Perhaps the coolest attack, or skill, comes from the Magilumic Orb. Each one of the skills drains EP, but this can be regained from Jade Fragments that are dropped by enemies or found scattered around the environment. A deep strategy experienceĮach member has different skills, and new ones can be added with skill points and fancier weapons bought from the shop with guld (the game’s currency). Selecting the Blue Foxes to attack will let them use their weapons in a standard pattern, however, you can orchestrate specific skills to be unleashed. Whatever strategy you go with, the battles are intense. Other times, you might need to send everyone in a full-scale attack. Sometimes, it might be necessary to ambush an enemy (which will do more damage if successful) with Iscarion from a distance, in turn distracting them so the rest of your party can surprise them. You’ll control every member of the party during missions, and can move all of them individually or as an entire unit. Iscarion is a sharpshooter who uses his bow from range to shower down arrows on his enemies, and Waltaquin is a magicker who can cast dangerous spells to kill those who oppose her, or heal members of the party. Fredet is a cavalier who sits atop a horse to utilise a full frontal assault and added wallop in a battle.

Andrias is a soldier who can use his agility and speed to assassinate nearby enemies or leap into a fight and deliver efficient blows to multiple targets. Each member of the Blue Foxes has a different class. The bulk of the game takes place on an isometric diorama with stunning visuals, where you play as a party of four characters that all have different skills. There’s a sense of grandeur in every artistic cutscene that explains the different factions and characters before a mission begins, and even on the battlefield, some of the animations make it feel epic. The story is filled with political intrigue and depth, not unlike Game of Thrones, where conflict and war has affected everyone. Taking place in Alletain where the continent sits on the brink of war, a band of mercenaries known as the Blue Foxes are tasked with defending the kingdom at all costs. I’d not been aware of Square Enix and Lacarse’s new strategy RPG, but it’s now firmly on my radar.

Throughout the demo, available to play to everyone right now, I engaged in countless fights where the ‘real-time tactical battle’ system consistently kept me on my toes, making me pay close attention to every decision I made, and that alone made me so excited to play the full release in September.

The battles in The DioField Chronicle can change in the blink of an eye.

My horse and me 2 pc demo