Chained Echoes

God is a Geek (10 out of 10)

Chained Echoes is without a doubt the best RPG I've played all year, and should be pushed to the top of your backlog immediately.

ScreenRant ( )

Chained Echoes is a fresh, smart adventure that celebrates classic JRPGs while not being afraid to push into new directions. It's sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking - and always fun. It's a must-play.

Noisy Pixel (9.5 out of 10)

Chained Echoes is a wildly ambitious and impressive turn-based RPG that, aside from minor faults, sticks the landing on all fronts. From its terrific and constantly thought-provoking battle system with well-implemented challenge, to its strongly written cast and masterclass worldbuilding, this is an essential must-play for any fan of the genre that I sincerely hope doesn’t pass anyone’s radar.

Spazio Games (9.2 out of 10)

Chained Echoes è un piccolo miracolo: pensare che il grosso del lavoro sia stato fatto da una sola persona, con una simile qualità e con una cura ai dettagli così alta, dovrebbe automaticamente farvi comprendere come la bruciante passione per ciò che si ama possa far raggiungere obiettivi apparentemente fuori portata. Matthias Linda ama il genere e i jrpg vecchia scuola con cui è cresciuto sin da ragazzino. Li ha assimilati e compresi fino in fondo, fino a crearne uno tutto suo. E merita tutta la vostra attenzione, senza che dobbiate necessariamente fare scomodi paragoni. La verità è che ci crogioliamo fin troppo coi vecchi ricordi, mitizzando ciò che appartiene al passato e non vedendo ciò che abbiamo di fronte ai nostri occhi. Guardate bene Chained Echoes, adesso. Se lo merita tantissimo.

4Players.de (90 out of 100)

Ein Japan-Rollenspiel-Highlight zum Jahresende: Chained Echoes vom Solo-Entwickler Matthias Linda ist episch, emotional, anspruchsvoll und packend. Mechanisch auf den Punkt und erzählerisch erwachsen - ein echtes JRPG-Kleinod eben.

SiliconEra (9 out of 10)

Chained Echoes builds on what makes older JRPGs great to feel familiar and new at the same time.

Oyungezer (9 out of 10)

İncelemenin bu noktasına kadar spesifik olarak belirtmek istemedim ama 7 yılın sonunda tek bir kişinin elinden çıkmış bir oyun için çok ama ÇOK başarılı bir ilk oyun Chained Echoes. Sadece JRYO sevenlere değil, ilgisini çeken herkese öneriyorum. Belki de türe girişiniz Chained Echoes olacak, belli mi olur?

RPGFan (90 out of 100)

I’ve played many impressive games over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever been quite as impressed by a game as I have with Chained Echoes. The sheer quality and quantity of content is honestly kind of insane for a solo developer, and while there are some bugs here and there, it all runs pretty damn smoothly too! Whether you’re looking for a nostalgic adventure or just want to play a fresh, new indie RPG, Chained Echoes is a gem that should not be missed.

PC Games (Germany) (9 out of 10)

Ein schönes und ausführliches Pixel-JRPG, das an Klassiker erinnert, aber trotzdem frische Ideen mitbringt. Eine gut ausgeglichene Balance und ein episches Fantasy-Abenteuer.

KeenGamer (9 out of 10)

Chained Echoes is a beautiful take on retro RPGs. This game combines a solid tale with lovable characters, an amazing battle system, and extremely charming graphics, ultimately providing a wonderful gaming experience!

The Outerhaven (4.5 out of 5)

Chained Echoes is a 16-bit-era JRPG that lends itself well to the genre. A definite pickup if you are wanting to do a run of more SNES-era games but still have some quality-of-life adjustments of the modern era.

Hobby Consolas (89 out of 100)

Si te gustan los clásicos del rol de la era de los 16 bits, vas a disfrutar con Chained Echoes como un cochino en un charco. Coge todo lo que ha envejecido mal del género (combates aleatorios, ritmo...) y lo pone al día con un gusto exquisito. Por algo lleva 7 años en desarrollo, y es algo que se nota. Lástima que no tenga textos en español.

Gameliner ( )

Het is aan alle kanten te merken dat solo-ontwikkelaar Matthias Linda zijn hart en ziel in Chained Echoes heeft gestoken. Als je van old-school RPG's houdt, dan is Chained Echoes zeker de indiegame van het jaar die je absoluut niet over mag slaan!

NoobFeed (85 out of 100)

Chained Echoes is a great throwback to the old JRPGs of the SNES era, and for those who loved those sorts of games, this one is definitely worth your time. This game is also for those who are not looking for a nostalgia trip though. This comes from someone who does not ordinarily enjoy JRPGs, but Chained Echoes is chockful of content, systems, and loads of great characters and complex mechanics. You’ll probably love it if you do or don’t love those old-school JRPG classics.

Softpedia (8.5 out of 10)

I would have appreciated fewer battles but with bigger consequences and, maybe, increased difficulty. But for anyone who wants a solid party-driven role-playing experience, Chained Echoes is a good choice, made with a lot of love, able to keep players engaged for its 30 hours long story.

Kakuchopurei.com (80 out of 100)

As someone who knew nothing about Chained Echoes prior to this review, I’ve been absolutely blown away by the amount of detail and care that has been poured into the creation of this game. The developer of Chained Echoes, Matthias Linda, has definitely created something special here, a game full of heart, which is rare these days. I’m excited to see what else they create in the future if this is the quality of their work!

Real Otaku Gamer N/A

In conclusion, if you love classic RPGs and want one that captures the spirit of the past while showing something new, then Chained Echoes is a must-play for you.

Entertainium N/A

As a game which was created primarily by a sole developer, Chained Echoes is an impressive achievement. Chained Echoes is a must-play both for fans of old school JRPGs as well as story-centric role-playing games. Its innovative augmentation to traditional turn-based combat, beautiful art style, and engaging story definitely help to make it stand out in the genre. It successfully appeals to the nostalgia for this kind of SNES game while also managing to carve out its own style in terms of worldbuilding and gameplay.

Destructoid N/A

I’ve been picking away at Chained Echoes every night on my Steam Deck and just loving it. This RPG certainly has some rosy, nostalgic tint to it, but it uses those inspirations to rearrange and reorder it all into something new. I’ve delighted over campfire scenes, banged my head against some bosses that pushed me to reorganize my team and game plan, and been drawn in by all the teases it drops. Safe to say, if you’re an enjoyer of old-school RPGs and want something to while away the holidays with, you could do much worse than Chained Echoes.

Console Creatures N/A

While Chained Echoes honours its inspiration, it also tries to move the genre forward with its modern takes on the genre with its fantastic approach to world-building. Developer Matthias Linda’s ambitious, thought-provoking, and bold battle system was at times a good experience but the lack of level progression and difficulty options made the game less enjoyable.

Gameplay (Benelux) N/A

Meer dan 30 uur heeft dit spel ons aan het PC-scherm gekluisterd, en ook op het kleine Switch-scherm werkt dit erg goed. (...) In dit spel mag je niet zomaar alles wat je in de kast hebt tegelijk op je vijanden gooien, want eens in overdrive sputtert je combatmachine en krijg je negatieve effecten om je oren geslingerd. Echt vlot is Chained Echoes niet, de beperkte techniek hinkt een beetje achterop, maar wie daar mee kan leven, mag dit als een absolute must beschouwen.