Introduction

Today we’re exploring and enjoying the modern JRPG epic Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. Released on April 23, 2024. This Kickstarter darling brings you over 100 playable characters to a war-torn continent. Developed by Rabbit & Bear Studios and published by 505 Games, it proudly shows its Suikoden inspiration while also adding fresh ideas in its 2.5D pixel graphics, classic turn-based combat, and wide-open worldbuilding.

Story and World

Set in the diverse lands of Allraan, the story focuses on rune-lens technology and an expansionist Empire. You follow Seign Kesling, an ambitious imperial officer, and Nowa, a humble village boy, as they get caught up in a continent-wide conflict. While the tale will remind you of Suikoden’s political intrigue and the close bonds in the Tales series, the pacing can slow during the early setup. But as you move past the first part, mid-game twists pick up the pace again, although some character arcs still feel a bit unexplored among the 100+ roster.

Gameplay Mechanics

  • Turn-Based Combat: You’ll lead classic six-member parties against a variety of enemies. Depth comes from rune-lens magic, combo finishers, and craftable weapons. It’s a lot like Octopath Traveler’s layered skills, for example, although a few boss fights can feel a bit too long.
  • Party Recruitment: Recruiting over 100 heroes echoes Suikoden’s signature style. Some characters end up as shopkeepers or support roles, offering more world details instead of combat power. If you’re into speedrunning, skipping recruitment cutscenes will save you minutes, but you might miss some side-quest rewards.
  • Exploration & Crafting: Towns and dungeons are full of optional quests. Crafting means you need to farm resources—great for completionists, but it can slow down marathon runs unless you learn the early drop rates.
  • Quality-of-Life Options: Fast-forward combat and auto-battle features help you skip repetitive fights—key for anyone looking to shorten their playthrough times.

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Visuals & Audio

The 2.5D pixel art mixes hand-drawn character portraits with layered backgrounds, giving you a feeling similar to Octopath Traveler’s depth. The animations are smooth, although you might notice some recycled environmental assets. The soundtrack, crafted by veteran composers, offers sweeping orchestral themes and more intimate piano pieces. Sometimes the audio mixing will bury dialogue under battle music, but overall it helps you feel more immersed.

Community Reviews & Ratings

  • Recent Reviews: Mixed (68% of 48)
  • All-Time Reviews: Mostly Positive (77% of 2,732)

Screenshot 2

Players praise its nostalgic homage, deep worldbuilding, and large recruitment scope. Critics, however, point out stiff pacing, occasional bugs, and a bloated roster that can dilute the main story focus. That 68% recent score reflects some patch-related hiccups at launch, while the 77% all-time rating shows the impact of strong post-launch improvements and active community feedback.

Comparisons & Industry Impact

  • Suikoden Series: This feels like a direct spiritual successor, especially with its hero count and political drama. But it falls a bit short in narrative cohesion when you compare it to Suikoden II’s more focused cast.
  • Octopath Traveler: Shares the 2.5D look and multiple protagonist arcs. Eiyuden gives you a bigger world and more recruitment options, but trades off some character depth.
  • Bravely Default/Second: Both games offer turn-based innovations with their Brave/Default system. Eiyuden’s rune-lens system adds more strategic layers, but it doesn’t have the same risk-reward tension that Bravely gives you.
  • Radiant Historia: There’s no time-travel story here, but if you like political complexity and branching narratives, you might still enjoy what Eiyuden offers.

Speedrunning Insights

Although not built just for speedrunners, Eiyuden Chronicle does let you use sequence breaks through menu exploits and dungeon skips. Combat fast-forward and configurable random encounter rates can help you aim for sub-40-hour runs. If you perfect your rune-lens skill chains and optimize the order you recruit characters, you can shave off even more time during a full-completion run.

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Conclusion

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a heartfelt tribute to classic JRPGs. Its big cast, solid combat, and evocative pixel art make it a must-try for genre fans. You’ll face challenges with pacing and managing such a large roster, but ongoing patches and community feedback keep making it better over time. If you’re someone who loves strategic turn-based battles and grand political intrigue, this Kickstarter phenomenon gives you both nostalgia and new ideas.

Add Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes to your Steam collection!