A modern-day indie successor to the classic JRPG, Chrono Trigger, has been announced for Xbox and PC

What you need to know

During the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 livestream event, a new JRPG developed by Riyo Inc. and published by Humble Bundle was announced for Xbox and PC titled Threads of Time.
This game is a turn-based JRPG inspired by legendary titles in the genre such as Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy, where the player embarks on a time-traveling adventure to various eras of history to protect the timeline from being destroyed by evil forces.
Threads of Time currently has no release date but is scheduled to launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam.

As a tech enthusiast with a soft spot for RPGs, especially those that harken back to the golden age of gaming, I must admit I was smitten by the announcement of Threads of Time at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. With its captivating visual style reminiscent of classic titles like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy, it’s as if my nostalgia sensors were triggered in a delightful symphony.

During Microsoft’s Tokyo Game Show 2024 presentation, a captivating new Japanese Role-Playing Game called Threads of Time was unveiled. This unique game is being developed by independent studio Riyo Inc., with publishing handled by Humble Games.

This game is a role-playing game in the style of Japanese RPGs, reminiscent of timeless classics like Chrono Trigger by Square Enix and early versions of Final Fantasy. In Threads of Time, you command a group of heroes hailing from different eras of history, embarking on a journey through time to prevent evil from destroying the world.

Here is everything you need to know about Threads of Time.

Previously mentioned, Threads of Time is a role-playing game in the Japanese style that takes you on a grand adventure across different time periods – the past, present, and future. Your objective is to prevent malevolent powers from bringing about the destruction of the world.

Your adventure leads you through captivating landscapes, meticulously crafted in a blend of HD 2D and 3D art, featuring charming 2D pixel-art characters that intermingle with stunningly realistic 3D environments powered by Unreal Engine 5. As you progress, you’ll encounter a diverse array of vibrant and formidable allies, encompassing everything from ancient warriors, contemporary swordsmen and sorcerers, mystic wizards, future-tech mechanics riding mechs, and numerous other intriguing figures.

In contrast, the malevolent forces won’t just watch as you try to untangle their schemes for dominating time; they’ll retaliate by unleashing fearsome creatures and automated killing machines against you. To counter these dangers, you’ll have to engage them in strategic battles where you’ll need to shield your team from incoming assaults, exploit the power of time to weaken your enemies, and coordinate different party members’ skills to execute powerful combination moves that will leave most bosses struggling on the floor.

Color me intrigued in this wild time-traveling JRPG

A modern-day indie successor to the classic JRPG, Chrono Trigger, has been announced for Xbox and PC

During the presentation, the trailer for this game left me spellbound by its captivating visual display. From its alluring retro-inspired HD-2D design to the intricately crafted and seamless animation, it was truly a sight to behold. Although the trailer doesn’t reveal much about the gameplay since there’s no user interface yet, I can’t help but be intrigued by the possibility that it may draw inspiration from Chrono Trigger’s combat system. This classic title is known for its unique mechanic of allowing players to coordinate multiple party members to execute team attacks.

In essence, it stirs memories of the game Sea of Stars, another JRPG influenced by Chrono Trigger, which I reviewed last year with a significantly larger budget. If Threads of Time manages to be as enjoyable or even more so than Sea of Stars, this upcoming Xbox JRPG has potential to join the ranks of my favorite Xbox JRPGs.

Yet, with only a single trailer available and no confirmed release date, it’s too soon to predict if Threads of Time will rise to such acclaim. To determine its potential as a top-tier Xbox game and indie JRPG title, we’ll need more information about the gameplay. Once it eventually releases on Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows and Steam, we can make a more informed assessment.

2024-09-26 19:09

What you need to know

Color me intrigued in this wild time-traveling JRPG

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