It utilizes a pixel art style that fits the retro aesthetic of the game. The art design is fantastic in Chained Echoes. This might be a bit of overkill for one bird, don’t you think? It forces players to think strategically about how and when to switch Gears and use special moves, as the Overdrive gauge is always in a delicate balance. Gear 0 brings damage and TP back to 100%, disables special skills, recovers 60TP, and stops the gauge from moving at all. Gear 2 increases the amount of damage dealt and received, as well as the amount of TP used by 25%. Gear 1 allows players to deal and receive 100% damage, uses the amount of TP (basically your MP in this game) as it’s listed, and moves the cursor to the right. They also have their own Overdrive system, which plays similarly to the normal Overdrive system, but with a few differences.įor example, instead of switching out characters during battles, the Overdrive gauge is affected by switching your Sky Armor’s gears. Because they are so much larger and stronger, they are used to defeat Chained Echoes‘ toughest enemies. Sky Armors have their own gameplay styles as well. Is it just me, or does this kraken have some fabulous eyelashes? This makes going back and re-exploring early areas of the game much more interesting and rewarding. You’ll also be able to do this with the introduction of an airship, which is made available around the same time. Because they can fly, you’ll able to reach previously unattainable sections and loot. That being said, once they are reintroduced, they completely open up the rest of the game. Honestly, I kind of forgot about the mechs until I got past the first twelve or so hours when they were introduced again. This immediately goes south, and you won’t see another Sky Armor for a significant chunk of the game. In Chained Echoes, you start off by controlling a character that pilots a giant flying mech, called Sky Armor. Speaking of how gameplay changes after a while, the way you manage your Overdrive gauge isn’t the only thing that drastically changes about the gameplay over time. Once the meter is filled, one of your party members can unleash a powerful Ultra Move, for either some serious damage or amazing stat buffs. Eventually, you’ll get special moves and items that can lower the Overdrive gauge, but there’s a long stretch in the beginning where you’ll have to rely on either defending or switching out characters to get back into the green Overdrive zone. Or, you can switch out party members for others in their rear formation, which lowers the gauge a bit. To get out of the Overheat zone, you’ll need to have your characters stop attacking and defend themselves. Being in Overheat isn’t the end of the world, but it does make you far more susceptible to damage. However, continuing to attack keeps the gauge moving, which can lead you into the red “Overheat” zone. Naturally, this is when you’ll want to use all of your most powerful attacks. Being in Overdrive allows your attacks to hit with their maximum effectiveness. Getting the gauge into the green zone brings you into Overdrive, which is essentially the sweet spot. You start off in the orange section whenever you begin a battle, and each subsequent turn either raises or lowers the gauge. At the top of the screen is a meter, divided into sections of orange, green, and red. The Overdrive system is a fairly simple concept, but one that adds a layer of complexity to traditional turn-based combat. The Dream Eater is no match for my Explosive Shot! This might not sound like a brand-new concept, because it isn’t, but switching out characters does greatly affect the truly original gameplay mechanic of Chained Echoes: the Overdrive system. When you have a party larger than four members, you can place them in specific formations, so you can switch out characters from the front and rear lines. First off, with the inclusion of so many characters, your party size can range anywhere from a single character to up to eight in one party. It is, to a certain extent, but it does also have a few features that shake up the formula a bit. All the basic tropes are present, but at least they do manage to subvert expectations enough to keep them from feeling stale.Īt first glance, Chained Echoes appears to be yet another turn-based RPG. There are quite a few others as well, but you get the idea. Then of course, there’s also the young warrior, Glenn, who feels lost after failing an important mission. There’s an assassin femme fatale, Sienna, who seems to be only in it for the money, but actually has a soft side. There’s the brave princess, Lenne, who’s just trying to learn what she can about her people from beyond the castle gates, so she can best understand how to help them. Nearly all of the standard tropes are here, but thankfully, not to an annoying degree. Chained Echoes follows several heroes over the course of its epic adventure.
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