![]() It is all too easy in many similar RPGs to get into an auto-pilot situation and mash that attack button unthinkingly. But if you act solo, then you get two weaker turns, and function as separate targets.īy presenting this choice at the start of each round, it encourages players to think about what they want out of a turn. Characters can either act solo or as a pair, combining their stats together for an impactful turn.īut, when acting as a pair, you also count as a single target, meaning while you can cast the powerful single target healing spell on both of you, you also will both take the next hit together. The main mechanic of Chaos Rings’ battle system is actually an elegant way of presenting turn economy and simple positioning to a player. Every single round of combat you are presented with a simple set of options: This coupling concept though is a big influence on the battle system. I’m not going to talk much about the story and the structure beyond that, for a deeper rundown consider reading the first RPG reload on toucharcade. For a mobile game, Chaos Rings had high production values, but clearly still a limited budget, and so this structure does seem like a choice to make the most of each asset. As you play through with each couple you see different perspectives and possibilities within the story. Sometimes these pairings are healthy and reflect real connections, sometimes, less so. The story and gameplay is structured around a battle royale between couples plucked out of their lives to compete for eternal life and youth. So, I’ve talked a lot about it’s place in time, but what IS Chaos Rings? It’s a turn based RPG, where you explore an overworld made up of pre-rendered backgrounds and random encounters much like Square’s previous work on the PS1. Many people viewed this game as in some ways legitimizing phone gaming from beyond simple puzzles and time wasters. If you look at it now it might not seem like much, but at the time we hadn’t really seen much like it made uniquely for mobile by a high profile studio. It had talent behind it, a distinct look and sound, and a unique tone to its story and structure that makes it today still feel very unlike much of either companies’ output. Chaos Rings was not a throwaway old brand, simple port or spin-off. But this signed a commitment and confidence in the platform. Many developers, had made mobile spin offs of major games. This was a “real” developer devoting a lot of resources and energy to make not only something new but a new IP for mobile. ![]() ![]() But Chaos Rings was important at the time. I’m not here to tell you it’s secretly one of SquareEnix or Mediavision’s best works, nor is it the secret Wild Arms 6 we were all waiting for. While I would love to cover a lot of this year in mobile gaming, as this era was a time when mobile was a real source of inspiration and hope for many developers, there is one game in particular that stands out to me: Chaos Rings.Ĭhaos Rings is not a masterpiece. With the iPad having come out in April that year and Angry Birds having risen to absurd popularity, mobile gaming was in a moment to prove itself as something “serious.” While many “hardcore” games had already been released for mobile by this point, there was extra light and perhaps extra effort to stand out this year.Ī lot of interesting titles were released too, ranging from competent clones (The War Of Eustrath) to major series getting interesting format specific versions ( Mirror’s Edge). This piece was sparked by the now cancelled PSP, PS3 and PSV store closures, so for once Chaos Rings has cheated death, but for how long?Īnd it seems like the closest Square got to acknowledging the 10th Anniversary was with this reply to someone calling them out for not mentioning the 10th anniversary.īefore we talk about the game though, I want to spend the time establishing 2010 in the mobile space, as it was an important moment in mobile gaming. Right now in order to play this game, you need a 32 bit iOS or android device, and to have already bought it, or a vita set up with a Japanese PSN account to buy it. Mobile gaming history is by many, often ignored, and generally hard to access now, being delisted on most platforms in 2016. So, today, just in time for it’s 11th anniversary I’m going to cover one of my favorite forgotten mobile games.Ĭhaos Rings is a mobile game that was released in 2010 on iOS, later coming to Android, Playstation Mobile, Amazon App Store and the Playstation Vita. However, mobile gaming has often existed in a quick to dismiss space, and when combined with the fleeting nature of the app stores and updates, it’s very easy to lose a lot of interesting titles to time. This is natural and fine in a general sense. It’s impossible to know every game, follow every format, genre, region, and so naturally we are all going to fall into blind spots.
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