The DioField Chronicle is a medieval adventure worth having, despite control and story issues

The world of fantasy holds plenty of promise when it comes to giving players the freedom of exploration, combat, and roleplaying, and in The DioField Chronicle, it is clear that the Square Enix and Lancarse's title borrows heavily from its genre contemporaries.

While there are certain areas that make The DioField Chronicle fun, the feeling of how things can be more polished is never quite shaken off on the PlayStation 5.

A strategy RPG that tasks players with bringing peace to the land, the narrative is exactly how one would picture the fight between good and evil.

Corrupted individuals are running the show, dangers lurk around every corner, and chaos seems to be the common thread in the kingdom of Alletain. 

As the Blue Foxes mercenary group, it will be up to you and your party to quell the threats coming from all corners, and while the story is not exactly top-tier material, at least the combat side of things does much better. 

For fans of the real-time design of a strategy RPG, The DioField Chronicle should be of great comfort.

Think Fire Emblem, but infused with increased environmental mechanics, plenty of classes and abilities to utilise, and free directional movement. Considering that you will have more than 40 hours of content to wade through, the various elements allow the game to shine bright when it matters.

It is fair to say that it hardly gets boring in The DioField Chronicle, with its various mission types and battles generally being brisk affairs.

The action comes thick and fast, and missions are often pleasant surprises whether you are fighting a direct battle or partaking in something familiar like escort missions. Rather than being a bore, they are more akin to puzzles that need solving and a better test of your forward thinking.

Instead of being the side with more numbers coming out victorious, positioning and tactics play huge roles, as to be expected. Flanking from behind provides extra damage that can turn the tide of battle, which means strategising to force your opponents to move into chokeholds and disadvantageous positions.

[[nid:593781]]

Enemy variety is quite extensive, and level design never gets too familiar. It is abundantly clear that charging in head first is always going to be a recipe for disaster, and The DioField Chronicle satiates that need for smart thinking quite competently.

Things also get more interesting when there are bosses to contend with, and multiple health bars means being more conservative with your actions, and thinking long-term instead of going out with a blaze of glory. Such a setup means that the main attacking forces are not the only ones getting the spotlight, but also your support units. 

And even if you find yourself on the losing end, the mission structure is usually short enough for a restart to get you back where you need to be, which makes sense when the game has plenty of bonus objectives for players to obsess over.

Doing so is not just a matter of pride, as the rewards provided are key to progressing the various systems in The DioField Chronicle.

There is definitely much to keep track of, which should make those who love min-maxing happy.

Characters can earn ability points that improve their stats, classes are advanced with skill points, while the mercenary force as a whole will gain Unit XP and see various facilities upgrade in rank as well.

Add to that weapons and summons that can be further enhanced, and the daunting nature of The DioField Chronicle is apparent. 

Yet, it is exactly this kind of attention to detail that makes the game a fun addition to the genre.

With the four characters in the party to pore over, the amount of customisation makes it possible to truly make the Blue Foxes your own. However, to get to the good stuff, you are going to have to contend with the bad.

A critical obstacle to your enjoyment will be The DioField Chronicle' controls, which can be a source of frustration for those that like to keep things moving fast while still maintaining a semblance of tactical acuity.

[[nid:606290]]

Simply put, getting things done in the game is a chore due to the clumsy implementation of otherwise useful design choices.

Pausing the game allows for a tactical view of things, but you cannot do it without selecting one of your units, and even trying to do so can be hard as the game can be imprecise. Choosing actions can also be confusingly bizarre; jumping from the selected unit to another, and adding more steps to an otherwise straightforward procedure.

Despite these issues and the lacklustre storytelling, The DioField Chronicle does look great as a game, with its visuals and art style distinct enough to add to the overall immersion.

This applies not just to the big part players, but also many of the minor characters as well. The voice acting is also a plus point, with Geralt himself, Doug Cockle, doing a great job of narration. Although the dialogue can be better written, it is still nice to hear them acted out in the grand scheme of things. 

All things considered, The DioField Chronicle does what it needs to for the most part. Players will be entering a world full of action-packed instances, plenty of opportunity for tactics and strategic nous, and a bunch of characters that can be made truly your own.

As long as you can ignore the less-than-ideal controls and narrative, this is one medieval adventure that is still worth having.

The DioField Chronicle is available now for $60.65.

Geek review score

Summary

A tactical RPG that has elements of good in it, but The DioField Chronicle remains plagued by niggling issues that can be a dealbreaker.

Overall: 7.3/10

• Gameplay: 8/10
• Story: 6.5/10
• Presentation: 7.5/10
• Value: 7/10