Miasma Chronicles is both incredibly familiar and entirely unique in its execution. The tactical RPG adventure is set in a post-apocalyptic world that feels simultaneously held together and torn apart by a unique substance known as the Miasma.
You follow a young man named Elvis, whose mother gave him a mysterious glove that allows him to harness the power of the Miasma, then seemingly left him in the care of his robotic older brother, Diggs. The pair also encounter others that will join them in their quest for answers, many of which could change the course of human history if things head in a certain direction.
Miasma Chronicles is a game that drops you into a world rich with depth. There’s a central hub and other branching areas. Game Director Lee Varley tells me, “The world is structured so that you go off on mini adventures for each spike with a start, middle, and end.” The spikes comprise several areas which you can easily move between with a fast travel system. However, you’ll notice that not everything is as you’d expect if you return to the same area later. “If you pick up a side quest maybe it’s one of the previous maps you’ve been in, but now there's an entirely different type of enemy, different lighting, etc… it becomes a completely different place,” Varley explains.
This dark and terrifying world can feel quite overwhelming at first. You are often shown something, then immediately required to use it, something Varley describes as “giving you a little exam straight away.” It’s essentially a tutorial, but it doesn’t feel like one, since the instructions are built into the narrative. Little bits of information are thrown at you as and when you need them, then logged into a menu so you can refer back to them. Each one is bite-sized and explains one specific thing, building a jigsaw of knowledge piece by piece.
Combat is turn-based and requires thinking. However, there are several settings you can tweak to adjust the intensity and difficulty of this. It’s a “big love letter” to JRPGs, but “with a Western Interpretation”, according to Varley, who says the team would love to create a JRPG but recognise that as a non-Japanese studio they would “probably mess it up.”
As someone who has completed just one turn-based JRPG in her life, I set everything on easy mode and went for it. I discovered that there was still a challenge, but it was workable. Most of the time mastering the combat mechanics is simply a case of understanding the roles of your party and the strength of the enemy. Diggs is your classic tank, Elvis is more of an all-round dps, and early on you also encounter and recruit Jade, who specialises in stealth.
Jade is especially important since you’ll soon discover some incredibly powerful enemies that guard a very tempting chest, yet are virtually undefeatable at that point for most players - unless you have masterful skills of course, like one Bearded Ladies employee who I’m told proved that early fight was winnable, eventually. The ability to sneak around, picking off odd enemies on the outskirts, is just as important as the ability to tank the bosses.
It’s this flexibility that is key to Miasma Chronicles' ability to draw you in and keep you coming back for more, even when it’s difficult. As a beginner in this genre, I was unsure if I’d struggle to stick with it. Often I find a high difficulty too frustrating, and I’m still fairly unfamiliar with turn-based combat. However, the game is balanced in such a way that as I played and failed I could immediately see where I’d messed up. I also felt that everything was always manageable, since you are given all the tools you need, and quick reactions aren’t the roadblock here.
Characters have weapons you can upgrade, but they also have talents that can be key for specific battles. These talents aren’t too complex or overwhelming and can be changed without penalty at any time. This means that you can adjust to specific battles without worrying that your choices will hinder you in the next one.
It also helps that the world is one I wanted to explore, a very deliberate choice by the team. Mark Parker, Lead Producer, tells me, “If the characters are interesting and the world is interesting, people will come and they will stay and play, [saying] I did not like tactical games, now I do.” The world is a testament to this, being both unique and familiar all at once. “There’s lots of familiarity with this world and our world.” Parker says. “Political structure being one of those things, as well as consumerism. That’s why it works well.”
The lead characters Diggs and Elvis are also relatable. Elvis is young, and a little insecure, while Diggs seems to be only half sure what is going on most of the time, but knows that he will protect his little brother, no matter what. The pair are incredibly endearing and once partnered up with Jade, a badass with a past she won’t disclose, I was totally invested.
As much as I love a female badass, it’s Diggs who really captured my heart. Byron Mark Newsome, who voices Diggs, was described as “an instant win” by Parker, and I can see why. He perfectly captures the character, making Diggs feel human, yet still having the unmistakable slight robotic edge to his voice.
I’m still very early into the game, but I need to know what happens to this trio, and to find out more about this world, and the Miasma. I want to traverse every inch of this world and uncover all its secrets. Of course, this is exactly what the designers intended. Parker tells me that “exploration is key. If you explore, you will be rewarded”, something I discovered a few hours too late when I found out that instead of diligently collecting and saving up plastic for several hours for a shotgun, I could have found one in the depths of an early zone.
Parker tells me that Richard, the Lead Level Designer, enjoys designing escape rooms as a hobby, and it’s evident in the environmental puzzles. Clues are hidden in items you pick up, as well as in the world around you. Each puzzle is as carefully crafted as the rest of the game.
Miasma Chronicles feels like a labour of love. Look closely and you’ll see subtly shifting lighting as you explore, tiny details in the rooms you uncover, and a huge depth to both the narrative and the characters themselves. I may have only had a few hours to uncover this world, but I’m looking forward to the many more to come.
TheGamer was invited to play an early preview build of Miasma Chronicles and talk to Lead Producer Mark Parker and Game Director Lee Varley. Miasma Chronicles is set to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on May 23, 2023.