14 DAY TRIAL // 
Lenne has my cleric mark, which means she is mostly responsible for mass heals and resurrections. But this turn I use her to launch a fiery spear attack, dealing just enough damage to a ghost to destroy it. Glenn and Kylian use their own close-quarters skills to eliminate an undead soldier.
The third member of the enemy group, another zombie, attacks, and deals some damage to Lenne, but he will not exist long enough to repeat the feat. Sienna, my clad-in-red thief, quickly dispatches him using a classic attack,
There are presumably more undead and ghosts waiting for me in this dungeon. I need to deal with them to find a mechanism that will allow me to open the gate. Beyond it, another section of this desecrated temple awaits. And at the end, I will face a powerful boss, so I need to be as prepared as possible before I get there. A few improved weapons and a better understanding of class synergies will serve me well.
Chained Echoes is developed by Matthias Linda and published by Deck13. I played it on Steam on the PC and it is also available on the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 4, and the Xbox One. The title is a classic Japanese role-playing experience with a cool universe.
The story takes place in a world called Valandis, which mixes fantasy and steampunk elements. A prologue allows players to experience a major catastrophe that ends a long war. But peace is fragile and an unlikely party of heroes comes together to try and preserve it, while nobles conspire to re-launch hostilities.
As with most JRPG narratives, it touches on big themes, like responsibility, the devastation of war, and the power of found family. The good news is that the major characters, mainly party members, have well-defined personalities and that the dialogue is good. The universe is initially familiar but adds more surprises as the game progresses,
Chained Echoes mixes exploration and combat well. The party will move across a variety of landscapes, ranging from cities to open areas to cursed temples and more. There are characters to talk to, shops to get new equipment, secrets to find, resources to collect, and plenty of enemies to fight.
There are no random encounters, with players always able to see a group before they engage it. The battle system is turn-based and centered on good use of combat abilities. Four of the player’s characters can take the field at the same time, although each can be paired with another to switch with (necessary when someone is staggered or low on resources).
All have access to a normal attack and items to use but, most of the time, gamers will want to use the powerful special moves, fueled by TP. Some characters will specialize in multiple enemy damage, others can exploit weaknesses, and the thief can even pickpocket opponents during her turn. More abilities open up as characters gain levels.
The unique twist on a familiar set of ideas is called Overdrive. When the party enters fights, it needs a few actions to sync up and gain synergy, gradually adding to a bar. Once it is in the green, ability costs are cut and everyone hits harder, especially useful when battling big groups or bosses.
But, as the name implies, a party that attacks too much can go into the red, losing all those benefits. To stay in the green zone, players will have to use abilities highlighted in yellow or, the best options, launch someone’s mega-special Ultra Move. The game also features flying armor suits to add some variety to combat.
The Overdrive system adds a new dimension to battles, especially the more difficult ones. It pays to keep TP in reserve and use the most powerful abilities when in the zone, especially if gamers have the Ultra Moves ready to launch. Don’t forget to use consumables to deal with status effects and regain TP when it’s low. I find that healing is best left to character abilities.
Outside of combat, characters will gain levels, opening up new abilities, both active and passive. Try to specialize each one and always take advantage of the swap to keep the most effective ones in the frontline. Weapons and armor can also be enhanced by using special crystals (explore as much of an area as possible to find them in the wild).
Chained Echoes gets players into a good rhythm, happily hopping around the world before getting into a fight, then heading for more exploration and quest completion. It would help if there was a little less backtracking and if the game signposted the increases in difficulty better,
But, overall, the game manages to extract great ideas from the genre's classics without playing on nostalgia to attract players. The streamlining and innovation are solid, I find the world engaging, and Overdrive makes combat feel unique.
Chained Echoes has a classic JRPG look that works well with its retro feel and fantasy universe. Characters are detailed and easily communicate their personality. Enemy designs are imaginative, especially the more capable bosses. The world itself feels alive and interesting, offering a lot of cool sights created with limited resources. But the real star of the presentation is the soundtrack, which has very cool individual themes for characters and adds an extra layer of intensity to the biggest battles. The rest of the sound design is equally good, although there’s no voice acting.
The Good
- Good mix of exploration and combat
- Overdrive system
- Intriguing universe
The Bad
- Some battles feel like filler
- Requires backtracking through explored areas
- Difficulty spikes
Conclusion
I would have appreciated fewer battles but with bigger consequences and, maybe, increased difficulty. But for anyone who wants a solid party-driven role-playing experience, Chained Echoes is a good choice, made with a lot of love, able to keep players engaged for its 30 hours long story.
A review key was provided by the publisher.
