Chained Echoes

 Xbox Series X
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 63 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 63
  3. Negative: 8 out of 63

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  1. Webby360G
    Jan 24, 2023
    10
    This is one of the best 16bit style modern JRPG's I have played for a long time. As a fan of the old school JRPG's such as Final Fantasy VI, Breath of Fire and more, this scratched that nostalgia itch with something brand new for the modern age.

    Chained Echoes has a beautiful art style with a soundtrack that is simply divine. The combat, story and world are absolutely fantastic.
  2. RisingZeus
    Dec 11, 2022
    10
    Gorgeous pixel graphics, fun and thought-provoking turn-based battles, and amazing sound/music!
  3. Bene86
    Dec 21, 2022
    10
    Great story, great fighting system, great oldschool jrpg! Better than every modern Action-Adventure rpg.
  4. J0k3R_2run
    Dec 14, 2022
    10
    Its an amazing jrpg like Final fantasy 6 times. Old school jrpg with great story and amazing characters. Every character has a great story.
  5. Schlenda
    Dec 13, 2022
    9
    FFVI-2 in alternative timeline and better.

    Does the most favourite things from all FFs and puts them together in an elegant way. I am only 4h in though, but it became already my main game.
  6. filipeliam
    Dec 14, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Beautiful game with a nice story . The combat is simple and effective with amazing gameplay .… Expand
  7. Daedelus
    Jan 4, 2023
    10
    It’s becoming increasingly hard to find a turn-based game made with love and care. In an age where even final fantasy games are focused on action, fans of the genre typically (with some exceptions) have to rely on derivative thrown together garbage or games dominated by story with little to no action and adventure.
    Chained Echoes eschews the stereotype and delivers a game both high in    It’s becoming increasingly hard to find a turn-based game made with love and care. In an age where even final fantasy games are focused on action, fans of the genre typically (with some exceptions) have to rely on derivative thrown together garbage or games dominated by story with little to no action and adventure.
    Chained Echoes eschews the stereotype and delivers a game both high in production values, with a fun yet thought out battle system, and a gripping story that doesn’t take up 90% of the game (like some triangle based games recently). The world is surprisingly large, in depth, and well thought out. This isn’t a cobbled together landscape of tropes - there is care, thought, and love ingrained within the lore in this world building. Is it 100% novel? Well, no - but it’s fresh enough that you can appreciate the nods but still be genuinely intrigued about this rich world. The battle system is rich, with enough complexity to sate RPG fans without being incredibly overwhelming.
    The maps are where this game stands out. So beautifully and lovingly created, with lots of exploration and rewards for the completionist.
    This is definitely one for fans of the old school JRPG, but with enough modern updates and a streamlined story that it could easily appeal to newcomers.
    If this came out at the same time as final fantasy 6, it would go down in gaming history as the biggest rivalry.    … Expand
  8. plinley
    Dec 9, 2022
    9
    Very fun JRPG that is reminiscent of the SNES era without being too much a rip off.
  9. 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.
  10. Marston12345
    May 16, 2023
    0
    Not spanish subtitles, gameplay is boring, el creador del juego le preguntas en twitter por los subtitulos y te bloquea, menuda manera de tratar a los clientes.
  11. Antitheus
    Aug 31, 2023
    10
    A must-play title for FF VI-VII fans. I love game dynamics, combat mechanics, main story, meaningful side quests, character background. Well made!
  12. rubensmiranda
    Jan 27, 2023
    10
    A true tribute to the great JRPG'S of the past. Chained Echos is one of the best JRPG's of recent years.
  13. Phuz
    Aug 27, 2023
    10
    Well I literally just started this game and it is absolutely fantastic. 1st impressions tend to last with me in a game and if this carries on how it started, then this will hit my fav games list.

    1. It's fast, when my character moved I was like yes, a smooth, fast, very fast and responsive movement. 2. It looks fantastic. To make pixels look so good must be some talented designers.    Well I literally just started this game and it is absolutely fantastic. 1st impressions tend to last with me in a game and if this carries on how it started, then this will hit my fav games list.

    1. It's fast, when my character moved I was like yes, a smooth, fast, very fast and responsive movement. 2. It looks fantastic. To make pixels look so good must be some talented designers. I just thought wow, this looks really slick. 3. The OST is amazing. What **** in the Wild should have been musically. Take notes Nintendo.

    4. Now coming from someone that hated menu turn based all his life and only just started getting in to them a bit of recent, I loved this instantly. I have barely touched on the battle system yet and it's already fun.

    5. The story, I'm not in to the story yet but what I have seen was well told. The characters seem likeable and conversations feel pretty life-like. Certainly believable.

    6. No invisible bump encounters and what I am encountering battle wise, seems like there should be an enemy there within the setting.

    It all gels together perfectly and has been the most exciting thing to go on my Series X so far. I've been enjoying all the other games like crazy but this just kept me smiling and excited.

    Like I say, I haven't been huge on these games in the past but I loved Ara Fell and slogged my way through an enjoyable Cybersleuth and made a start on Cosmic Star Heroine. This to me is closest to Ara Fell but with everything upped in quality.

    I never got in to FF6, or CT and certainly didn't feel instantly engaged in them like I do with this.

    If for some reason it turns **** further in, I will alter my review but what a start. Got to finish with a 2nd nod to the OST, great job.    … Expand
  14. Awanka
    May 24, 2023
    9
    First Signalis and now Chained Echoes, indies have been killing it lately. This is a truly excellent retro JRPG that would have been an instant classic if it had been released 25 years ago. The story is fantastic. It's like a mix of all the classic JRPG tropes of amnesiac main characters, feisty princesses, and kingdoms at war, but also has a grim dark side like something out of W40K,First Signalis and now Chained Echoes, indies have been killing it lately. This is a truly excellent retro JRPG that would have been an instant classic if it had been released 25 years ago. The story is fantastic. It's like a mix of all the classic JRPG tropes of amnesiac main characters, feisty princesses, and kingdoms at war, but also has a grim dark side like something out of W40K, that is filled with terribly flawed individuals capable of appalling deeds, uncaring all-powerful gods that play with humanity, and mortals making Faustian pacts with malevolent powers. It's like Dragon Quest crossed with Xenogears heavily sprinkled with Berserk, and I loved it.

    The best part of the game though is the combat which is far more challenging and intricate than most others in this genre. It will keep you on your toes with its boss fights, and you will have to maintain all your characters' skills and gear to succeed.

    There are some downsides. In its effort to tell an engaging story, the game often forces you into a linear path. It also likes to split up your team, so you can be forced to face some squirrelly situations before you're ready. The worst part of game personally was the almost complete lack of warning between scene transitions. If you progress too far into the level, you'll be forced into the next scene unless you reload. These are minor quibbles however, when everything else is so good. I highly recommend this game to anyone who looks back fondly at the days of FF6 and Cronotrigger.

    As for game length, it took me 68 hours to do almost everything except for a few collectible and grinding trophies.    … Expand
  15. Eldarion45
    May 9, 2023
    10
    Chained echoes is an Awesome game, beautiful art and Gameplay, everyone should play it.
  16. Timmylaw77
    May 10, 2023
    10
    The perfect blend of nostalgia and good quality gaming. I haven't enjoyed a turn based game as much as Chained Echoes in a long time. Some reminiscence moments or chrono trigger and when I saw a small Breath of Fire 3 homage I was overjoyed.
  17. Manuelsjunior
    Jan 7, 2023
    9
    I enjoyed every minute of my hours playing this game, thank you so much Matthias Linda!!!
  18. Lasikie
    Jan 8, 2023
    10
    Skimmed past this at first as I though it was another poor effort. When it hit game pass I thought I’d try it and currently 40+ hours in and loving it.
  19. Edge077
    Feb 25, 2023
    9
    Beautiful graphics, very good story, fluent gameplay but what stands out is the dialogue to me. Great game!
  20. MetalWooze
    May 11, 2023
    4
    Boring battle system, weird dialogues and a very lame story. Don't understand where all the hype is coming from.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. XboxEra
    Feb 1, 2023
    78
    It is amazing how much passion was put into this project by its sole developer Matthias Linda and the artists involved. And you can see it permeate through the games gorgeous 16-bit visuals, accompanied by Eddie Marianukroh’s phenomenal score consisting of tempered orchestra and pleasing synthetic melodies. Despite my frustrations with the combat system, there’s a lot of good you’ll find in Chained Echoes. I can easily recommend this game for any Super Nintendo era role-playing game. A beautiful rose with a very sharp thorn.
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  2. GameGrin
    Jan 19, 2023
    100
    Chained Echoes is a fantastic JRPG that captures everything we love about turn-based RPGs on the SNES but improves on everything we didn't love. With a new battle system, no random enemies to encounter, and the ability to have eight characters on your team and switch without using a turn, Chained Echoes is a must-play.
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  3. TheXboxHub
    Jan 3, 2023
    80
    Chained Echoes is a very accomplished JRPG that is well worth playing, mostly thanks to a great story and some classic retro feels.
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