Chained Echoes

Chained Echoes is a role-playing video game featuring pixel art visuals inspired by the 16-bit era and turn-based combat. Unlike most older role-playing games that feature random encounters, enemies are visible on the map and trigger encounters on the same screen, similar to Chrono Trigger. Battles are turn-based, and each character in the player's party has a standard attack, several special abilities, items, and a defensive stance. In combat, party members use attacks and abilities that raise the "overdrive" meter, which reaches an optimal green zone where abilities are more effective.

However, the overdrive meter can overheat, and the party must discharge some of the excess by using specific abilities, such as defenses and "Ultra Moves". Unlike other role-playing games, characters in Chained Echoes do not level-up, instead leveling up skills automatically through battle, with added skill point rewards. The player controls a party of up to 8 characters. The game's estimated length is up to 30 or 40 hours.

Setting and characters

Chained Echoes is set on the continent of Valandis during a multi-generational war between three kingdoms: Taryn, Gravos, and Escanya. After a great catastrophe caused by the Grand Grimoire shakes the continent, the kingdoms agree to sign a peace treaty. One year later, an unknown force strives to begin a new war, and a group of unlikely heroes join forces and eventually become the clan of Crimson Wings in order to stop it.

The game was made by the German developer Matthias Linda, who grew up making fan games with RPG Maker. His favorite games included Xenogears, Terranigma, Secret of Mana, Suikoden 2, Breath of Fire, The Legend of Dragoon and Final Fantasy VI, which influenced his development of Chained Echoes. He was mindful not to copy them, instead trying to capture his experience of playing them, which he remembers as "in my head, all these games look and play better than they actually did." Linda cited the Dragon Quest series as an influence on the towns and their non-player character inhabitants.

The game's development nearly took 7 years, beginning in 2016 after a year of considering the story concept. The game had a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2019 and the digital edition was published by Deck13 in 2022. The physical edition was supposed to be released by First Press Games. However, by March 2026, 13 products, including special editions for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC, as well as a CD soundtrack, had yet to be released. Linda announced he would be pursuing legal action against FPG.

The PC and Switch versions of Chained Echoes have received "universal acclaim", while the PlayStation 4 version has received "generally favorable" reviews on Metacritic.

Rock Paper Shotgun said that "Chained Echoes has taken all the right lessons from its 16-bit inspirations... [feeling] modern and nostalgic at the same time". Siliconera praised the game because "[t]he 16-bit art feels right for the style of the game, everyone in the large cast of characters feels distinct, the story is engaging, and the battle system feels familiar and unique at the same time." Nintendo Life called it one of the best role-playing games of the year and "a wonderful mash-up of '90s JRPG tropes, masterfully woven together to produce an experience that feels simultaneously nostalgic and fresh".