Empire Chronicles

About

"Empire Chronicles" is an expansive RPG set in a vast world on the brink of destruction. With over 100 hours of gameplay and 18 playable characters, each with their own story arc, players will face challenging enemies and uncover deep secrets in their quest to protect the empire. The game features a complex stats and combat system, ensuring a challenging and engaging experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 27 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a massive world with a well-written story and engaging characters, providing a rich RPG experience.
Combat is enjoyable and strategic, with a deep skill tree that allows for extensive character customization and build crafting.
The developers are responsive to player feedback, quickly addressing bugs and adding new content, enhancing the overall experience.

The game can feel overwhelming due to the abundance of optional systems and mechanics, which may detract from the core gameplay experience.
Some players have reported performance issues and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in the early chapters.
The introductory chapter is confusing and may mislead players, potentially causing frustration and a lack of clarity on how to progress.

story
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
85%
7%
The story is intricately woven through the perspectives of three distinct parties, each with unique characters and narratives that players can explore in a non-linear fashion. While the main storyline is straightforward and well-written, it offers depth through side quests and character interactions, although some players feel that the side content could enhance character attachment. Overall, the expansive world and engaging plot developments keep players invested, making it a compelling experience for RPG enthusiasts.
- “The story is told from the perspective of three different parties, each with its own characters, story, and inventory.”
- “The story is pretty straightforward and yet very well written; even though you get to play with three different parties in different areas and time frames, you don't get lost in the story, and it all ties up very nicely at the end.”
- “There are so many characters woven into an intricate storyline that make you laugh, cry, and get immersed in their world.”
- “The story is pretty straightforward and yet very well written; even though you get to play with 3 different parties in different areas and time frames, you don't get lost in the story and it all ties up very nicely at the end.”
- “I was never even sure I was heading in the right direction to move the story forward.”
- “The storyline and narrative center around 3 different people; it kind of plays like Octopath Traveler.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
44%
33%
Empire Chronicles features standard JRPG gameplay with overworld exploration and ATB-based combat, offering around 150 hours of playtime through four interconnected storylines. While the energy and food mechanics feel somewhat unnecessary, they do not detract significantly from the experience. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging gameplay and captivating storyline, though players may find the initial complexity overwhelming due to extensive tutorials.
- “Easily 150 hours of gameplay, in the form of four intertwining plotlines.”
- “This RPG is a must-play for fans of the genre, with a mesmerizing storyline and engaging gameplay that will keep you hooked.”
- “Empire Chronicles is a fairly standard JRPG in its basic gameplay, with overworld exploration coupled with ATB-based combat.”
- “The energy mechanic seems pointless since you have automatic eating and get hundreds of food really early on.”
- “To me, the energy mechanic and food, which only provides energy, should just disappear.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspects of the game, such as crafting, fishing, and NPC affection systems, to be tedious and often unnecessary, leading to a sense of bloat rather than meaningful engagement. While these elements can be ignored, they detract from the overall experience, with many players feeling that the game would benefit from a more streamlined approach. However, the compelling combat and character development keep some players invested for extended playtime.
- “It becomes tedious rather than fun.”
- “The game does have a lot of optional systems like affection with NPCs, various types of crafting, building a village, fishing, etc. I feel like most of these just bloat the game rather than adding anything of substance, but they can be completely ignored if you don't care about them.”
- “There are a lot of systems that end up being unnecessary, and the first chapter gives the impression that this started out as a Harvest Moon-type farming game.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are notably high quality for a low-budget production, featuring distinct in-combat sprites for different weapons and impressive skill animations. Players find the character designs charming, and the overall visual presentation enhances the engaging combat experience.
- “Combat graphics are pretty high quality, with most characters having different in-combat sprites depending on the type of weapon they're using, and some pretty cool skill animations.”
- “The quality of gameplay and graphics punch well above its own weight.”
- “The characters are pretty lovable, graphics are surprisingly good for these low-budget productions and the combat seems rather involved.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the diverse and enjoyable character personalities, leading to amusing interactions, particularly among a group of siblings. Notably, even NPCs contribute to the comedic elements, such as a shopkeeper who naively sets up his business in a monster-infested area, providing a humorous twist on his misadventure. Overall, the game's humor is characterized by clever dialogue and situational comedy.
- “The characters are enjoyable; their personalities are really different, and you get to see a few funny interactions between them.”
- “Even some NPCs have some really funny twists or comments. For example, there's a guy who builds a shop in the middle of nowhere, in a place infested with monsters. When you chat with him, he says he thought he saw a 'business opportunity' and believed he was going to be rich since his shop is the only one there. But after he built it, he realized all the monsters were around, and no one traveled there due to the danger. Now he can't leave because he's pretty much bankrupt! XD”
- “The characters are awesome and hilarious, like a group of siblings.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a robust character development system through skill trees, allowing players to prioritize specific stats and skills. While some elements like farming and side quests are seen as limited, the engaging combat and character progression keep players invested for extensive gameplay.
- “This is an amazing RPG with character development through skill trees, allowing you to decide which stats or skills you want to prioritize.”
- “The character development and party system compelled me to spend over 200 hours exploring the plot of this game to the end.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Overall, users report that the game maintains good stability, with minor glitches that are promptly addressed by developers. Players have not experienced any major or game-breaking issues, and it runs smoothly on platforms like the Steam Deck.
- “Definitely worth it if you are a fan of games like Octopath; it runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “The game maintains a smooth performance throughout, ensuring a stable experience.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which speaks volumes about its stability.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experience constant lag and frame drops, which ruin the overall experience.”
- “There are numerous bugs that disrupt gameplay, and some have been persistent for weeks.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game experiences occasional performance issues in certain areas, but these do not significantly hinder the overall gameplay experience.
- “The game has some performance issues in certain areas, which can be quite frustrating.”
- “There are noticeable frame drops and stuttering during intense moments, affecting the overall experience.”
- “Optimization seems lacking, as loading times are excessively long and hinder gameplay flow.”