Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (v2024.07.22 & ALL DLC)

Allraan comes alive as a colorful, politically divided continent where ancient rune-lenses fuel both everyday magic and imperial conquest. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a classic-minded JRPG built around the friendship and eventual conflict between village recruit Nowa and ambitious Galdean officer Seign Kesling, whose paths split as war closes in. Its tone balances earnest military drama, broad fantasy adventure, and the occasional bit of levity from its enormous supporting cast. Beneath its handsome 2.5D presentation lies a deliberate spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, made by several key veterans of that lineage.

The central draw is recruiting more than 100 distinct allies, each with their own personality, combat role, and potential use at your growing headquarters. Traditional turn-based battles field up to six characters at once, asking players to manage physical attacks, magic, items, formations, party synergies, and powerful paired Hero Combos. Exploration sends the party through towns, overworld regions, dungeons, and optional side activities while the story unlocks new recruits, shops, facilities, and services for the base. Larger-scale war encounters and one-on-one duels change the pace, while rune-lenses provide the setting’s magic system and allow characters to develop specialized abilities.

What separates it from most modern JRPGs is the sheer scale of its roster: the pleasure is not merely finding stronger party members, but seeing a modest settlement become a bustling home for warriors, merchants, craftsmen, and oddballs. Pixel-art characters sit against richly lit 3D environments, giving the game an appealing storybook look without abandoning the visual language of 1990s console RPGs. Its old-school structure means random encounters, extensive dialogue, and a huge cast can feel deliberately traditional, but the base-building and recruitment loop gives nearly every detour a purpose. Fans of Suikoden, Octopath Traveler, and party-focused fantasy RPGs will find plenty to enjoy, while newcomers should come prepared for a lengthy, systems-heavy adventure rather than a streamlined action RPG.