gets at the end. It starts with solid challenge, but you get so many means of leveling up (in this game being in the form of boss kills or collection rewards) that the latter half of the game becomes a breeze and requires self-imposed challenges to be satisfying.
All in all, a satisfying adventure that won't stand alongside your childhood favorites (as nothing really can), it has enough heart and finesse to be a worthwhile and enjoyable experience.
Excellent SNES-era inspired RPG.
Matthias Linda também é gostosa, qualquer defeito desse jogo é só por ele ter feito o jogo sozinho, quase tudo nele é tão bom, twist atrás de twist muito hype
This review contains spoilers
Um dos melhores RPGs que já joguei. A mecânica Overdrive torna o combate um dos melhores já feitos, combate esse que utiliza 8 personagens ao mesmo tempo, algo que eu odeio quando outros jogos não fazem, deixando diversos personagens inutilizados.
Os personagens são extremamente bem escritos, a história é uma das melhores em qualquer RPG, sendo bem focada, abrangendo várias épocas e personagens diferentes. E é basicamente o único RPG que já joguei em que você luta contra inimigos com a força de "deuses", mas que faz sentido.
O sistema de level up é bem interessante, dependendo do explorar e do cumprimento desafios e sidequestes no lugar de simplesmente derrotar inimigos.
Os meus pontos negativos são: 1- as lutas de Sky Armor, que apesar de serem interessantes pra quebrar um pouco o ritmo, não são tão boas como o combate normal. 2- há alguns personagens extras que não tem grandes histórias ou que entram na party muito pro fim do jogo, e 3- há tantos sistemas no jogo que vc pode se sentir um pouco inundado. Boa parte do sistema de cristais eu só entendi próximo do final. A mecânica de "pureza" por exemplo, poderia ser retirada pra tornar mais simples.
Os personagens são extremamente bem escritos, a história é uma das melhores em qualquer RPG, sendo bem focada, abrangendo várias épocas e personagens diferentes. E é basicamente o único RPG que já joguei em que você luta contra inimigos com a força de "deuses", mas que faz sentido.
O sistema de level up é bem interessante, dependendo do explorar e do cumprimento desafios e sidequestes no lugar de simplesmente derrotar inimigos.
Os meus pontos negativos são: 1- as lutas de Sky Armor, que apesar de serem interessantes pra quebrar um pouco o ritmo, não são tão boas como o combate normal. 2- há alguns personagens extras que não tem grandes histórias ou que entram na party muito pro fim do jogo, e 3- há tantos sistemas no jogo que vc pode se sentir um pouco inundado. Boa parte do sistema de cristais eu só entendi próximo do final. A mecânica de "pureza" por exemplo, poderia ser retirada pra tornar mais simples.
This does such an impressive job synthesizing what was appealing about pixel graphic era JRPGs while avoiding repeating the outdated design choices that could make those feel tedious or clumsy. It’s the sum of lots of little QoL stuff that respects player time, like its quick launch in and out of its many battles without requiring intro/outro fanfares or dedicated battle rewards screens to be clicked through. A lot of modern JRPGs seem to think the answer to that is shifting to real-time action instead of turn-based combat, but still keep a lot of the blandly repetitive interstitial UI. Chained Echoes shows a smarter way to streamline presenting battles and their outcomes while not dumbing down combat (or changing genres). Things like movement speed are similarly well considered, avoiding the trudging pace of a lot of older games without resorting to the hack of multiplied speed settings that feel like the game is on fast-forward.
Aesthetically, this isn’t as high-budget and effects-heavy as the recent HD-2D games like Octopath, but it’s still really charming looking (the character portraits are especially effective characterization) and the soundtrack is really moving and memorable. The story is constantly shifting and eventually scales up to stereotypically grand stakes, but I still found lots of smaller emotional character moments to enjoy throughout. It could probably be a little shorter and with less mech-based combat near the end, but overall I had a ton of fun with this.
Aesthetically, this isn’t as high-budget and effects-heavy as the recent HD-2D games like Octopath, but it’s still really charming looking (the character portraits are especially effective characterization) and the soundtrack is really moving and memorable. The story is constantly shifting and eventually scales up to stereotypically grand stakes, but I still found lots of smaller emotional character moments to enjoy throughout. It could probably be a little shorter and with less mech-based combat near the end, but overall I had a ton of fun with this.