The DioField Chronicle makes real-time strategy feel like a JRPG

digitaltrends.com:

Japan isn’t exactly known for real time strategy games. That’s why I was surprised to discover that The DioField Chronicle was a real-time strategy game, and not a turn-based tactics one like the Fire Emblem series. In terms of gameplay, this already sets The DioField Chronicle apart from other similar titles in the genre as Japanese strategy games lean heavily toward turn-based and grid-based tactics.

In a hands-on preview, I played around three hours of The DioField Chronicle, which consisted of the game’s first chapter. I came away impressed by the gameplay as it’s easy to understand for those who aren’t deeply familiar with real-time strategy games already. Though what especially stands out is that it almost feels like a JRPG thanks to over-the-top battles that capture the genre’s love of flashy combat.

As someone who doesn’t play RTS games often at all, The DioField Chronicle’s gameplay systems are quite beginner-friendly. The game takes a more focused approach to the genre rather than piling on systems. Instead of having tens of units, you can take a party of up to four characters and send them out into the battlefield. You don’t build bases or earn any currency to call in more units. It’s more like managing an RPG party than an army.

While the RTS genre has never been one of my go-tos, I distinctly flashbacked to Halo Wars during my demo. I remember feeling overwhelmed and stressed at all of the different vehicles, units, and bases I had to keep track of in real-time. In The DioField Chronicle, you just have to focus on your party of four (sometimes a fifth unit as well, as one of the beginning missions requires you to escort a defenseless carriage through the battlefield).

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