Official Review Computer Updated

Review cover Chained Echoes (Computer)
Official GBAtemp Review

Product Information:

  • Release Date (NA): December 8, 2022
  • Release Date (EU): December 8, 2022
  • Publisher: Deck13
  • Developer: Matthias Linda
  • Genres: Turn-based RPG
  • Also For: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S

Game Features:

Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Give solo developer Matthias Linda seven years and they will make turn-based RPG Chained Echoes. What does the end result look like?

attachFull341711

The centuries of war on the continent of Valandis has meant that generations have known no such thing as peace. But following a cataclysmic event, the land’s three ruling kingdoms sign a peace treaty and Valandis experiences a brief moment of peace. Brief because a new threat and political scheming threaten to open old wounds between the kingdoms and shatter that fragile window of peace. 

In the midst of this window, is an unlikely group of strangers composed of mercenaries, royalties and thieves that eventually forms an alliance with the potential to terminate war on Valandis. Will they succeed?

attachFull341696

Review image Review image 

To those familiar with the title, the plot of Chained Echoes will… echo similar beats to that of Triangle Strategy: three kingdoms that have waged war for long are back at it after a momentary period of respite. Despite sharing similar themes, the titles differ in not only the setting but also the focus. Like Triangle Strategy, Chained Echoes also expands on its political conflicts but favours the individual stories of its main cast.

This focus on the stories of the main cast is emphasised by getting you to play as different leads and flesh out their character with their personal background and motivations which make each relatable. It’s an original and interesting narrative design that works well to give the player different points of view from the game’s heroes and how their stories weave together. Combined with the overarching plot that merges mediaeval fantasy elements with mech battles, Chain Echoes delivers a gripping and original story.

attachFull341690

Review image Review image

This story is wrapped in nostalgic pixel art that was instantly reminiscent of Chrono Trigger to me. Chained Echoes’ vibrant colours, varied landscapes and bustling cities helped reminisce about my time exploring Chrono Trigger’s locales such as Leene Square and Guardia Forest. The original soundtrack by Eddie Marianukroh also adds to the nostalgic appeal while maintaining Chained Echoes’ originality.

attachFull341701

Review image Review image Review image

As with its visuals, Chained Echoes’ gameplay is also heavily inspired by JRPGs of yesteryear. It’s a mix of exploration segments - where you get to interact with NPCs, find hidden chests and the likes - with battles against a host of varied enemies and bosses which play out in a turn-based fashion. You’ll also encounter the expected RPG mechanics with equipping your party with the optimal equipment, upgrade the member’s skills and use consumables during battles. 

While Chained Echoes’ gameplay bears its retro inspirations well, it brings a host of new, modernised features that make for a more contemporary experience. There are frequent autosaves, fast travel from early on, the ability to fast forward combat animations (which aren’t overly dragging to begin with) and your party’s HP and TP (tech points) replenish after each battle. In addition, this title brings combat both on and above ground level with the giant mechs called Sky Armor.

There are also some new spins to traditional RPG mechanics such as using Grimoire Shards to unlock new character skills and boosting stats, and upgrading weapons through crafting.

attachFull341687

Review image Review imageReview imageReview image

Even if some of Chained Echoes’ mechanics can sound like they are downplaying the challenge and sound divisive as a result, combats do require some skills. This is mainly due to the Overdrive mechanic. By dealing and incurring damage, a colour-coded gauge will fill up and when it moves from the orange to the green zone, Overdrive kicks in. In this stage, your party members are in sync, meaning that attacks deal more damage and skills require less TPs for execution. But as you continue dealing and taking damage, the gauge keeps filling up and when it gets to the red zone, you’ll be treading in Overheat, making you more vulnerable to enemy attacks.

In this way, you need to execute a delicate balance to ideally remain in an Overdrive state. This will mean lowering the gauge level with specific skill types, defending or swapping out characters. It adds a layer of technicality and welcome challenge to combats that is unique to Chained Echoes

attachFull341685

 Review image Review image

Another original aspect of Chained Echoes’ combat mechanic is the ability to swap between party members in battle. There’s a maximum of four characters that can engage in battle at a time but as you progress in the story, your overall party size grows and you can pair each of your main party cast with one other character with the ability to swap them out.

This adds another layer of strategy to battle planning. Say, if one party member is running low on HP during combat, you can swap them out and carry the fight with a fresh character right away. Swapping out also enables you to find the optimal way to emerge victorious as some enemies are more vulnerable to certain attack types that a party member not currently fighting might possess in their moveset.

And just when you thought you’ve mastered the combat, Chained Echoes throws mech battles at you. These introduce new mechanics such as gears that influence the Overdrive and damage intake. Battles are thus kept fresh and varied throughout the game’s 30+h playtime.

attachFull341688

Review image Review image Review image

However, while such an expansive plot and gameplay will entice fans of retro JRPGs, it means that Chained Echoes is slow paced in nature. For instance, while you get a brief stint at mech combat at the start, it is only really fleshed out and available after several hours in. The main conflict of the plot similarly takes some time to be expanded upon; and this slow burn aspect needs some getting used to.

But despite its slow-paced nature, there are some characters that don’t get their fair share of exposition as others do. Giving them some additional screen time would have made for a more satisfactory progression but Chained Echoes’ plot overall is pretty solid.

On a more technical aspect, I found that maps can be initially confusing. This is due to a lack of a legend that explains the icons’ meaning and can be an issue when starting off.

While the effort put by a single developer to create and populate the original universe of Chained Echoes, some reused assets are noticeable. This is mostly the case with NPCs and limited (or lacking) character animations/design during conversations. In addition, some areas can sometimes feel expansive yet sparse and underpopulated, even in cities across Valandis. However, I could easily overlook these minor downsides of the game given that it is overall undoubtedly impressive visually and technically.

attachFull341694

Review image Review image Review image Review image 

If you’re a fan of JRPGs and/or turn-based games, Chained Echoes is a must of a time sink. It’s not only an impressive work of solo developer Matthias Linda but a well crafted one at that. 

Chained Echoes - Launch Trailer

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Impressive, well-executed experience crafted by a solo developer
  • Retro-inspired visuals and audio
  • Modernised aspects to gameplay
  • Original Overdrive mechanic adds a welcome challenge
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Some characters with limited exposition
  • Lack of map legend
  • Slow-burn aspect needs some getting used to
8
Gameplay
Chained Echoes bears its retro JRPG influences well in its gameplay but also modernises it with some original combat mechanics.
9
Presentation
As the work of a single developer supplemented with original soundtrack from Eddie Marianukroh, Chained Echoes is an impressive game that hits well executed nostalgic notes with a modernised feel.
8
Lasting Appeal
It's a gripping experience throughout its dozens of hours of gameplay thanks to its sprawling, original narrative and relatable cast.
8.5
out of 10

Overall

Not only is Chained Echoes an impressive game from solo developer Matthias Linda but it is also a well crafted one that hits nostalgic notes while bearing a modern feel.
  • Like
Reactions: Henx, Cortador, SilverDen and 5 others
J-Machine
been playing chained echos and other than the initial "wake up" scene im not getting the chrono trigger vibes other are. it's more like octopath with fft inspired characters and story with a pier solar style battle system that forces you to draw out battles even while you dominate cause you can overheat and take 2x damage. like who punishes you for doing well/grinding?

i give this a solid 6 for now cause after a few hours in the gameplay bores me and i have no idea what they are going for as a whole
 
  • Like
Reactions: Menelkir
baluga101
This is an amazing game. A very clear GotY contender honestly. RPG fans really need to give this game a run for its money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Prans
Skelletonike
Wound up buying to play on the steam deck since the Collectors for the switch wont be shipped anytime soon.
Loving the game as much as I expected to, which doesn't happen that often.

I've been having fun exploring stuff, finding secret caves and hidden treasure chests. It's also fun to challenge certain enemies.
The flower Saliva for example, I was doing no damage to it, but when I used fire attacks, it's weakness, it did a massive attack as counter that lowered health to 1 point. I assumed I was too weak and kept on running, one time I decided to stick to it, and found out it isn't able to directly kill even if your HP was at 1. Pretty fun and well thought-out imho.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Prans
Review cover
Product Information:
  • Release Date (NA): December 8, 2022
  • Release Date (EU): December 8, 2022
  • Publisher: Deck13
  • Developer: Matthias Linda
  • Genres: Turn-based RPG
  • Also For: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative

Reviews

  1. Hardware

    MelGeek CYBER01 Magnetic Switch Rapid Trigger Gaming Keyboard

    Today for review, we’ll be taking a look at the latest gaming keyboard from Meltek, the CYBER01 magnetic switch offering!

  2. Hardware

    GEEKOM XT12 Pro Mini PC

    Claimed to be the world's most cost-effecient i9 Mini PC, we check out the latest from Geekom.

  3. Hardware

    Kospet Tank T3 Ultra

    Tough enough to navigate and conquer the rugged wilderness.

  4. PlayStation 5

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants

    The Turtles are back for their umpteenth game outing, but is this one worth it?

  5. PlayStation 5

    Alone in the Dark (2024)

    Alone in the Dark is a Survival Horror game available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X and PC.

More reviews

Site & Scene News

Go to forum More news
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    Did you pay your power bill? Or give all yo money to my wife, again.
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    Oh good the estimated time is the same exact time they just said
     +1
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    Load up your pc and monitor, and head to a McDonalds dining room, they have free WiFi
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    Sir please watch your porn in the bathroom
     +2
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    No sir we can not sell you anymore apple pies, after what you did with the last one.
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    We ran out
  • HiradeGirl @ HiradeGirl:
    run
     +1
  • HiradeGirl @ HiradeGirl:
    for your life
     +1
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    My life has no value my fat ass is staying right here
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    https://youtube.com/shorts/2n3nUOadWxM?si=7QMANPmqPdFcdlfm
  • SylverReZ @ SylverReZ:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EmXheuVzFo
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    Nearly 4 hours without power :(
  • Veho @ Veho:
    SO POWERLESS
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    Tell Kanye I need power
  • DinohScene @ DinohScene:
    Better start running in your hamster wheel
     +1
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    Meth addicts on a treadmill connected to a generator "Unlimited POWER!!!'
  • Veho @ Veho:
    Before or after a hit?
  • Veho @ Veho:
    Do you dangle a baggie in front of them, like a carrot?
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    they're the same thing
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    i like that idea
  • Veho @ Veho:
    What's the same thing?
  • The Real Jdbye @ The Real Jdbye:
    before or after a hit
  • Veho @ Veho:
    Nah, a hit gives them mad meth powers, but makes them more difficult to control.
  • Veho @ Veho:
    Before a hit they're like zombies, persistent but slow.
  • Veho @ Veho:
    It's a tradeoff.
    Veho @ Veho: It's a tradeoff.