The DioField Chronicle Reviews
A tactical rpg where tactics is not deep enough. The story and characters are believable and unexpectedly logical, but in a genre where strategy is an integral part of the experience you would expect to be actually strategic to win. This is not the exact case, sadly, but it's still an enjoyable experience, though.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The DioField Chronicle is interesting as an experiment, but that's about all it has going for it. The combat system is so half-baked that it may as well not exist, and the story is about 20 hours of buildup for a "buy the sequel" hook. Since the phenomenal Triangle Strategy came out in the same year, and it handles pretty much all the same ideas much better, it's difficult to recommend DioField. Even if you're curious, it's best to wait for a sale because the full retail price is too steep for what you'll get.
The DioField Chronicle is almost good in a lot of ways, but it never capitalises on its unique real-time combat system, or the potential of its narrative genre.
Where Octopath was fairly heavily promoted by Nintendo, however, it does feel like Diofield has been tossed into the ocean of the market to sink or swim. It’s the sort of game that probably doesn’t float very easily, either. It’s the sort of product that requires some marketing-shaped buoyancy aids. It was never going to cruise to success - and now I fear it never will. But it’s worth a look – and hopefully its ideas will go forward in other future projects. They’re certainly worth revisiting.
The biggest problem that DioField Chronicle faces is probably its theme. Post Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Game of Thrones, the new Lord of the Rings TV series, and all the rest, you’ve got to wonder whether dark Euro-fantasy is starting to wear thin on audiences. With that being said, the elevated presentation and abstract qualities of the game will hopefully help it find an audience even among those that are bored of the standard approach to the genre, and the relatively fresh take on real-time combat will hopefully help intrigue people. When you consider that 2022 has arguably been the best year of all time for the sheer quantity of excellent JRPG releases, the fact that DioField Chronicle comes across as a fresh and different approach to all of them is a truly impressive feat.
If you're hankering for a new SRPG to play, The DioField Chronicle barely scratches that itch but there are worse ways to spend your time.
For hardcore genre fans, The DioField Chronicle might be worth looking into, but keep in mind that many probably might not have patience for its considerable flaws.
The semi-real-time battles are fun but a lack of depth soon dulls your enthusiasm for this limp Fire Emblem wannabe, as the rest of the game is taken up by tedious, choice-free conversations and lengthy cut scenes.
The DioField Chronicle is going to be a polarising game because while it does make use of a number of really solid ideas, it has little to no unique aspects to speak of.
All in all, The DioField Chronicle is a decent strategy RPG. Its characters certainly won't live long in the memory, and it can be a an unnecessary grind, but it's well crafted and fairly engaging on the battlefield.
The DioField Chronicle basically has good potential, not always properly exploited.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The DioField Chronicle is a partially successful Square enix experiment. Excellent hybrid game mechanics, but everything else is a constant repetition of the same missions, without adding anything new.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The DioField Chronicle delivers a unique real-time spin on the usual tactics RPG experience, but it's marred by a boring story, unlikable characters, and inconsistent presentation. While the one saving grace is the addictive and always rewarding combat, missions fail to deliver the evolution or variety that some might expect. Overall, it's an interesting game, but not an altogether great one.
The Diofield chronicles is a good addition for those who are thirsty for strategy combat, with good upgrading sysetm and part management. But my experience was hindered by the repetitive missions and the story which dragged for longer than needed
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The Diofield Chronicle has been a pleasant surprise. Square Enix pulls out of its sleeve a new tactical role-playing IP with deep and challenging real-time combat that brings a touch of freshness to the genre. Despite dragging narrative problems, if you like SRPG and master English, this game can earn a place on your console or PC.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Boring library trips aside, I’d rather have only vocal work during cutscenes and have to read most text than endure the neverending string of grunts and chuckles, or worse, Waltaquin’s insane cackle. If you skip through most dialogue, vaguely pay attention to the story, and focus on the intensely enjoyable combat encounters, then the game’s 25-hour runtime is well worth it. The combat itself is good enough to serve as the basis of an entire DioField franchise if Square Enix is so inclined, and it's memorable enough that I could see this game becoming a cult classic...Still, I could not shake the feeling that I’d rather be flirting my way through Fódlan than fighting on the isle of DioField any day.
The DioField Chronicle has proved to be quite the surprise. Its story isn’t the most riveting out there, but it is interesting, with a cast of characters whose motives aren’t always clear. But what carries it are its battles, which are enjoyably deep but not bogged down in complexity or length. They’re fun and engaging, challenging you to think and act fast while making use of the skills available to you. Everything comes together to create one of Square Enix’s most enjoyable RPGs in some time, with a combat system that we hope we haven’t seen the last of.
Its stunning real-time battles with tactical pause are packed with drama and visual flourishes, but The DioField Chronicle's convoluted story and deeply questionable cast hold it back from true greatness.
The DioField Chronicle effortlessly combines real-time strategy and tactical turn-based gameplay. Featuring a very approachable battle system that streamlines several elements of it’s presentation, so the focus always remains on combat. Albeit, the story is often too preoccupied with politics and plot-specific events that the audience probably won’t care too much about, along with a steep difficulty curve that forces players to complete optional content and AI that makes some rather silly decisions at times. If you can get past these issues however, the addictive hybrid gameplay should keep you hooked throughout.
The Diofield Chronicle is a pedestrian real-time tactics game that suffers from a lack of imagination.