Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, a 20-hour action RPG prequel to the upcoming Eiyuden Chronicle: A Hundred Heroes, fails to deliver a compelling experience, offering a bland, chore-heavy loop that leaves little room for player satisfaction.
A Predictable Narrative and Shallow Cast
The story follows CJ, a young treasure hunter seeking fame in a town booming with the promise of valuable resources. She is joined by Garoo, a grumpy kangaroo mercenary, and Isha, a refined magic user. While the setup mirrors a classic gold-rush tale, the narrative remains largely generic and predictable, serving merely as a vehicle to move players between locations. Character development is equally thin; despite a few charming interactions—and a delightful nod to Sailor Moon with the character Mallore—the cast feels more like two-dimensional outlines than fully realized individuals, making it difficult to form any meaningful emotional connection.
The Trap of Tedious Town-Building
A core pillar of the gameplay is the town-building mechanic, where players revitalize a settlement by upgrading shops like the inn, apothecary, and weapons smithy. While the concept sounds engaging, it quickly devolves into a repetitive cycle of mindless fetch quests. Players are forced to trek back and forth to the same locations, gathering specific resources for NPCs. Because these quests are the primary source of experience points, players are effectively coerced into performing these chores to stay leveled for the main story. This lack of organic progression turns what should be an optional side activity into a frustrating requirement.
Linear Dungeons and Adequate Combat
Dungeons in Rising are structured as short, linear romps. While their bite-sized nature is refreshing, the design suffers from constant backtracking and a lack of exploration depth, with few hidden paths to uncover. The combat system, which relies on swapping characters to chain combos, is functional and responsive, but never feels particularly rewarding. Even as players unlock new abilities, the sense of power progression remains stagnant. On the positive side, the boss fights—particularly the furry ice twins—provide a visually appealing and satisfying challenge, offering a glimpse of what the game could have been with more polish.
A Visual Triumph Amidst Mechanical Mediocrity
The game’s strongest asset is its vibrant 2.5D art style. The hand-drawn visuals evoke a modern take on the classic Suikoden aesthetic, with detailed character portraits and lively landscapes that feature subtle animations like swaying grass and falling snow. Developed by Natsume Atari with input from Rabbit & Bear Studios, Rising succeeds as a technical showcase, but its beautiful presentation cannot mask the hollow gameplay underneath.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a run-of-the-mill experience that serves as a lackluster introduction to the Eiyuden universe. While its art style is commendable, the combination of boilerplate characters and repetitive gameplay loops makes it difficult to recommend. For those anticipating the spiritual successor to Suikoden, this prequel offers little incentive beyond a brief, albeit tedious, look at the world to come.
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