Chained Echoes brought me back to my childhood
I still remember the last time I played a JRPG game. It was 2008; I was at the back of the car, playing Final Fantasy IV from a Game Boy while we were on a trip to Batangas. I was twelve—everything was better back then. Fast forward to December 2022: I am 28, I pay taxes, and I worry about my future. I was at my parent's house for the holidays. One night, I booted up Chained Echoes, and it transported me to that car ride again. Suddenly, everything is alright.
Chained Echoes is a 2D RPG inspired by the SNES era of games. It sports 16-bit visuals and turn-based combat reminiscent of games like Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and Final Fantasy. With its improvement in combat and memorable cast of characters, Chained Echoes is a solid JRPG that innovates the genre without banking too much on nostalgia. It's a must-play for JRPG fans, but newcomers might find the lore a bit confusing.
Refinement of combat
In Chained Echoes, turn-based combat feels fast and fluid. Sure, you can fast-forward animations, but the movement itself feels snappy and crunchy. Character actions don't linger, while ultra-move animations are given enough attention and flair. I always feel giddy when I use Sienna's Ultra Move: a dojo props up in the foreground, with her and the enemy's silhouette, as she slices the opponent down. Every action feels satisfying!
Perhaps one of the more interesting mechanics in Chained Echoes is the Overdrive bar. As you perform actions—attacking, casting a spell, being hit—this bar increases. Once within the Overdrive region, your characters deal more and receive less damage. However, moving into Overheat causes you to receive more damage than usual. Some actions can cause the bar to move in either direction—the game becomes a balancing act between performing the right action to defeat enemies and managing your Overdrive bar so you won't go Overheat. This mechanic definitely makes turn-based combat much more engaging.
The game becomes a balancing act between performing the right action to defeat enemies and managing your Overdive bar so you won't go Overheat. This mechanic definitely makes turn-based combat much more engaging.
It would be nice to explore this mechanic further in other creative ways. Unfortunately, apart from some bosses that can change the Overdrive and Overheat regions, the Overdrive mechanic mostly stayed the same. With the right build, it's even possible to ignore the Overdrive bar completely as you dish enough damage to an enemy.
Another good aspect of Chained Echoes is its "give your all" approach to combat. Your health (HP) and mana (TP) replenish every encounter while enemies are scaled appropriately. This forces you to develop a strategy for your team. I like it because combat feels like chess: you can devise a good set of "opening" moves that you can rely upon throughout the game. My favorite is using Victor to stack buffs to my party while Robb debuffs enemies, all while Lenne prepares her finishing move. There's a lot of experimentation possible!
Memorable cast with subversion of RPG tropes
One of the more defining qualities of Chained Echoes is its colorful cast of characters. They are memorable, with fully-fleshed out personalities and motivations. This holds true even for characters who will join your party later. In addition, character writing is good and can still be improved; each member has a particular way of speaking and has specific moments (and side-quests) to shine. Sometimes, the flavor text of some items has funny stories to tell!
I'd love to see more character writing in the form of sprite movement. The wedding scene in Final Fantasy IV exemplifies this. Even without playing the game, you can get a sense of each one's personality based on how they move. It would be great to see this explored further in future games, sequels or not.
Among the crew, my favorites are Victor, the bard, and Sienna, the thief. I like how the game subverts their RPG classes by giving them high utility in Chained Echoes's unique combat while providing a compelling backstory that outlines their motivations and personality. Victor reminds me of that fun professor who's a singer after class. Meanwhile, Sienna is a cold, badass femme fatale that grows into the endearing mom of the group. I think Chained Echoes gave us an interesting persona that breaks out of the usual Bard or Thief JRPG mold common in JRPGs.
Chained Echoes gave us an interesting persona that breaks out of the usual Bard or Thief mold common in JRPGs.
Gripping story lock behind a convoluted narrative
Heavy spoilers on the story.
I think Chained Echoes wore its influences too much that it masked its tight story with a complex narrative. At some points, I lost track of who was betraying who and which kingdom was pulling the rug of the other. Some twists didn't elicit any reaction from me. Moreover, some villains fell flat and forgettable. In addition, the lore about the Harbingers and Vaen is so confusing that I just treated them as another boss to fight in the end.
This is unfortunate because, behind this facade, Chained Echoes tells a story of coming to terms with guilt. Reincarnation is common in this world. When we die, our soul goes back into the Maelstrom, where we are plucked once again to live a new life. Sometimes, we get to remember Echoes of our past lives. Glenn, our protagonist, has been reincarnated many times. In one of his past life as Van, he did a cruel act to Lenne, our deuteragonist. Glenn was reborn again and again as he tried to atone for his sins: as Victor's teacher, as a fireman, and as a noble. It is a compelling story about forgiveness and guilt that our protagonist has to grapple with. How he comes to terms with his past is the central climax of the final act.
Which brings us to the finale: Glenn sacrificed himself and gave the ultimate power to Kylian. Kylian, who betrayed them in the airship for Frederik. Kylian, who betrayed Frederik for the Church. Kylian, who betrayed the Church for himself. Kylian, who finally helped Glenn in the final battle. Kylian's entire character arc is of a betrayer, and the story wants us to feel the same hate we felt toward Van. It seems that the sequel (or DLC) will focus on Kylian's road to redemption. The ending is a good attempt, but it could've been written better. I'm still torn about it. Having more scenes with Kylian could've driven home the point of the final act. Instead, he turns his face in the last few minutes of the battle. The way he "helped' us is even a scripted combat gimmick (i.e., the boss KOs the team then Kylian revives all of us to full health). I understand the intent, but I don't think it's earned.
Final thoughts
Chained Echoes brought me back to childhood. The kid who played Final Fantasy IV at the back of a car fifteen years ago is wholly different now. Our past might be limited to our current lifetime, but we still try to come to terms with it. Should I've done this? Did more of that? Would life be better if I could only redo the things I've done before? I don't know. But I think my favorite character Victor has a nice way of putting it:
Chained Echoes is one of the best JRPGs in this modern era. With engaging combat, well-written cast, and gripping story, it's sure to delight young and old fans alike. I can't wait for the sequel!
Rating (Almost Great): 🍚🍚🍚½ (Playtime: 61.6 hours, PC, Platinum 🏆)