2022 has been a pretty hefty year for RPG?s, and the back half of this year hasn?t slowed down in that regard. Case in point, I?ve just recently finished playing through Square Enix and Lancarse Ltd.?s latest strategy RPG The DioField Chronicle, which eschews grid-based combat seen in recent titles like Triangle Strategy, in favor of a more fast-paced, real-time combat system that helps make The DioField Chronicle feel a little more unique. It?s still a game that borrows elements from the genre that spawned it, and oft-times falls short in different ways, but I still found myself enjoying the 30 or so hours I spent with it.
Thankfully, the combat in The DioField Chronicle helps make up for some of the spots where the story is lacking. Most battles are fairly brisk, with most giving bonus rewards for being completed in under 6 to 8 minutes. And there are quite a few battles to be had, with a number of main story fights for each chapter accompanied by a handful of side missions for every chapter. You?ll have direct control over movement and actions for your 4 main party members (with 4 back-ups that lend additional abilities to your party) and you?ll move around the map simultaneously with enemy units. You can pause the action to initiate abilities or target enemies, and it?s easy enough to zoom out and review the battlefield when necessary. While the combat isn?t deep, there?s no elevated terrain or terrain penalties for instance, it?s still a brisk, enjoyable experience that keeps you engaged throughout each fight. The DioField Chronicle isn?t going to be the most difficult strategy RPG you play all year, but if you try to mainline the story and skip past some side content, you will likely find yourself underleveled at spots which in turn can make the game more difficult.
The DioField Chronicle also features a number of upgrade paths for your party, giving you standard experience points for completing battles, which in turn will level your party members up and increase their base stats. Also, each party member belongs to one of four classes, with each class having its own skill tree that can level up your unique abilities. You?ll also earn points for each character that can increase core stats or unlock additional unique abilities, like increased damage against certain enemy types, or the ability to reduce cooldowns for that character or the entire party. You?ll never earn enough of these points in a single playthrough to unlock all of those unique character skills either, which means you need to put a little thought into what you?ll find valuable to use. I dug the idea that most of your special attacks come from the weapon you have equipped too, meaning you can sort of swap out party members at will without losing too much functionality, provided you have a weapon available to use that?ll grant that party member the skills you need.
Still, The DioField Chronicle is a game that I had little trouble sticking with throughout the review process, and could easily see myself going back to in order to finish up the few remaining trophies I have left. The fun gleaned from this strategy title is almost entirely due to the engaging battle system, which while a bit basic compared to other titles, is still a lot of fun to play. It?s not a game that I?d wholeheartedly suggest picking up at full price, but I?d certainly suggest giving it a go after a sale or two.
Note: Square Enix provided us with a The DioField Chronicle PS5 code for review purposes.
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