This is Game8's review for The DioField Chronicle, a Strategy RPG published by SQUARE ENIX. Read on to hear our thoughts after finishing the game, its highs and lows, who should play it, and if it is worth picking up!

DioField Chronicle Rating and Review Score

Overall Score
27/50
Mechanics	Story	Art & Graphics	Music & OST	Game Length
5/10	6/10	5.5/10	5/10	5.5/10

Who Should Play DioField Chronicle?

Fans of Strategy RPGs

DioField Chronicle brings something new to the world of strategy RPGs by introducing what they call the Real Time Tactical Battle, which is a battle system that borrows elements from real-time strategy games and integrates them into tactical JRPGs, which are often turn-based.

Fans of SRPGs will definitely find enjoyment in DioField's battle system and the multiple ways to build characters and approach battles, especially on harder difficulties.

What Did You Think of DioField Chronicle?

Comments Section

DioField Chronicle Review

Pros of DioField Chronicle

Good Points of DioField Chronicle
Battle System Shows Promise Option to Speed Up Battles is Great Excellent Voice Acting
▼ View Cons ▼

Real Time Tactical Battle Shows Promise

The newly introduced Real Time Tactical Battle while imperfect, shows a lot of promise and can be further refined into a system that more popular SRPGs should take note of in the future.

The game's overall emphasis on character positioning as well as changing up the classic turn-based SRPG to real-time strategy will definitely keep players on their toes at all times.

Option to Speed Up Battles is Great

While some SRPGs can sure take its time with regards to the lengths of its combat, battles in DioField Chronicle are fast and engaging thanks to the option of speeding up unit movement in combat.

Excellent Voice Acting for Both EN and JP

Majority of DioField Chronicle is beautifully voice acted, which adds to the overall immersion of the game. It's also an added plus that you can switch between English and Japanese voice acting through the system menu.

List of All Voice Actors

Cons of DioField Chronicle

Bad Points of DioField Chronicle
Story is Nothing to Write Home About 3D Models Don't Do the Art Style Justice Confusing User Interface Upgrade System Gets Pretty Tiresome Runs Poorly on PlayStation and Switch
▲ View Pros ▲

The Story is Nothing to Write Home About

The story is possibly one of DioField Chronicle's weakest points. The game can be commended for its ambitious take on the main the protagonist Andrias, but fails to deliver in retrospect as most of the twists and turns feel unearned, tacked on, and brought up without context.

Even if certain details are deliberately left out for a potential sequel, certain plot points and motivations need to be addressed for the game to be able to stand on its own.

The game also suffers from telling the story than actually showing it, as multiple major plot points occur off-screen which can easily throw players off and make them wonder if they've missed a certain story beat.

Art Style Doesn't Translate Well to its 3D Models

Side-by-Side Comparison
Character Portrait	3D Model

Overall, the art of DioField Chronicle is impressive. All the background illustrations, character portraits, and equipment designs are detailed and well-drawn. However, the art did not translate well to its 3D models.

During exploration and quick scenes where you can see close-ups of characters, the 3D models look completely lifeless, which is a shame given that their 2D designs looked great.

Horrible User Interface

You might find yourself checking the Help Menu often.

Another thing that did not turn out so well was the game's confusing user interface. Overall navigation of menus, upgrades, and the like can be a headache even for longtime SRPG and JRPG fans.

Upgrade System Gets Old Fast

Having skill trees, weapon trees, and upgrades are great on paper as it allows players to build characters to their liking. However, the process of upgrading can get pretty tedious and feel like a chore, since the upgrade requirements later in the game ask for ridiculous amounts of gold, skill points, and so on.

Runs Poorly on PlayStation and the Switch

For a short game that does not boast the most impressive graphics, the game runs poorly across half the platforms its available on. Expect frame drops, long load times, and lagging when playing on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

Your best bet to have the game run well is to play it on Steam with a PC that goes past its recommended specs, run it on the PlayStation 5, or hope for a version update that will address these issues.

All System Requirements

Is DioField Chronicle Worth It?

Not Worth Picking Up Full Price

While the game shows promise in some aspects like its battle system, DioField Chronicle ultimately just isn't worth picking up full price as the bad outweighs the good by a landslide.

Its clunky storytelling, short game length, and tedious mechanics do not justify the game being priced at $59.99. However, should you find the game on sale down the line, only then will it be worth buying.

Demo Available for Those Unsure

Players unsure whether or not they want to pick up the game can download the demo, which covers the first chapter of the game. Doing this allows players to get a feel of the game's mechanics as well as its initial plot and see if it's a game for them.

How to Download & Play the Demo

DioField Chronicle Product Information

Price and Available Platforms

Price	$59.99 (Standard) $74.99 (Digital Deluxe)
Platforms	PS4, PS5, Switch, PC (Steam), Xbox
Genre	Strategy, RPG
Publisher	SQUARE ENIX
Official Site	The DioField Chronicle (EN)

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