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does such an impressive job synthesizing what was appealing about pixel graphic era JRPGs while avoiding repeating the outdated design choices that could make those feel tedious or clumsy.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.