Chained Echoes is an indie game that will give you a sense of familiarity if you have a broad knowledge on various JRPG franchises, notable references include Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI, to name a few. Some cut scenes are familiar to the player because of its references to older games, and it is known to break the fourth wall, especially when it comes to character banter.

The game allows you to allocate skills and stats to your liking - and can be restrictive during the early game because of the pacing of the story, however, it will be trivial once you are familiar with the Overdrive mechanic. It is a complement to the turn-based feature that tries to maintain your skill types by not just spamming the same skill all over and the game itself did a great job on handling this.

The story emphasizes the motivations of the characters, where you actually get to know the characters behind the scenes. On the other hand, the character banters are the best moments to break the ice when there are certain scenes that are serious.

The reward board can feel like a chore if you are planning to maximize the game has to offer. Getting the rest of the classes and its related items can be locked through reward boards - which requires you to do certain gimmicks like killing a certain enemy using only the protagonist. The music is a reminiscent of the old school JRPGs, and they were able to keep the music as relaxing as possible, while maintaining the theme of the game. I would say that the cut scenes really match with the music - especially during the heartbreaking scenes.

Overall, I would still recommend this game for a timeless classic, as someone who loves JRPG, Chained Echoes is a must try for people who loves turn based games!

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A love letter to the classics | Chained Echoes - Quick Review

7.5

Timeless classic, modernized. An indie game that will give you a sense of familiarity if you have a broad knowledge on various JRPG franchises, notable references include Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI, to name a few.