Blanding on the Shoulders of Giants: Chained Echoes & Sea of Stars
Homage and reference can be fun, but they're not enough to prop up a game if the writing isn't there. I take a look at a couple of recent indie RPGs, their respective approaches to storytelling, and why "Love Letters" just aren't for me.
00:00 Introduction
02:55 I. Chained Echoes
05:39 References
16:20 George's Rule
21:12 The Writing
21:29 Info Dumping
24:30 Handholding
25:33 Rumors
26:10 Character Issues
30:11 The Dialogue
30:29 The Humor
31:11 Basic Errors
32:26 What happened?
37:16 II. Sea of Stars
38:39 Music's Role
40:49 The Writing (Again)
41:24 Tone
45:34 Pacing Issues
48:10 Worldbuilding
48:33 Teaks
49:55 Fade-ins
52:20 The Characters
55:14 Valere & Zale
57:34 Seraï
58:01 Resh'an
1:00:15 B'st
1:01:00 Garl
1:05:51 Erlina & Brugaves
1:11:36 Prophecy
1:15:29 Continuity
1:16:59 What's the point?
1:18:40 III. Conclusion
1:19:58 How to Improve
1:25:06 In Closing
CREDITS
VIDEOS
・ "Three Decades of Akira Slide Homages" - Posted by Badspler ( • Three Decades of Akira Slide Homages )
・ "Hi-Fi Rush Disc 2 (Xenogears reference)" - Posted by KeroKaminaX ( • Hi-Fi Rush Disc 2 (Xenogears reference) )
・ "Toby Fox Camp Fangamer Interview (Part 2)" - Posted by Pixelated Noose ( • Toby Fox Camp Fangamer Interview (Part 2) )
・ Tekken 8 footage taken from official trailer
・ All other game footage captured locally
ONLINE SOURCES
・ Steam Revenue Calculator (https://steam-revenue-calculator.com/)
・ Sea of Stars Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...)
・ Chained Echoes Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...)
・ "Matthias Linda's seven year quest to make retro JRPG Chained Echoes" by Alan Wen (https://www.gamedeveloper.com/product...)
・ "'Chained Echoes' is a Childhood Dream Come True for Solo Developer Matthias Linda" by Dale Bashir (https://sea.ign.com/indie-games/19302...)
・ "An Interview with ‘Chained Echoes’ Developer Matthias Linda" by Shaun Musgrave (https://toucharcade.com/2022/10/21/an...)
・ "Chained Echoes Interview: Creator Matthias Linda Talks JRPG Influences, Deck13 Backing, Music, & More" by Evan Norris (https://www.vgchartz.com/article/4551...)
・ "I'm Matthias Linda, developer of Chained Echoes, an upcoming turn-based pixel art RPG filled with mechs and airships. AMA! " ( / im_matthias_linda_developer_of_chained_ech... )
・ "Chained Echoes AMA-time! Developer, publisher and composer answering your questions!" ( / chained_echoes_amatime_developer_publisher... )
・ "Retro role-playing video games are all the rage — here's why" by George Yang (https://www.npr.org/2023/11/30/121587...)
PRINT
・ "Understanding Comics" pp.169-171 - Scott McCloud (https://scottmccloud.com/2-print/1-uc...)
SPECIAL THANKS
・ Eddie Marianukroh (https://esoundsignal.bandcamp.com/)
MUSIC
・ TrackTribe (https://tracktribealbums.bandcamp.com...)
Tracks used:
Members Only
Home for the Holidays
Island Lover
Wonder Why
A Brand New House