As I round the corner of the dilapidated building I spot the last remaining enemy, a lone caster. Elvis and Diggs are injured, just out of range on the other side of the road, and only sniper-extraordinaire and general badass Jade remains. As ever in Miasma Chronicles, there’s a choice to be made. Do I cross the road and revive a teammate or take a shot at the caster from behind this wall?
I decide to be a hero, aiming my sniper and putting my faith in Jade’s increased crit chance. I fire my loaded gun but luck is not on my side. The shot hits but the crit fails, leaving the caster with 20 HP. Still, not to worry, there’s fire and acid everywhere to finish him off. My hope returns until I realise I’m too late. The caster splits, leaving another in his place, just as the original succumbs to the fire. As I’m processing the events a spell hits me and I’m out, joining my friends on the ground with an ominous red glow around me.
Tense battles like this are commonplace in Miasma Chronicles. The action strategy title sees you come across a wide range of enemies you’ll need to take on, with each battle requiring planning, precision, and a little bit of luck. The turn-based combat system gives you plenty of time to think, and it’s wise to take advantage of it. One bad decision can have your team on the ground faster than you can curse yourself for making it.
However, fighting is not always the best option. The game also includes a robust stealth system that allows you to sneak through bushes and hide behind items of scenery. Exploration is encouraged and you’ll be well rewarded for it. At one point, a wander through some bushes to see how many enemies were in my midst led me to find a keycard. Often these unlock areas hiding rare weapons or items, but in this case, it allowed me to bypass a massive fight I was ill-equipped for.
Throughout the game, you’ll use both combat and stealth to explore the ruined yet strangely beautiful and ever-evolving world. It appears set in a not-too-distant future, where the world has been ravaged by a mysterious black substance called Miasma. Its aesthetic is post-apocalyptic steampunk and the destruction is captivating. Each area constantly evolves, rotting under the Miasma’s tendrils. Areas change as you return, the Miasma creeping deeper. As you progress, this invasion of darkness begins to switch again, as Elvis works to push back the mysterious substance threatening the town.
Your home is in a central hub, where you can pick up supplies, report on your progress, and follow different paths, each with its own sub-story that plays into the larger narrative. The area is also peppered with side quests, giving extra rewards and boosting your knowledge of the world and its inhabitants. Your characters can gain weapons, useful items, and skill points, all of which can be swapped at any time with no penalty. With every battle, you’re able to best configure your team and use every advantage you have. Customisation is flexible without becoming overwhelming, and characters fall into the sweet spot of variety, feeling different while keeping a central familiarity.
The trio of Elvis, the young man quickly learning to step up and save his town, his robot brother Diggs, literally built to protect him, and Jade the mysterious sniper with a hidden past, face the dangers of the world together, as you unravel the mystery of what Miasma is, why Elvis appears to be able to control it, and where his mother went. As the game progresses your team will expand again, and it’s worth waiting for. This narrative is the highlight of this game, compelling you to discover the world’s secrets. As you learn the answers to these initial questions more will come to light, paving the way for a well-rounded and lengthy game experience.
As someone who has only recently started playing this genre, I was surprised by how beginner-friendly Miasma Chronicles is. There’s no tutorial, but as you progress different mechanics are presented to you in stages, building up a large arsenal of options by the time you get to the second half of the story. These simple pop-up explanations are also stored in the menu, so you can refer back to them easily at any time - something I used on several occasions.
As a newcomer, the easiest settings allowed me to learn as I went while still providing a good level of challenge. Each battle was well fought and while I did fail a lot initially, I was able to learn from each battle, gaining knowledge as well as upgrades, and over time my failure rate was vastly reduced.
There’s also an impressive attention to detail, which best shines through the puzzles that emerge as the environments change. The whole world has an escape room vibe to it and you’ll need to use clues in the environment to get through the doors. It’s not only a great way to encourage you to read the letters and other written documents you collect, lest they contain some clues, but also makes finding the rewards even more satisfying.
Everything is earned here, from your gear to the answers to your questions, and the experience is all the better for it. For every battle you fail, a new one appears, yet there is minimal frustration due to the way you can learn from your mistakes. You’ll explore a haunting yet beautiful world, subtly changing as your actions affect the environment, and uncover a well-written story that kept my attention throughout. Miasma Chronicles is a dark journey that is well worth embarking on.
Score: 4/5. A review code was provided by the publisher.
Miasma Chronicles
Miasma Chronicles is a tactical RPG from the minds behind Mutant Year Zero. In a ravaged America, you take on the role of a man named Elvis as he navigates this wasteland with his robotic brother.