The reviews for The Diofield Chronicle are all over the place as far as the platforms go. The PS5 version is hovering around the 80s on Metacritic while the Switch version is in the 70s. Tastes may differ between RPG fans, but suffice it to say this game does have its fans.
However, even the champions of The DioField Chronicle can admit that it could use a few tweaks. It is technically sound albeit with some hiccups as far as the graphics and loads are concerned. There are no major glitches to ruin the experience though. So, what then could this game do to improve its image? These are just a few patch note suggestions for Square Enix to follow.
8 Dialogue Fixes
There are a couple of problems with the dialogue that needs to be addressed. One, The DioField Chronicle features an auto dialogue option which has been the standard in RPGs for a while. Unfortunately, the transition between one sentence and the next will make the stilted dislodge in Kingdom Hearts look like Shakespeare.
The transition needs to be smoother to make the study flow better. Also, some conversations can be skipped while others cannot, so more skip options should be added too.
7 Increase The Battle Speed
The transitional speed of dialogue is not the only slow aspect of this game. Thankfully, players can increase the speed of battle by a half step or double the speed. While a doubling in speed is great in a tactical RPG, it would be nice if there were a few more options.
Another Square Enix game, Bravely Default 2, allows players to increase the speed of combat by four. Increasing The DioField Chronicle’s capabilities up to four would be fantastic too.
6 Practice Session Upgrades
The practice map will unlock after a few missions in chapter one. This will allow players to go back and replay every mission, including side quests, to grind out experience points. RPGs, especially tactical ones, need a mode like this, and The DioField Chronicle delivers.
However, it could use some upgrades. One, it would be great if players could repeat the same map without having to go back to HQ. Two, the story scenes should be removed from these replay sessions because they slow things down too much and most aspects of the narrative can’t be skipped.
5 Remove Subtitles
There is another issue with the dialogue that could get addressed in a patch. The more robust cutscenes feature subtitles and they can’t be skipped through, unlike dialogue boxes. The issue is that the subtitles are mandatory and cannot be changed in the menu.
This is not that surprising to see in a Square Enix title as many games, like a majority of the early Kingdom Hearts series, couldn’t get their subtitles removed either. Hopefully, this is an easy fix for The DioField Chronicle.
4 Heal Escorts
One of the most demanding missions in an RPG, or any video game, is the escort mission. They appear in The DioField Chronicle as well and are tricky to complete. The earliest one finds the troop escorting a carriage through a snowy bluff. If the caravan crew gets damaged, it is game over.
Even if players have a healing spell ready or a potion, they cannot heal the escort. The simple solution then is to patch in a fix to allow players to heal their escorts.
3 Kegs Should Explode Right Away
Players must rely on their soldiers to get rid of enemies on the battlefield for the most part. However, sometimes there are environmental opportunities that arise which can turn the tide of war. There are explosive kegs, for example, which will explode within a certain radius.
Players must first destroy these kegs and then wait for them to explode. Timing it just right is almost impossible which is why it would be more convenient if they exploded right away like red barrels in a first-person shooter.
2 Get The Game Online
The DioField Chronicle does not need multiplayer to make it a better experience. There is already a lot to do in the game which shouldn’t be surprising for a tactical RPG from Square Enix. Still, it would be exciting to test one’s merits against another player in a versus match or team up with someone in a co-op mode.
Square Enix doesn’t have to add a mode in either to get the game online. They could implement some sort of trading system with other players, or perhaps reward players with items or gold for logging in daily.
1 Add More Save Files
It’s sad to see a big RPG like this falter on the save file front. There is an autosave feature along with four files players can manually save onto for a total of five. For comparison, another 2022 RPG, Soul Hackers 2, allowed players to manually save twenty times.
The more save files players have, the more ways they can bookmark their experiences. Granted, missions in The DioField Chronicle can be replayed in practice mode complete with the story. However, replaying a stage isn’t as exciting because players will be stronger and thus the challenge will be gone. So, it would be nice to get some more save slots in this game.
The DioField Chronicle was released on September 20, 2022 and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.