Chained Echoes

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 156 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 131 out of 156
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 156
  3. Negative: 15 out of 156

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  1. Zeag
    Jan 17, 2023
    10
    This is essentially what happens when somebody who grew up playing JRPGs in the 90s ends up making his dream game. This is filled to the brim with references to SNES and PS1 classics but at the same time eschews the time-consuming and tech-limited aspects of the era. If you like Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, Final Fantasy and Breath of Fire, you'll be supremely entertained with this little gem.
  2. Peetftw
    Jan 11, 2023
    10
    this game is outstanding in almost every way. Probably best jrpg since the 90s
  3. TiamatBR
    Jan 15, 2023
    10
    Definitely the best RPG I played in 2022! The end result is a gameplay and pixelart lesson.
  4. Pifflungs
    Jan 8, 2023
    10
    I actually played this game on my steam deck and I could never get enough. Between the fresh new take of the overdrive bar to the lush-16bit art style, this game brought back the glory days of turn based JRPGs. The story line constantly evolves and never gets stale, new mechanics are added at the perfect time. Honestly this is the game of the year contender to me atleast in its category asI actually played this game on my steam deck and I could never get enough. Between the fresh new take of the overdrive bar to the lush-16bit art style, this game brought back the glory days of turn based JRPGs. The story line constantly evolves and never gets stale, new mechanics are added at the perfect time. Honestly this is the game of the year contender to me atleast in its category as a jrpg at the very least. I never leave reviews but must let you guys know about this one. $25 is a steal for this masterpiece. Hats off to the developers this game has become an absolute favorite of mine.… Expand
  5. Nesslake
    Jan 8, 2023
    10
    Great soundtrack and combat system, awesome history, beautiful pixelart, nice exploration, and endearing characters! best JRPG game that i've played in years
  6. gabriot
    Feb 26, 2023
    9
    I would describe the game as simultaneously very rough around the edges while also being quite polished. Allow me to explain what I mean by that:

    Rough around the edges: As I understand it's largely developed and designed by one person, so all the dialogue and story falls on his shoulders. It's a bit of a task for a game of this size, and it does unfortunately show in quite a few    I would describe the game as simultaneously very rough around the edges while also being quite polished. Allow me to explain what I mean by that:

    Rough around the edges: As I understand it's largely developed and designed by one person, so all the dialogue and story falls on his shoulders. It's a bit of a task for a game of this size, and it does unfortunately show in quite a few areas
    -spelling/grammar mistakes which are forgivable but can hurt immersion
    -a few overused tropes (everyone in this game loves to suddenly kill themselves a bit too much)
    -A very rushed ending, with quite a lot of anticlimactic moments that could have been handled a bit better in my opinion
    -some odd moments where you kind of see your sprite jolt around in between cut scenes that could have been cleaned up a bit better

    The polish:
    -the pixel graphics are quite well done, very beautiful and it always impresses me when a small team (one I believe?) can accomplish something of this scale
    -the world building in this game is FANTASTIC! Unique spin on a few races and in general I would love to see more games in this world, he laid the groundfloor for an amazing series.
    -The music is incredible and I find a lot of the tracks playing through my head throughout the day, especially some of the quaint town themes. It also can invoke emotion which is hard to do from me.
    -he did a good job of making me invested in the story of quite a few of the characters, and made me have characters I both loved and hated
    -the battle system is a unique spin on things and I felt it was quite well done, gives a way to char about more than your typical limit of 4 characters, and somewhat forces you to use a larger variety of moves than just spamming the same ones over and over (though once you over-level that does unfortunately not become the case anymore).

    Overall I loved the game and was sad when it ended. Pacing-wise I think you really want to push through act 1 because the game truly opens up and becomes something special starting in act 2 in my opinion, act 1 is all just setup for the rest of the game. I do wish a bit more effort was put into the final act as I did felt is was rushed, but to be fair I generally feel that way about most games, it's rare an ending can leave me feeling completely satisfied. That being said without getting into spoilers, it just felt like they built up a lot of characters to be faced at some point and a lot of them you never end up facing, felt a bit underwhelming.

    Still though this is such a solid rpg and I am glad I played it, for my play style it took around 50 hours to complete, so plenty of content to be had.    … Expand
  7. Meon0007
    Feb 6, 2023
    10
    Thank you all for this great adventure!!! Crying at the ending))) (boy 30 years old)
  8. zerg24
    Feb 18, 2023
    10
    I check metacritic for my new games for about 13 years. This game is the first to make me go through the trouble of creating an account. Matthias Linda is just a genius, so much achieved by 1 person is incredible.
    If you liked chrono trigger, secret of mana, ... just buy it eyes closed
  9. Schmaltz
    Dec 10, 2022
    10
    The best turned based RPG I have played since persona5. It’s a true throwback that doesn’t hold your hand. Lots of exploration and a fun battle system. Anyone giving this game a score lower than an 8 is trolling.
  10. seojoon98
    Dec 11, 2022
    10
    It's a great game. It is a game with a pretty good fighting method, map design, and above all, high completeness. I think this game could be nominated for the 2023 TGA Indie Game of the Year.
  11. papermario88
    Dec 13, 2022
    10
    Ich habe noch nie einen dermaßen guten RETRO JRPG Titel wie diesen gespielt. Und ich habe so einiges gesehen.

    Dieser Titel bedient sich an dem BESTEN was Klassiker wie Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, FF Tactics und co zu bieten haben und bringt es auf ein neues Level. Extrem guter Soundtrack, tolle Charaktere, innovatives und packendes Skillsystem und eine interessante Story mit einer    Ich habe noch nie einen dermaßen guten RETRO JRPG Titel wie diesen gespielt. Und ich habe so einiges gesehen.

    Dieser Titel bedient sich an dem BESTEN was Klassiker wie Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, FF Tactics und co zu bieten haben und bringt es auf ein neues Level.

    Extrem guter Soundtrack, tolle Charaktere, innovatives und packendes Skillsystem und eine interessante Story mit einer wunderschönen und qualitativ hochwertigen 16-Bit Grafik.

    Und das auch noch von einer einzigen Person entwickelt aus Deutschland.

    Diese Person lebt meinen Traum und teilt ihn mit uns allen.
    Wie oft habe ich mir gewünscht, dass jemand kommt und uns das beste aus den Klassikern vereinte Spiel präsentiert. Wo andere riesen Spielekonzerne gescheitert sind, hat dieser Entwickler genau ins Schwarze getroffen.    … Expand
  12. Leviathanos
    Dec 14, 2022
    10
    A great modern take on a traditional style of jrpg. The pixel art is good, the music is fantastic, the gameplay is addicting, the story is decent, the challenge is moderate, and it has a reasonable length especially for its price. Chained Echoes is definitely a traditional jrpg enthusiast's dream.
  13. WholesomePepper
    Dec 13, 2022
    10
    The creative genius feels especially present. The direction cut from the slaps, the turtle race and the homage to previous RPG legends remind me that I'm not slogging through a cliche. I'm frequently left in these moments, savoring the game's efforts to impress me.

    The source material respects itself as much as its homages respect previous masterpieces. The world building is thoughtful.    The creative genius feels especially present. The direction cut from the slaps, the turtle race and the homage to previous RPG legends remind me that I'm not slogging through a cliche. I'm frequently left in these moments, savoring the game's efforts to impress me.

    The source material respects itself as much as its homages respect previous masterpieces. The world building is thoughtful. It is succinctly detailed without excessive exposition; you are informed and then left to either follow along or Google to catch up with the plot. I am reminded of Final Fantasy Tactics not only from character art but from how that plot unfolds through clean dialogue.

    I could go on forever about other stuff but I hate walls of text. I'll say that the characters don't piss me off, the combat is the right amount complex - not overloaded with clutter like Xenoblade 3 and the music I've left idling while making tea/coffee because I've got COVID and feel like hot garbage.

    This is a love letter to Deck 13 and Matthias Linda. Take my money. Thanks for helping me through COVID. I will be watching what you guys do moving forward. This is a hot take but, to me, you are one of the modern greats akin to FromSoftware or Santa Monica Studio.    … Expand
  14. kirkender
    Dec 20, 2022
    9
    I'm so happy. Chained Echoes is fantastic and super fun. Great story and characters, Great mechanics. It's a JRPG from the 90s but made today with plenty of quality of life changes. SO GOOD.
  15. Cabbage1976
    Dec 19, 2022
    10
    Simply superb. Made by one man who obviously knows his way around an rpg. Since starting it, I simply cannot put it down, and even find myself thinking about the game during the times I am not playing it!
    Do yourself a favor - go play this now!
  16. Niceandunaware
    Dec 11, 2022
    9
    A fantastic JRPG with hints of nostalgia paired with a unique battle and progression system. Also it’s got Mec battles similar to Xenogears and that’s all you really need to know to determine if this is a game for you or not.

    The only reason it’s gets a 9/10 for me is that navigating the in game menus is a little clunky sometimes. Specifically, when using the crafting menu to combine    A fantastic JRPG with hints of nostalgia paired with a unique battle and progression system. Also it’s got Mec battles similar to Xenogears and that’s all you really need to know to determine if this is a game for you or not.

    The only reason it’s gets a 9/10 for me is that navigating the in game menus is a little clunky sometimes. Specifically, when using the crafting menu to combine crystals or upgrade weapons/armor with crystals if you don’t have a valid paired option then you cannot deselect the original item without completely existing to the main character menu to try again which is really annoying considering how often you have to do this. It’s really a minor thing but between that and a few other menu issues, which I’m sure will be patched eventually, I’m not able to give it a perfect score.    … Expand
  17. Mianargo99
    Dec 12, 2022
    10
    Se siente especialmente cautivador ver todos estos elementos de los RPG's puestos en un juego, es un verdadero tributo a la nostalgia, con una historia bastante entretenida.
    Me gusta la mecánica del overdrive, hay que prestar bastante atención a estos elementos para que las batallas no resulten tendenciosas y complicadas, pero tampoco bastante simples al estilo machaca botones.    Se siente especialmente cautivador ver todos estos elementos de los RPG's puestos en un juego, es un verdadero tributo a la nostalgia, con una historia bastante entretenida.
    Me gusta la mecánica del overdrive, hay que prestar bastante atención a estos elementos para que las batallas no resulten tendenciosas y complicadas, pero tampoco bastante simples al estilo machaca botones.
    Particularmente el apartado gráfico es bellísimo y la música inspira bastante ambiente según el contexto, es un juego memorable.
    Espero que Matthias continúe haciendo juegos, una secuela no vendría mal para ser honestos, pero primero hay que ver si aportará algo más al juego, quizá más adelante.
    Hasta entonces, yo le doy esa calificación, me parece un juego excelente para estas navidades.    … Expand
  18. Halftone
    Dec 18, 2022
    10
    One of the best jrpg game in years. Chained Echoes is a gem and should be played by anyone who love this genre.
  19. Deadheadbill
    Jan 6, 2023
    10
    I'm not the biggest fan of JRPG's but this is one of the best rpg's I've played in the last few years. It really is amazing. Great cast of characters, awesome combat system that is reminiscent of classic jrpg's but innovative on it's own and a really good story. Highly recommended.
  20. Dubeau
    Jan 1, 2023
    8
    Good retro style game with a lot of nice gameplay novelties. The story is really good, even the side quests are something fun. The fighting is good but some bosses are difficult at the end. And I pretty much hate grinding. I give the game 85%. Finally a non generic JRPG that doesn't feel like a RPG maker clones.
  21. RicardoDavid
    Jan 2, 2023
    10
    Great JRPG. Amazing story, made me remember the good old days. If you liked Chrono Trigger, you are going to love this.
  22. Ryannnkl
    Dec 29, 2022
    10
    é incrível como jogar por meia hora te traz um sentimento nostálgico de jogos como, Pokemon (game boy/Nintendo DS), Legend of Zelda (Super Nintendo), uma trama que você reconhece como animes e combate de turnos que não fica enjoativo com tantas possibilidades de alterar golpes e habilidades, jogo fascinante para aqueles que sentem falta de um bom RPG pixel art em um mundo distópico eé incrível como jogar por meia hora te traz um sentimento nostálgico de jogos como, Pokemon (game boy/Nintendo DS), Legend of Zelda (Super Nintendo), uma trama que você reconhece como animes e combate de turnos que não fica enjoativo com tantas possibilidades de alterar golpes e habilidades, jogo fascinante para aqueles que sentem falta de um bom RPG pixel art em um mundo distópico e personagens para ficar na memória.… Expand
  23. orangenius
    Dec 26, 2022
    10
    Very well-made RPG!
    Finished the game with 50 hours playtime. Best RPG in 2022 for me.
  24. lucasoresende
    Dec 29, 2022
    10
    I can't stress enough how amazing this game is! It's a love letter to the classic JRPG's from the SNES and PS1 era. Although it's inspired by these games it has a personality of its own, a lot of new and creative mechanics, like the overdrive mechanic, an almost impeccable story and captivating characters. Oh and let's not forget the primorous soundtrack that takes you back directly to theI can't stress enough how amazing this game is! It's a love letter to the classic JRPG's from the SNES and PS1 era. Although it's inspired by these games it has a personality of its own, a lot of new and creative mechanics, like the overdrive mechanic, an almost impeccable story and captivating characters. Oh and let's not forget the primorous soundtrack that takes you back directly to the 90's. If you're a fan of turn base RPGs you'll definitely love this game, give it a try!!!… Expand
  25. eded9999
    Dec 12, 2022
    1
    It has those stupid "dumb down the game for me" option on the settings, so that's an instant garbage, lazy and boring game for me. Make a proper hard mode or something.
    Thanks god we have refunds on PC.
  26. bmesick
    May 9, 2023
    3
    I feel like I’m taking crazy pills with all the praise this game gets. The writing is *bad*. Whether it’s a metaphor or idiom that is used incorrectly or just super awkward phrasing, the dialog feels like bad fan fiction. On top of that, every character speaks with the exact same voice. It feels like it was written by someone that plays a lot of RPGs and does not actually read much toI feel like I’m taking crazy pills with all the praise this game gets. The writing is *bad*. Whether it’s a metaphor or idiom that is used incorrectly or just super awkward phrasing, the dialog feels like bad fan fiction. On top of that, every character speaks with the exact same voice. It feels like it was written by someone that plays a lot of RPGs and does not actually read much to know what makes a story interesting to begin with.

    The artwork is decent, and so is the music. Gameplay is a grab bag of various RPG concepts that feel very messy. Sometimes it’s fun, and sometimes it’s a complete slog. Play the demo to see if it’s for you.    … Expand
  27. Marston12345
    May 16, 2023
    0
    Not spanish subtitles, gameplay boring, los graficos son malos, no merece la pena ni jugarlo, de los peores juegos del año
  28. sienc
    Jan 15, 2023
    10
    Rarely I type a review down to Metacritic but for Chained Echoes it is my pleasure to help other people and convice them to try Chained Echoes. It is really a true JRPG which no one should skip. Play this modern JRPG in 2023.
  29. slothjaw
    Feb 5, 2023
    5
    It's okay. The writing is the biggest detractor for me.

    Summary I can tell this game has many inspirations from both older 16 bit JRPGs and anime. You can see elements lifted directly from various mechas, Chrono Trigger, Berserk, Final Fantasy, or their derivatives. But from what I can tell on the surface, the game it borrows most from is surprisingly Final Fantasy 12 from 2006. The    It's okay. The writing is the biggest detractor for me.

    Summary
    I can tell this game has many inspirations from both older 16 bit JRPGs and anime. You can see elements lifted directly from various mechas, Chrono Trigger, Berserk, Final Fantasy, or their derivatives. But from what I can tell on the surface, the game it borrows most from is surprisingly Final Fantasy 12 from 2006. The influences from FF12 are all over with lizardmen and pigmen, teleport crystals, palace heists, the political shenanigans, magical stones of mass destruction, and more. The similarities go on and on. But the best parts of FF12 were it's tight stylized dialogue, the openness of the world (by 2006 standards) and the freeform rpg progression. This game has poor writing and the rpg progression is fairly gated. Despite being inspired by some of the greatest RPGs and anime stories of all time, this game fails to reach their heights.

    Writing
    The prologue got me engaged and excited about where things were going but the writing took a dive immediately after. Many issues with the writing could be improved with another pass through the script, I think. The script's issues are with diction, cliche phrases, and awkward syntax. These problems are most apparent in the English dialogue, which feels clunky and inorganic. You can clearly feel when a character is saying something not because it makes sense in the situation but because the game needs to inform the audience of some fact about the world or plot. Making the dialogue feel more natural would fix the bulk of this.
    The writing unfortunately also has deeper issues. The game has a tell don't show style overall and dumps exposition and character descriptions on you that detract from the experience. The game doesn't trust the player to engage with the story or characters motivations or to comprehend what's happening just from the course of events. Instead it prefers to spell everything out in a way that resolved all curiosity or interest I might've had in the characters or plot at the onset. Exposition appears on screen to tell you exactly who everyone is. Characters explicitly state their motivations in what approaches soliloquy. It throttled whatever interest I started with.

    RPG Structure
    Chained Echoes starts with a pretty barebones rpg progression. You heal after every battle which is nice in theory but in practice makes the battles often feel kind of pointless. Because you aren't getting worn down over multiple encounters, only the most challenging battles pose any real threat, so why even have the easier battles at all? The game doesn't seem to want you to grind either, limiting both the opportunity and the rewards for doing so. Most progression seems to be gated by story content. The design here feels at odds with itself. I appreciate the anti-power leveling measures, many people who hate grinding will enjoy its absence, and removing the tedium of healing between fights is nice, but these ideas need to be executed in a way that make them compatible with each other.

    Combat
    The combat itself is decent. I wasn't too fond of the overdrive meter which felt somewhat random in what it required of me. I have other nitpicks, but they weren't a huge deal. Overall this stuff was passable.

    Conclusion
    I don't hate this game, but it's far from a great RPG. The main thing I look for in a game like this is decent writing (especially if the game is going to spend so much time delivering story). That alone is enough to keep me from recommending it.    … Expand
  30. alissonvisa
    May 10, 2023
    10
    [PT-BR] Um dos melhores jogos RPG de turno, que joguei nos ultimos anos, nao fico contente com jRPGs renomados se tornando algo mais proximo de Action RGP ao estilo Devil May Cry, e Chained Echoes mostrou que pra fazer um excelente jogo com uma historia que te prende, nao precisa de nada mais do que talento, esforco e carinho. Jogo muito divertido, mapas bem diversificados, boa dose de[PT-BR] Um dos melhores jogos RPG de turno, que joguei nos ultimos anos, nao fico contente com jRPGs renomados se tornando algo mais proximo de Action RGP ao estilo Devil May Cry, e Chained Echoes mostrou que pra fazer um excelente jogo com uma historia que te prende, nao precisa de nada mais do que talento, esforco e carinho. Jogo muito divertido, mapas bem diversificados, boa dose de segredos a serem desvendados pelo mapa. Tudo que um JRPG precisa, graficos pixelados muito bonitos, mecanica de batalha inovadora. Recomendo muito!!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PC Game of 2022
43
#43 Most Discussed PC Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. RPG Site
    May 12, 2023
    90
    Chained Echoes is an extremely impressive game, especially considering the bulk of the game's creation came from just a few people, led by Mattias. As trite as it might be to say, this isn't just a pale imitation of great RPGs, Chained Echoes is a great RPG in its own right. A few small quibbles won't stop me from recommending this game to anyone, especially those fond of the golden era of RPGs.
    Read full review
  2. INVEN
    Jan 27, 2023
    88
    Chained Echoes is a well-made turn based RPG with 16-bit nostalgia and classic JRPG identity. Although there are some elements that are not quite fitted to the story as it flows, it is a highly recommended title for those who love JRPGs.
    Read full review
  3. Game Rant
    Jan 17, 2023
    90
    Considering the hubris of Chained Echoes, it should not work, but it does, and beautifully. Matthias Linda has created a broad world that is ripe for further exploration. The only worry now is that the bar is set too high, but it's hard to imagine the team creating anything with less passion and polish. After playing through a creative, familiar, yet distinct game that engages players in nearly every way, one can only hope that there will be more from the brilliant team behind Chained Echoes.
    Read full review
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