The DioField Chronicle

As someone that grew up playing Square RPGs of all varieties, The DioField Chronicle is a wonderful surprise.

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Buy The DioField Chronicle on PlayStation Store, an all-new RPG with strategic real-time combat and distinctive diorama-style visuals.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 309 reviews

story79 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

The game features a unique real-time tactical combat system that allows for strategic planning and execution.
The art style and graphics are visually appealing, with a distinct diorama-like presentation during battles.
The voice acting is generally well done, adding depth to the characters and their interactions.

The story is weak and lacks depth, with many characters feeling one-dimensional and underdeveloped.
Gameplay becomes repetitive quickly, with missions often following the same formula and lacking variety in objectives.
The game is too easy, even on hard difficulty, leading to a lack of challenge and engagement in battles.

story
389 mentions
20 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers describing it as bland, predictable, and lacking depth. Players noted that the plot is often repetitive, with missions following a similar structure and failing to provide meaningful character development or engaging narrative twists. While some appreciated the political intrigue and potential for a compelling story, most felt it ultimately fell flat, leaving many threads unresolved and characters feeling one-dimensional.
- “The story is interesting enough but has steam, then loses steam, regains it, and kind of loses it again.”
- “The story is fine (if muddled in some spots) and most of the characters have interesting quirks and are not just anime stereotypes.”
- “The storytelling is engaging and pulls a lot of seemingly unconnected threads together as it goes.”
- “The overarching story is boring, full of annoying characters and ultimately goes nowhere.”
- “The story also did not really land; it never really had much of a hook, needed more depth in diving into the characters throughout the course of the game to provide some better understanding of motivation, and had a lot of plot jumps that just felt superficial.”
- “The story is bland; you're mercenaries, then you're also mercenaries, and you keep being mercenaries.”
gameplay
122 mentions
32 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the title has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its initial fun and engaging mechanics that quickly devolve into repetitiveness and a lack of depth. While some appreciate the unique real-time strategy elements and the nostalgic feel reminiscent of older games, others criticize the simplistic combat, minimal enemy variety, and a grindy experience that diminishes overall enjoyment. Overall, the gameplay is seen as decent but ultimately fails to maintain excitement throughout the game, leading many to recommend waiting for a sale before purchasing.
- “The gameplay is really solid; it has an interesting take on real-time tactics.”
- “Gameplay is fun and engaging without being overly in-depth, though some people may see that as a detriment.”
- “The gameplay is easy to pick up and master, and the story is a good one.”
- “It's a bare-bones experience with very simplistic gameplay.”
- “The gameplay loop is repetitive in a bad way; the bonus objectives for every level are the exact same ones on every level, even on the hardest difficulty I barely need to worry about upgrading anything.”
- “Unfortunately as is, the gameplay elements are pretty much spamming abilities until everything on the screen dies.”
graphics
59 mentions
42 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful artwork and unique visual style reminiscent of classic RPGs, while others criticize the 3D models and overall graphical fidelity as mediocre or outdated. Some players appreciate the atmospheric effects and detailed environments, but note that the character animations and CGI fall short of expectations. Overall, while the art style is often highlighted as a strong point, the execution in 3D graphics leaves room for improvement.
- “The graphics and art style are great; they totally match my taste in graphics and art style.”
- “Very beautiful visuals with the usual Square Enix RPG elements.”
- “The voice acting is top-notch and the graphics look stunning in a mix of drawn scenery and game graphic characters reminiscent of games like Legend of Mana.”
- “The CGI needs work; all the 3D models just look like puppets/dolls, and it feels like a disservice to the artwork, honestly.”
- “The graphics are mediocre, bordering on bad. The music is genre standard, and I'm on hour ten, and the first truly interesting thing to happen in the story just happened. The rest of the story is convoluted and a bit boring.”
- “Normally in this genre, I wouldn't criticize the graphics, but it's Square, and they decided to charge $60 for this, so the graphics are mediocre at best to bad.”
music
21 mentions
33 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its beauty and ability to enhance the story and combat, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking variety. Although many found the soundtrack enjoyable and engaging, several noted that it does not stand out significantly and may not justify the game's price. Overall, while the music is generally well-received, it is often described as generic and not particularly memorable.
- “I enjoyed my time with this game and do not regret my deluxe edition pre-order with artbook and soundtrack.”
- “The music is lovely.”
- “Music is quite stellar and contributes to the story and combat sequences.”
- “Either this is incorrect or the songs were so generic I didn't even notice there were multiple ones.”
- “But a 20-hour long title with pretty but repetitive music and nonexistent plot/gameplay variation does not deserve a AAA price.”
- “The graphics are mediocre bordering on bad, the music is genre standard, I'm on hour ten and the first truly interesting thing to happen in the story just happened and the rest of the story is convoluted and a bit boring.”
grinding
11 mentions
9 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be a double-edged sword; while some players find it optional and manageable, others feel it becomes tedious and repetitive, especially as costs for upgrades escalate. The need to grind for resources and gold can lead to a staleness in gameplay, particularly when revisiting completed stages. Overall, while the game offers a variety of gear and upgrades, the grinding aspect may detract from the experience for some players.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The game is rife with equipment and accessories, but the costs are so high compared to the gold you earn that you will either need to spend a great deal of time grinding (wholly unnecessary), or come to the realization that you're only going to use a very small amount of the available gear options.”
- “Grinding is where the game can begin to feel stale real fast as you are doing so in stages which you've already completed.”
- “There are a lot of things that the game has for the player to upgrade, things you basically have to grind out, collect materials to get better things, etc. I can see how that might feel tedious to some players, you have to amass gold, resources, and things get more expensive as you progress, so it feels like you won't be able to afford stronger upgrades/equipment later on.”
character development
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally seen as limited and lacking depth, with players noting that it often requires careful attention to dialogue to uncover character layers. While some appreciate the character designs and the interesting premise, many feel that the storytelling is poor and fails to create a compelling emotional connection, leaving players uninvested in the characters' journeys. Overall, the development is considered less complex than desired, with a need for more engaging narrative flow.
- “I wish the character development was a little more complicated; other than that, no complaints.”
- “Interesting premise with the storyline and character development.”
- “But most of the story and the character development isn't shown in an obvious way; you need to pay attention to each little piece of dialogue to understand the characters' layers.”
- “Character development in-game is very limited to level.”
- “I kept playing through the whole thing with this sick wonder: 'Where are they going with this?' I kept playing to see if the wholly unlikeable main characters would go through any kind of character development that would turn their eyes toward issues that we generally see as more moral--such as democracy, or, I don't know, having literally any empathy whatsoever.”
emotional
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players forming a strong connection to specific characters, particularly Queen Waltaquin, while others find the story lacking depth and emotional engagement. The departure of key characters mid-game diminishes the emotional impact for some, leading to a perception of a boring narrative with dropped side plots and bland characters. Overall, the emotional experience varies significantly among players.
- “I only felt emotionally linked to one of the characters, the queen Waltaquin, which kept me going and made me finish the game.”
- “The most interesting character in the game is gone about midway through, and it truly is an emotional ride.”
- “A boring story with bland characters and a lack of detail outside the arenas.”
- “The story is dull, and some side plots just get straight-up dropped.”
- “Overall, the narrative fails to engage emotionally.”
humor
5 mentions
80 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by quirky voice acting, particularly the repetitive death sounds of enemy units, which adds an unintended comedic element. The main battle theme features a humorous horn sound that players find amusing, while the characters' eccentric personalities and dialogue contribute to the overall comedic tone. Additionally, the game's difficulty can be comically bypassed through side quests, allowing for a less tactical approach to gameplay.
- “During the battle scenes, the voice acting is actually decent, except for the fact that enemy units only have one death sound per faction, which is actually kind of hilarious.”
- “The main battle theme is a bit funny; the horn guy went to town with the 'blaaaarrrrhhh' sounds.”
- “It seems most of the characters have some low-key personality disorders, which just makes it hilarious to follow their dialogue.”
- “You could even say he went to war... hahaha (yeah, not funny, I know).”
- “The jokes fell flat and felt forced, lacking any real wit or charm.”
- “I expected clever humor, but instead, it was just cringeworthy and awkward.”
stability
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with users reporting occasional visual glitches and frame drops during cutscenes but not during gameplay. Despite some technical issues, it performs well even on lower settings, especially compared to other recent titles known for their bugs.
- “I can't say it maxes out easily, as I run a 3090, and I doubt most people playing this genre of game went that overboard on a GPU (I have it for work, not gaming, for goodness' sake), but it definitely runs great and looks great even with the graphics turned down a bit.”
- “I mostly played on my Steam Deck and I had a few visual glitches and frame drops in cutscenes, but never during gameplay.”
- “There were some technical glitches.”
- “Especially in this day and age of buggy and unfinished games.”
optimization
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and well-designed control scheme, particularly for controllers, while also supporting keyboard and mouse. However, some users have reported stuttering issues on the latest Windows 11 build, although performance remains excellent on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080 at 1440p.
- “The control schema is optimized for a controller with support for keyboard and mouse.”
- “Performance is perfect on my RTX 3080 at 1440p.”
- “Optimizations make the game feel pretty slick.”
- “There was a stuttering issue with the latest Windows 11 build.”
replayability
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers good replayability, particularly for players who enjoy experimenting with different combat styles and character builds. However, the "New Game+" mode is seen as lacking in replay value, limiting the incentive for players to revisit the game beyond initial playthroughs.
- “The game offers good replayability.”
- “There is a 'New Game+' mode, but I don't see much replayability unless you enjoy the combat or want to try out different builds and play as other characters.”
- “The replay value in New Game Plus is lacking.”
- “Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to play through it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel redundant.”
monetization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization model is praised for being straightforward, avoiding heavy grinding or microtransactions, and not including unnecessary traps or puzzles to extend gameplay artificially.
- “Short and sweet; it does not require heavy grinding or microtransactions. Furthermore, there are no traps or puzzles purely implemented to add hours to game time.”
- “The monetization model is fair and transparent, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of content without needing to purchase additional items, making it accessible for everyone.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra.”
- “The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency really detract from the overall experience.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-300 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by a politically charged storytelling approach that emphasizes the broader consequences of actions, creating a mood that reflects the weight of collective decisions. This focus on macro-level impacts enhances the overall tone and depth of the narrative experience.
- “The tone, mood, and atmosphere of the game are incredibly immersive, creating a rich storytelling experience that highlights the political consequences of actions on a macro scale.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to engage players fully.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the overall mood is overshadowed by repetitive environments that fail to evoke any real emotion.”
- “The tone of the game is inconsistent, making it difficult to immerse oneself in the world.”