There was a time when Kickstarter seemed like the answer to all gaming problems. Fancy a sequel to a forgotten series? Kickstarter it. Or want a new series from a legendary team? Kickstarter it. And while the buzz around crowdfunding games has died down a lot from its heydays, one name got the masses excited one last time. Rabbit & Bear Studio’s first title from this pledge is Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.
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Development of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was led by Yoshitaka Murayama, the creator of Konami’s Suikoden series. Murayama sadly passed away in February 2024. So, along with Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes serving spiritual successor to the series and that era of PS1 JRPG as a whole, the game is also the last work of someone whose work has had a lasting effect on gaming.
Romance and Relax
You play as Nowa, a young boy from a remote village who signs up a local army work for hire group. Nowa is hired to find a ruin that could bring peace to the world.
At this point, it’s worth pointing out that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a very traditional JRPG – it’s a slow burner before things start picking up.
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After some time jumps, a peace agreement is failing and a war is imminent. To its credit, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes gives you all the details and knowledge you need to understand what’s going on when things kick off.
There are also a number of side tales that breathe life into the cast. The game’s side quests also explore themes like respect, honour and friendship. Most of the game’s side stories involve Nowa in some way and his heroes’ journey often has more than meets the eye.
War Norm
The over arching war theme gives an interesting edge to how team members develop. As you progress, they’ll struggle to reconcile their loyalty to their nation and to their personal beliefs.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes‘ biggest draw has to be its cast of characters. You can befriend and recruit a huge roster to your team, all with the ultimate goal of growing a true army. There are over 120 of them to find and discover as you explore the huge world and branching dungeons within it.
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The world and its dungeons is also filled with puzzles, which you’ll have to solve along the way to open the path ahead and beyond.
Though, worth noting the games overall encounter rate is very low. You’ll often spend an age wondering around the vast dungeons, with only a handful of battles to get stuck into beyond the boss battle.
Rising to the Challenge
Combat itself is a turn-based offering that is as hands-on as you want it to be. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has an auto-battle option for those not wanting to get bogged down with mindless fights.
Things step up a gear with boss battles so taking the reins may be necessary here. Nine times out of ten, there is a mechanic or gimmick that you’ll have to use, or deal with, to get the upper hand during boss fights. And no, you can’t use auto-battle here, so you’ll have to work on strategies and party management.
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You’ll have to find the perfect balance from the army you have recruited to see you through each fight. Say, having hard hitters with low defences alongside tanks who lack magic grunt.
You’ll soon use joint attacks and items to get the most from your party of six heroes in each face off, as well as there being a solid ruin system to add buffs to characters as well.
Castle Claim
There is also a more strategy-based war games system that opens up later on. War Mode sees you lead armies of troops against enemy generals. War Mode puts you in much more of an overseer role, as you deploy forces and counter defences.
Things get a bit more face-to-face though with the dual fights. These are one-on-one fights that work on a ‘rock, paper, scissors’-style system. And this adds a bit of variety to the combat.
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Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is visually stunning, with its blend of 3D backdrops with pixel art characters. The epic journey to a majestic kingdom is presented in a similar art style to the Octopath Traveler series.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes sounds grand and epic, thought there are a few touching melodies. The game also features a solid overall level of voice acting, which breathes extra depth into its limitless cast.
Long to Beat
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a slow burner that takes time to really get going. I was about 14 hours in, before I happened upon the games quick travel system.
But if you give it the time needed, there is a lot to enjoy here. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a real throwback to classic JRPG’s, where epic tales and turn-based action was the order of the day.