Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes shows off a gameplay trailer at TGS as it prepares for its 2024 release.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Locks in Release Date and Pre-Orders at TGS 2023

Upcoming JRPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a game that opens up by introducing… three heroes. The Nintendo Direct earlier this week revealed the game’s April 23, 2024 release date.

But at TGS, we got to see some gameplay, three of our main characters. We also received info on what you get for preordering the Digital Deluxe Edition of the game. 

A Tale of Two Cities

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is an upcoming RPG that is being developed by Rabbit and Bear Studios, and published by 505 Games. It tells the tale of the fantasy world of Alraan, one filled with magical artifacts, the fabled “rune-lenses”. These objects of immense power have the potential to shape the very land and its people, so controlling these is the top priority of every developed nation.

Enter the Galdean Empire, a powerhouse that has decided to want even more than what it already has (like most fantasy empires). The Empire has devised a way to further the potential of rune-lenses, granting them even more strength. It has set upon a quest to find even more power, now in the form of another unknown artifact.

Our first three characters meet on this quest. We have Nowa, a brash guard, Seign, an officer of the Empire, and Marisa, a mystic guardian. The trio is plunged into a web of political and military intrigue that will shake the very foundation of Alraan. 

A Hundred Heroes, and a Hundred More

That isn’t to say that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has only three main characters. If the game’s extremely successful Kickstarter page is any indication, we can expect at least 7. Since the game features a 6-character party system, that means if we don’t like someone, we can just permanently leave them on the bench. 

However, much like its namesake, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will feature well over a hundred heroes. The developers (which also include Suikoden legends Yoshitaka Murayama and Junko Kawano), are weaving a “deep story with 100 characters intricately intertwined”. 

They make it their mission to make the world feel both massive and alive, and absolutely bursting at the seams with stories all around. Due to the conflict with the Galdean Empire, players will eventually be recruiting their own army, so to speak. To do this, you will be able to recruit many unique personalities from all four corners of the world. Even more surprising is the fact that it looks like everyone will be voice-acted as well. 

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, In Three Dimensions

One aspect of the game that is sure to stand out is its gorgeous art style (that would look perfect on the SteamDeck!). Much like a lot of more recent pixel-art-based games (such as Sea of Stars or Triangle Strategy), Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes moves away from being purely on a 2D backdrop. Instead, it hybridizes the look and feel into a unique blend of both 2D and 3D. 

Environments are beautifully rendered and initially look like flat surfaces until the character moves around. Some areas rotate fully, giving off a grand sense of scale such as when moving across towers of a castle, or even just looking at things from a different angle. There is a lot of detail and charm added to the backgrounds, making them look really great. 

In stark contrast to this is the style chosen for the characters themselves. For all intents and purposes, characters in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes are fully sprite-based 2D pixel art creations. As such they pop out extremely well from the background due to their stark difference in look. They dominate the scenes that they inhabit, making sure that they catch your eye. 

Gotta Catch ‘em All!

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes releases on April 23, 2024. It will be released on PC (via Steam, Epic, and GoG), the PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles. The standard edition will cost $49.99, and the Digital Deluxe will set you back $79.99. For the extra dollars, the more expensive version will get you the digital soundtrack and artbook, some starter items, and the Season Pass. 

The game is touted as a spiritual successor to the Suikoden series. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes launched a Kickstarter Campaign back in 2020, which easily surpassed $3 million in backing until it eventually ended with a nice $4.5 million. 

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