Summary

  • Chained Echoes, a critically-acclaimed RPG, was overlooked for nominations at The Game Awards 2023, highlighting a recurring issue with the show's eligibility criteria and timing.
  • The Game Awards takes place in early December, leading to some games being left out for consideration. While the expectation is that they will be recognized the following year, this doesn't always happen.
  • Chained Echoes, released in December 2022, was not eligible for The Game Awards last year and now seems to have been forgotten. Its absence from the nominees list is surprising given its acclaim and high ratings compared to other games.

Critically-acclaimed RPG Chained Echoes didn't get a single nomination at The Game Awards 2023, which highlights a consistent issue with the award show: some games are not eligible for the year that they actually release and are then forgotten about when next year's nominees roll around. Since its inception in 2014, The Game Awards has taken place in early December. The increasingly-popular award show has only gotten bigger with each passing year, drawing over 100 million viewers who tune in to see the big world premiere trailers and which games win which prizes.

Since The Game Awards takes place in early December, it's inevitable that some games are left out of consideration each year. The idea is that those games will get recognition the following year, but that's a big expectation, especially when most of the individuals selecting the nominees for the Game Awards will be thinking mainly about games that were actually released in that year. Sometimes this works out, like when Super Smash Bros. Ultimate got the nod at The Game Awards 2019 despite having been released in December 2018, but other times it can cause notable games to slip through the cracks.

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This seems to be the case with Chained Echoes, a JRPG that launched on December 8, 2022. Chained Echoes was not eligible for The Game Awards last year because of its release date, and even though it seems like an obvious pick for multiple categories at The Game Awards this year, it's nowhere to be seen. Considering the acclaim enjoyed by Chained Echoes, it seems unlikely that this snubbing would have occurred had the game been eligible in the year of its release and was still fresh in everyone's minds.

What is Chained Echoes?

Chained Echoes is a turn-based RPG that takes heavy inspiration from classic JRPGs of the 1990s. Noted for its engrossing story, unique leveling system, explosive mech suits, and clever Overdrive meter that makes its turn-based battles more engaging than most, Chained Echoes released to widespread critical acclaim last year. The game, developed by Matthias Linda, is in fact one of the highest-rated games of 2022, standing tall alongside heavy hitters like Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok with its impressive 90 overall rating.

Despite Chained Echoes' rave reviews, the game was snubbed by The Game Awards. The argument could easily be made that Chained Echoes deserved a nod in multiple Game Awards categories. The game wouldn't have looked out of place if nominated for Best Narrative, Best Score and Music, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and/or Best Role Playing Game, which makes its complete absence from the list of nominees somewhat baffling. As it stands, Chained Echoes has a higher overall critic rating than most of the games nominated in those categories this year, making it one of the biggest snubs in Game Awards history.

The obvious solution to this issue would be to push The Game Awards to mid-December or even early January. While there have been some exceptions, generally most major games are out by mid-December, though January would be the most ideal, as that way every single game released that year could be fairly considered for the show. It seems unlikely that The Game Awards will ever move its date, though hopefully future iterations avoid glaring snubs like this in the future.

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Chained Echoes Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Chained Echoes
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RPG
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
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Released
December 8, 2022
ESRB
M17+ For Mature 17+ Due To Sexual Themes, Strong Language
Developer(s)
Matthias Linda
Publisher(s)
Deck13 Interactive
Engine
Unity
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Chained Echoes is a story-driven JRPG where a group of heroes travel around the vast continent of Valandis to bring an end to the war between its three kingdoms.

In the course of their journey, they will travel through a wide array of diverse landscapes spanning from wind-tanned plateaus and exotic archipelagos to sunken cities and forgotten dungeons.

Take up your sword, channel your magic or board your Mech. Chained Echoes is a 16-bit SNES style RPG set in a fantasy world where dragons are as common as piloted mechanical suits.

Follow a group of heroes as they explore a land filled to the brim with charming characters, fantastic landscapes and vicious foes.

Can you bring peace to a continent where war has been waged for generations and betrayal lurks around every corner?
 

Genre(s)
RPG