Indie retro RPG Chained Echoes is getting DLC next year
Indie retro RPG Chained Echoes is getting DLC next year as its solo developer Matthias Linda has opened his own studio.
Ashes of Elrant will expand Chained Echoes with a new land and story, as well as a new playable character: the White Wolf.
Release is scheduled for the second quarter of 2025 on all platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
Chained Echoes was first released by Linda in late 2022. It’s a retro pixel art adventure inspired by JRPGs like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6 and more.
Both myself and former Eurogamer editor Martin Robinson were big fans when it came out, thanks in part to its Overdrive combat system, in which players must balance offense and defense or risk overheating.
In fact, the game was so successful for Linda that he has now opened his own studio: Umami Tiger. Ashes of Elrant will be his first release.
The DLC promises new locations, 40 new monsters and bosses to fight, as well as 15 new tracks from composer Eddie Marianucro.
“Also, grab yourself a fishing rod—you’ll need it,” the press release says. Then expect a fishing mini-game.
The release of the Chained Echoes DLC puts it in direct competition with fellow retro RPG Sea of Stars, which will release Throes of the Watchmaker next spring.
However, if you want to see something completely new, look no further than Threads of Time, the spiritual successor to Chrono Trigger announced at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. No release date yet, but it looks great.