'This is like X from Y!' doesn't do a lot for me on its face, and there are a few occasions Chained Echoes toes that line of banality. I have to admit, I have a little bit of an allergy to media that is over-reliant on simply referencing some other material, as if recognizing the reference itself is where the value lies. There are a few hints of Star Wars too, naturally. Several moments of the narrative share similarities with the manga/anime Full Metal Alchemist. There are several other inspirations beyond that in both RPGs and other media.

'Deals' shops are like Final Fantasy XII's bazaar items, and plenty more besides. Building your hideout is definitely Suikoden. The perspective of the game and transition into battle is reminiscent of Chrono Trigger, and the global level-up system is like Chrono Cross. Character introductions feel like classic Wild ARMs. I wasn't able to check it out at release, but with the great word-of-mouth, I knew I had to check out Chained Echoes sooner or later, and I'm very glad I did.Ĭhained Echoes' inspirations are plentiful, sometimes subtle and sometimes overt. But the closer the game came to release, the more promise and polish I saw. At first, it seemed like Just Another Throwback Indie RPG. I was first introduced to Chained Echoes about three years ago, which was a bit after its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Some of these games are praiseworthy, but for various reasons, many are not. As someone who has been with RPG Site for a decade, I've seen plenty of indie RPGs that wear inspirations on their sleeves.

Chained echoes review download