Chained Echoes is the biggest surprise hit for me of 2022. The JRPG by developer Matthias Linda was released on Xbox and PC Game Pass in December and quickly became a success.
The 16-bit turn-based RPG invokes memories of the old SNES-style games of the genre. Rich in lore, Chained Echoes brings back a surprising linear story and a lot of room to explore for side quests.
There are a total of 37 achievements in it Chained Echoes, and most of them can be earned through normal development. However, a few are hidden and require a little bit more work to uncover. We’ll take a look at them below and how to earn them quickly.
Achievement – Oh Crab! – Find the Crab village
The typical story line will see you pass right over this without a thought. You’ll need to pick up some side quests to unlock this one. It can be difficult to see even while exploring, so utilization of the map is an integral part. The game’s map has different pages. Make sure you go to the Kortarra mountains section of the map on the part called Rockbottom. Right before you can switch to the next version of the map via the transition point on the screen you will see a path through the trees going west. It’s one of those paths that look like it’s blocked on the map, so be careful. Just follow that path and you’ll end up in the village and the achievement will pop. The next hidden achievement can be seen below and is also found in this village.
Achievement – Customer is King – Sell 1 piece of crap
Yes, you read that correctly. Once you find the village, this achievement is pretty easy to pick up. Speak to the crab vendor at the end of the village. He sells literal “crap”. Fortunately, it’s cheap and will only cost you 1A of the game’s currency. Once you buy it, simply sell it back to him immediately and the achievement will pop.
Achievement – The Platypus’ Mind – find the platypus’ gang treasure
This one is the most missable achievement in the game as it doesn’t look anything like an achievement. In order to pick it up, you’ll need to go to New Wyrnshrine and head to the top, northern part of town. You’ll see a group of about four platypus (platypus) running around. It will appear they are just running rampant, but there is a method to their madness. Follow them on their path and they’ll lead you to a section east (about north east of town overall). They’ll start to run in circles around a certain area. Check out this area with the interact button, and you’ll find their treasure. It’s nothing crazy and only a simple elixir, but it will net you a fairly missable achievement on your quest for 100%.
Chained Echoes features 60+ hours of gameplay depending on your style of exploration. There is plenty of lore to enjoy and the story is reminiscent of old school RPG’s like Final Fantasy II on the SNES or one of my personal favorites in the Lunar franchise on Sega CD. It’s available now exclusively on Xbox and PC via Game Pass as well as purchase for $24.99. Be sure to check it out as it’s a must play in the genre.