Square Enix is still caught in a raindance, The DioField Chronicle being the latest in its deluge of JRPGs for 2022. While the publisher hasn’t stopped servicing fans of the genre, as of late it’s been cranking these games out at a breakneck pace. In the next few months alone, they plan to expand its catalogue with more remasters, revivals, and experimental games, with Tactics Ogre: Reborn, Valkyrie Elysium, and Havestella slotting into these respective categories.
Is there room for The DioField Chronicle amidst all this JRPG hype? At first glance, it may not stand out from Square’s 2022 lineup, though there are some interesting ideas at play through the demo – available to all from tomorrow, 10th August. Without analysing the game further, you may be inclined to write it off as another Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics pretender. However, there’s one key difference: a focus on real-time strategy over turn-based battles.
Total War this is not, but there’s definitely some overlap with Sega’s powerhouse strategy franchise. You’ll select and direct character in each DioField skirmish, moving and performing actions as your enemies react in real-time. As a result, the game will often demand that you micromanage your party for maximum efficiency, many bonus rewards favouring rapid mission completion times and zero ally KOs.
For PC players, the cursor and command system will come naturally, but for those playing on console, gamepads simply can’t offer as much dexterity or precision. it’s easy enough to switch between units, set move markers, and attack targets, and the skirmishes we played through offered a good balance in terms of pacing and size, but if battles become larger and more frenetic, this may cause frustration rather than a rewarding sense of challenge.
Once you’ve assigned your characters a target, they’ll attack automatically. It’s not like wrangling a bloodthirsty horde however, with the ability to stop, pop open a menu and use items/abilities. Speaking of abilities, they’re pretty powerful. Each class has access to an ever-growing skill tree, making each character feel way more dynamic than a lowly rank-and-file soldier. Some of the early powers include a stun-inducing shield bash, a piercing lance charger, and a volley of arrows. Although the demo doesn’t go too deep into the array that will eventually become available to you, you’ll get a sneak peak at some of the combat classes that will eventually crop up.
Experience and bonus points earned in battle can also be spent levelling up the core attributes of each character, such as critical hit chance and evasion. Your band of mercenaries will also benefit from facility upgrades, their headquarters expanding to offer more and better ways to customise your warband.
If you’re looking for a new game to push a PS5 or Xbox Series X to their limits then this isn’t it. Like most JRPGs, The Diofield Chronicle leans more on its art direction than pure graphics, though we’d struggle to call it a great-looking game. Character models and environments appear fairly rudimentary with little unique or appealing about the game’s medieval aesthetic. What’s most interesting is how scenes and battles are constructed in a way that almost looks like miniatures being placed on a tabletop or diorama. We wish Square Enix had leaned further into this aesthetic, or taken a shot at creating something that mirrors the game’s gorgeous fantasy artwork.
I may not have been compelled by the story or characters, but it’s still early doors. Instead, The Diofield Chronicle manages the even tougher feat or drawing me in with its tactical gameplay – I’m already imagining how my party will develop and learn new skills as tougher enemies are being thrown into the mix. The real-time angle alone makes this an underdog among Square’s packed 2022 lineup, but tactial game and JRPG fans should make sure you play the demo when it drops tomorrow, before the full game lands in late September.
