Chained Echoes (Switch) Review

A Tribute to JRPG Fantasy Epics

Many projects have attempted to capture the magic that swirled around several Japanese role-playing games of the 1990s but few have come as close as Chained Echoes. Being that games have changed considerably since then, there are a lot of features in those beloved games that do not carry over into a modern sensibility, especially for players in regions where hundreds of new games release every week, making many players and critics far less patient than before. After seven years of development, Chained Echoes from developer Matthias Linda and publisher Deck13 with music composed by Eddie Marianukroh is a game that goes beyond tribute to create a beautiful fantasy world wrapped in a fairly mature story of nations wielding weapons of mass destruction and people doing their best to survive. There are some minor missteps and like many RPGs, the best parts of the game do not reveal themselves until many hours in but this is one that fans of the genre should take the time needed to explore its wonders.

Using the visual language found in SNES-era titles, Chained Echoes is probably most comparable to Final Fantasy VI, going as far as even spotlighting new party members like they’re a part of a stage play. However, the narrative and way the world is laid out are closer to Final Fantasy XII which also focused on a macro-scale war as a backdrop to the character drama. There are also design concepts pulled from Chrono Trigger and much of Chained Echoes’ architecture and scene compositions feel similar to that iconic game. Additionally, the inclusion of mechs connects the game to Xenogears, and having more powerful forms for party members does feel a touch like Legend of Dragoon.

Primarily, Chained Echoes focuses on the story of Glenn, a talented Sky Amor pilot who gets caught up in a larger conflict to make ends meet as a mercenary. At the pitch of the battle, Glenn and his ally Kylian accidentally trigger a powerful gemstone called the Grand Grimoire, an artifact that emits an atomic level of power that disintegrates whole swaths of land and everything within its blast radius. Somehow, Glenn and Kylian survive, changing their lives forever and creating a sense of responsibility and duty to do better. Pained by the deaths on his hands, Glenn sets out to learn more about the Grand Grimoire and hopefully put a stop to the potential destruction it can cause.

Through the adventure, Glenn meets many others including a thief running from her debtors, a wayward princess traveling to see the world, a lizardfolk mercenary, a Shakespeare-Esque playwright who has more influence than he lets on, and many more. Each character has a unique set of combat mechanics that are expertly used to create a compelling turn-based battle system. Thankfully, characters do not carry over damage from fight to fight, and losing a battle allows one to retry and even change up equipment before attempting it again. Almost every fight is a challenge and the game’s balancing is masterful which unfortunately means that the game is a pretty large commitment to understanding it thoroughly.

This is where I think Chained Echoes could benefit greatly from a strategy guide as there is so much lore thrown at the player, making it easy to get lost in the sea of nouns and moving pieces. Often the player is inundated with walls of complex text to explain various mechanics and I still have no idea how the game’s gem system works. Chained Echoes also promises adventurers the power of a mech suit in the Sky Armors; they come up as important military tools in major conflicts, the game opens with battles using them, they appear as bosses, and of course, Glenn is a skilled pilot whose skills are praised frequently.

Unfortunately, Sky Armors are not present until about ten hours of play.

Granted the story up to that point finally starts to take shape with a compelling cast but I feel like the journey could’ve been trimmed up as the pacing slows down several times. This might have been easier to get through had there been a glossary and maybe voice acting, though adding voice acting might’ve been too much of an undertaking for a project of this scope. Weirdly enough not every character gets a portrait either, making it hard to know who’s speaking in some conversations. Weirder still, some groups will have all but one or two characters depicted with larger art. Ideally, more consistency would have improved Chained Echoes significantly.

While Chained Echoes feels mostly like the linear games it was inspired by, the game opens up considerably in exciting ways after about twelve hours, adding Sky Armors with multiple heights to explore and a new combat twist to keep things fresh plus an airship for cruising the world freely with lots of side quests. Exploration is thankfully rewarded extremely well throughout the entire adventure and those that stick with Chained Echoes will find a lot to enjoy. Where I struggled most was the game’s complex progression systems such as the aforementioned gems and the slower rate that characters gain new skills. Unfortunately, this means that many strategies in battle stay the same which can get old after a few hours.

An extremely bright aspect of Chained Echoes is its stunning soundtrack from composer Marianukroh. The music complements the well-crafted scenes and characters perfectly, upping the tension through wicked guitar sweeps or keeping things whimsical through complex arrangements. I thoroughly enjoyed the tone that Chained Echoes sets up through almost every aspect of its design and the music was a huge part of what makes it stand out.

Regardless of the criticisms I have with Chained Echoes, the fact that it was created is astounding and it is clear that the developer has a ton of love for RPGs and why they are so special. The game is unapologetically dense, making a perfect title for those that put in the extra time it takes to learn its world. This is a full-sized adventure in a classic style, making it an easy-to-recommend game for fans of the genre.

I do hope that a glossary gets added in a patch or something and I would absolutely pick up a book on it. Despite its flaws, I think that Chained Echoes is an impressive achievement in indie game development and I hope others give it a chance.

SCORES

GAMEPLAY - 7.5/10

VISUALS - 9/10

SOUND - 9/10

CONTROLS - 8/10

REPLAY VALUE - 7/10

OVERALL - 8.1/10

Chained Echoes is available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, GOG, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4. More information can be found on the official website. A digital Switch copy was provided for the purpose of review. Screenshots were captured using the native features of the Switch.