Chained Echoes

If I had more time to play through Chained Echoes before the holidays hit, it most definitely would have made my top 10 list for the year of 2022. It’s every bit as stellar as you’ve likely heard so far, and something that is certainly worth checking out regardless of your platform preference. I’ve found it to be a perfect Switch experience, but I’d imagine that it runs extremely well on any console you might choose, and right now it’s freely available to play on Xbox via Game Pass. So definitely check out Chained Echoes, you will not be disappointed.

There are so many “retro homage” JRPGs these days that I tend to approach them with caution. Even when they’re made well, they rarely live up to the standards of the games that inspired them. Chained Echoes not only meets that standard but, were this released back on the SNES when Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI were flying high, people would have considered them comparable. It’s more than a homage. It’s a genuine and powerful contribution to the genre.

Fans of old school 2D JRPGs, who would like something made today that resembles the great Super Nintendo and PS1 classics, need to play Chained Echoes. It’s a wonderful game. It’s more ambitious than the common indie throwback JRPG, but has many of their modernizations. Every single element of Chained Echoes is full of loving attention to detail. Hopefully Chained Echoes is a success and we can see future projects from its creator. I’ve already ordered a physical copy.

Chained Echoes is a loving tribute to 90s JRPGs but also a thorough reinvigoration of the genres stalest aspects. Not just a great tribute, a great game.

Chained Echoes is one of the best RPGs we have played in a long time: charming, colorful and wisely designed, it's a love letter to fans of the genre.

While Chained Echoes has the advantage of decades of distance from the games it looks to for inspiration, it’s a better experience in many instances than those vaunted games from which it arose. I prefer this combat, storytelling, and approach to progression and exploration to many of the JRPGs I grew up so enamored with playing. That’s the highest praise I can heap on a game so removed in time from the games to which it might be compared. Whether you currently count yourself a JRPG connoisseur or fondly recall the ʼ90s heyday of the genre, Chained Echoes is well worth your time.

Chained Echoes is an incredibly uneven RPG heavily inspired by the likes of Chrono Trigger and Xenogears. With bad writing, poorly thought out mechanics, and an overly complex… everything it can be hard to get through. Even so, there is a little fun to be found here, mostly near the beginning.

I played chained echoes on Nintendo switch and it was an amazing experience. I could say easily one of the best RPG I ever played. Everything looks perfect in there.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

The game is a solid 7.5. At the beginning, and for the first few hours of the game, it was a 10/10. However, during the last 25% of the game, it became a mess with more of the same. The narrator couldn't handle it well, and the plot twists and character conclusions were lacking. The pros of the game include the battle system, overall quality of art and sound, unique monsters, characters, and the experience of using the sky armors to discover the map is a 10/10. The cons of the game include the fact that the story started off well but became confusing towards the end. Additionally, the combat became much easier towards the end, and some characters were introduced too late to be used effectively. Overall, I really enjoyed the game, and it was a fun experience. For the price, it's a must-have if you enjoy JRPGs, despite some flaws towards the end.

I thought I was going to like this one. Initially, I thought the mechanics and dialog were unique and was enjoying the game. However, in true RPG fashon, there is an issue with balancing the difficulty with grinding. If you don't grind enough, you will have no chance beating bosses and will be forced to go back and do tedious battles with enemies in the open world until your character gets more exp. This game has that in spades and I was not trying to skip battles, I just didn't go around and hunt down every enemy I could. I got bored of that and had to give this one up, unfortunately.

An amalgamation of references to old RPGs that doesn't mesh or come together in any way. Overdrive system ruins the game and feels like a straightjacket. Every battle is long and drawn out for no reason. Either make Overdrive unique to boss fights, or make it a bonus *only* and not a penalty. Finally, too many characters are blatant plagiarism.