Inspired by classic JRPG, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes should definitely be on your radar if you are a fan of the genre. It is a game created by two legendary game makers, namely the late Yoshitaka Murayama, creator of Suikoden I & II, and Junko Kawano, also one of the creators of Suikoden I & IV, after all. 

We had a golden opportunity to have a taste of the early portion of the game’s beta build, where we were introduced to the main characters as well as experienced the RPG elements. This is definitely a game that will have you nostalgic for the old JRPG titles you might be fond of.

There exist two factions in the world of Eiyuden Chronicle, The League and The Imperial, both working together in search of the artifact “Primal Lens”. Even though people from the Imperial were not keen on the idea of them working alongside The League, everything was going well. However, things led to another and both factions eventually sparked a conflict, initiating a war.

The story begins with you meeting Nowa and Seign, who are two of the core characters in Eiyuden Chronicle. To avoid spoilers, I will not go into detail about the story but it does take a while for everything to be set in motion and get you started. You will eventually learn more about the world but the preview build stops at the point of cliffhanger.

Rune-lens 

Hundred Heroes presents itself with combat similar to that will be familiar to most classic JRPG fans, scattering random encounters throughout exploration zones and having monsters or rogue humans ambushing you.

The turn-based combat works like this – players can attack, use abilities, defend themselves, or consume items. There are also combo attacks that can be executed according to the relationship between characters.

There is the “Rune-lens”, a magical object that enables humans, beastmen, elves, and desert folks to use abilities. A variety of Rune-lens can be collected and equipped on your characters, with each providing unique abilities. Each character has their own Rune-lens slot, but the numbers depend on the level.

By and large, there are 2 types of Rune-lens abilities available for use, one that consumes Skill Point (SP) and the other that spends Magic Point (MP). The rules are simple, abilities with no elemental affinity use SP, while elemental or magical skills consume MP. Each character has 5 bars of SP and a point can be recharged per turn. Meanwhile, you can only restore MP through items or resting at inns.

Combo Attack

On the flipside, the combo attack is a special mechanic available to be initiated between certain characters during battle. This attack requires a specified amount of SP, so it does need a few turns to build it up. This action deals a ridiculous amount of damage to foes and comes with some cool animations to get you to hype up.

Sprinkling something fresh in combat is the various gimmicks you could use during battle. For example, you can hide behind a rock to protect yourself from enemy attacks or drop a giant boulder down to your foes using a crane.

Character positioning plays an important role in combat. You can bring up to 6 characters in a party and you split them up by positioning 3 in the front row, and 3 at the rear line. It is also good practice to look at character attack range before assigning their position, or else you might be at a disadvantage, as for example, some might only be able to attack in melee range.

Exploration and Presentation 

Combat aside, the game does have various side activities for you to take part in. Fishing was one of the minigames available in the preview build, where once you obtain your fishing rod, you may visit any pond to fish. If you love fishing in games, expect a good variety of species to be discovered, and they could even be cooked for some delicious meal, but sadly the feature was not available in the build we played.

Visual-wise, the game is stunning and rekindled that JRPG nostalgia. It combines 2D character sprites with 3D environment, showcasing the beauty of cities, the peacefulness of villages, deserts, and more in HD aesthetically pleasing visuals. That said, it does feel off-putting as characters you control may completely vanish in the background as objects cover them, making it difficult to traverse some areas.

You may also encounter blocked paths in dungeons, which may require you to solve some puzzles to bypass them. Just pay close attention to the environments and clues will present themselves.

The game will also be fully voiced in both Japanese and English. Both languages feature great voice performances, and it is up to your preference as although translations may be slightly different for localization reasons, the context is not too far off.

Music in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes so far has been great too, featuring tracks that truly fit in with the environment and story. As soon as we enter battle, epic music comes and intensifies the mood. Meanwhile, exploration is accompanied by some peaceful music to relax you into the world. 

Verdict

Over 5 hours of playtime, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is undoubtedly an exciting new venture for JRPG fans, featuring exciting encounters, some rather challenging bosses, and a diverse interesting cast of characters. Looking forward to seeing all 100 heroes in the full game. 

If you are a fan of JRPG, then keep your eyes peeled for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes as it is one promising title and is Murayama’s last work. 

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be released on 23 April 2024, for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X |S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.