Each expansion focuses on the titular character, from how Marisa became a Guardian (which involves meeting a mysterious girl) to Seign’s quest to tackle some issues in the Galdean Empire. As for The Chapter of Markus, it sees him venturing with Nowa and Carrie as they enter “Menhir’s Distortion” into a strange new realm.

Perhaps we’ll learn more about the Skeleton King’s past. Time will tell. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review for the launch version here – we gave it a seven out of ten, praising the visuals and old-school approach.

Of course, Rabbit and Bear Studios isn’t slowing down on the franchise. It announced a sequel last year, though further updates are still pending.

The Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes DLC roadmap is here! All three story expansions are on the way:

Marisa’s Chapter – Feb 27
Seign’s Chapter – Mar 13
Markus’ Chapter – Apr 3

Which of the story expansions are you most excited to play?#EiyudenChronicle #百英雄伝 pic.twitter.com/oAC9n2EvKn

— 【公式】Eiyuden Chronicle (百英雄伝） (@eiyuden) February 6, 2025

The first one, titled “The Chapter of Marisa”, will arrive next month, and will focus on Marisa’s past as a Guardian “while exploring with an enchanted girl companion.” Next, “The Chapter of Seign” will release in September, and will tell the story of “how Seign and his allies influenced the saga from within the shadows of the Galdean Empire.”

Finally, “The Chapter of Markus” will release in October, and will focus on Markus, Carrie, and Nowa, who “venture through the mysterious Menhir’s Distortion and uncover long-buried secrets beyond the gateway”. 

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Read our review of the base game through here.

However, its upcoming story DLC will also receive an announcement. Further details have yet to be revealed, but the previous roadmap outlined three DLC chapters, each focusing on a different character. The first is out in August and stars Marisa – Seign and Markus get the spotlight in September and October. A release date for Marisa’s DLC will likely be revealed next week, so stay tuned.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review, where we gave it a seven out of ten, praising the visuals, story and cast while criticizing certain aspects of the combat, the side quest design, and some mini-games.

Some new quality-of-life features, like always leaving battles on Auto, are also coming. It also fixes the Rune Shop’s “Change Run” function for selecting other party members. In the meantime, Nintendo Switch players can look forward to a dedicated patch on July 3rd, fixing an issue where Performance Mode may not work.

It also fixes several lingering issues with story progression, dungeon gimmicks, localization, UI control, and graphics. There should also be a fix for Support character time not counting despite having them in the party.

Stay tuned for more details when the update goes live. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review here. Aside from patches, the developer is also working on three DLC chapters.

Upcoming patches (June 20, 2024）

Thank you for your continued support of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. Based on valuable feedback from our players, we are preparing an update patch for all platforms to improve the functionality and stability of the game. Thank you for your… pic.twitter.com/XnAX2Vug09

— 【公式】Eiyuden Chronicle (百英雄伝） (@eiyuden) June 21, 2024

Taking recently to Twitter, for instance, Rabbit and Bear Studios shared a roadmap of upcoming content and DLC planned for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes over the course of 2024. In addition to the cosmetic packs that have already been released for the game so far, the developer also intends to release new story DLC chapters focused on Marisa, Seign, and Markus in the months of August, September, and October respectively.

How extensive these additions will be or whether the studio has other additions planned beyond these chapters isn’t something that it has gone into just yet, but hopefully, more details will be shared on that front in the not-too-distant future.

In our review of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, we gave it a score of 7/10, saying, “As an aggressively old-school role-playing game, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes suffers in areas like combat, side quest design, and balance, but makes up for it with the story, extensive cast, and strong presentation.” Read the full review through here.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Rabbit and Bear Studios says it already has plans in place for a sequel. Read more on that through here.

Which of the upcoming Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes story expansions on our Roadmap are you looking forward to the most?

August – Marisa Chapter
September – Seign Chapter
October – Markus Chapter#eiyudenchronicle #百英雄伝 pic.twitter.com/H3Qn3aNywN

— 【公式】Eiyuden Chronicle (百英雄伝） (@eiyuden) May 30, 2024

There’s also a bug preventing access to War Mode, the grid-based combat system. The developer told IGN, “We are aware of issues surrounding the current version of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on the Nintendo Switch, and we’re addressing them as a maximum priority. We are diligently researching technical improvements for Switch performance issues, aiming to release this patch at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Rabbit and Bear will address the above progression blockers in Version 1.0.4 (noted to be “nearing completion”). In the meantime, Version 1.0.3 is available and fixes several issues relating to stability, optimization, game balance, and more. The full patch notes aren’t available, so stay tuned for further updates.

Along with the Nintendo Switch, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. You can read our review, where we praised its aesthetic, old-school elements, and story-telling, though its main protagonist, Nowa, combat, and enemy balance could use some more refinement. Though it’s early days yet for the title, the developer is “moving forward” with a sequel.

Set in Allraan, the story focuses on Nowa and the battle against the Galdean Empire, which seeks the power of the Primal Rune-Lenses. To aid in his journey, he recruits several allies across various regions to form an Alliance of rebels. There are over 100 heroes, some encountered through the main quest and others optional.

Many will assist in combat while others provide support functions, either buffing resource collection or quality of life, like increased inventory space. There’s also a base to upgrade, unlocking new facilities and mini-games, including a card game, cook-off and more. Check out our review of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes for more details on what to expect. As for the future, Rabbit and Bear has confirmed it’s “moving forward” with a sequel.

However, Eiyuden Chronicle keeps things aggressively old-school, from the turn-based combat, which features a timeline and Hero Combos, to the random encounters with enemies (though the Auto combat option is deeper than expected); from the simple yet charming sprite-based characters and their expressions to the overworld exploration.

"Perhaps even then, however, it’s a perfectly competent role-playing experience – one that I like and find myself smiling at occasionally but can’t love for many reasons."

There’s an earnest attempt to emulate the charm that made Suikoden such an essential part of RPG history, be it in the hundred-plus heroes or its take on Army Battles, known as Wars. The 3D environments shine, while the voice acting is enthusiastic and peppy when required but weighty and emotional in equal measure.

Maybe it would have been a more fitting experience on the Game Boy Advance (or Nintendo 3DS, given the sheer scale) as you meet and level up new characters, discovering locations with enemies that almost one-shot as you grind out levels to humble them. Perhaps even then, however, it’s a perfectly competent role-playing experience – one that I like and find myself smiling at occasionally but can’t love for many reasons.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is set in Allraan, where the League of Nations and Galdean Empire coexist. You start as Nowa, a humble, likeable teen who joins The Watch in Grum. For his first mission, he and his allies, Lian, Mio and Garr, team up with members of the Imperial Army, Seign and Hildi, to investigate the local Runebarrows. The empire looks to consolidate its power, and the Primal Rune-Lenses in these barrows are a huge factor.

Of course, even after a successful joint mission between the Watch and Imperials, tensions mount. Six months pass, and while the emperor of Galdea still rules, Dux Aldric holds the cards, garnering a fierce reputation. The League of Nations insists on assuaging the Dux, with only one member – Perrielle, the Countess of Grum – showing any opposition. Eventually, Nowa and his friends embark on a mission to recruit more members of the Watch before being tasked to hunt down some bandits in the region. One thing leads to another, and suddenly, Euchrisse is at war with Galdea, and you need to cultivate a rebel Alliance to fight back.

"The cast of Eiyuden Chronicle is well-rounded overall…except for Nowa. Though initially quite likeable, he can feel a little too milquetoast at times…"

It’s a fairly typical tale – the sheer typicality of it is even a factor for Perrielle naming Nowa as the Alliance’s commander and using his underdog status to garner support. This isn’t to say it’s bad – just that several tropes are as you’d expect in the early going.

However, give it some time, and the world of Allraan slowly opens up. We’re introduced to Marisa and the Guardians, tasked with guarding the Runebarrows until those destined for the Primal Lenses appear. Seign’s role and how he deals with the Dux’s plans is also compelling, torn as he is between his principles and loyalty to the empire.

It’s backed by solid writing, even if Lian’s snappiness and Pohl’s lovingly talking about a giant rune tank are sometimes overdone. All the heroes are fairly distinct, whether it’s Perrielle’s fiery attitude and snark, Mellore and her over-the-top magical girl personality, Zabi’s laughing fits at almost every turn or Carrie, a teleportation specialist who insists on perfection.

However, as often happens with titles of this scope, only select heroes receive extensive character development or screen time. Those introduced as part of the story get their time to shine, but others you recruit are typically brought on by just talking or giving them something. Voila, instant ally. Some develop further when recruited (more on that shortly), but they’re often the exception to the rule.

The cast of Eiyuden Chronicle is well-rounded overall…except for Nowa. Though initially quite likeable, he can feel a little too milquetoast at times, especially when his competency in leading the Alliance comes up repeatedly. The emotion is there when it counts, and Andrew Wheildon-Dennis does his best to add layers to the character, but he comes off as uninteresting, especially compared to Seign and Marisa. The plot is evenly paced, at least, and doesn’t feel like a slog at least.

"There are also Hero Combos, where two or more characters execute a joint attack move, though they each need a specific amount of SP."

Upon recruiting a hero, they can serve as a party member in combat or act as support, providing passive benefits like increased resources gained, raising attack and speed before combat and more. When the Keep becomes available, you can acquire different upgrades for resources and funds, but certain characters are required to maintain those facilities.

Upgrading the Keep further unlocks even more facilities and options and can make for interesting new additions, like mini-games. For example, when Kurtz arrives, he’ll serve as the chef, cooking meals you can use in battle. However, he also has a cooking mini-game attached, where Nowa assists in cook-offs against rivals, selecting dishes best suited for the judges.

The problem with this – and even the fishing mini-game – is that it boils down to little more than button-mashing. Not that I expect all of these to have Queen’s Blood or Gwent levels of depth, but a bit more nuance (and less guesswork in the case of the cook-offs) would have been nice. As such, I appreciate the extra effort in developing these side characters, especially when so many have such throwaway side quests.

Combat is turn-based, but there’s also a timeline of the turn sequence based on each character’s speed. Your party and enemies have a frontline and backline with three characters each. Typically, the frontline can only damage enemies in the first row, with some exceptions. Meanwhile, the backline characters can attack those in the front and back rows but are typically less durable than the frontline fighters. So it follows that the evasive or tanky fighters are in the front while your archers, healers and mages are in the back.

Some heroes have Rune-Lenses, which can activate different Elemental Magic and Skills. Depending on the Runes equipped, you could have characters specializing in multiple kinds of magic, learning new skills (like sleep-inducing slashes that seemingly never work) or receiving slight stat increases. There are also Hero Combos, where two or more characters execute a joint attack move, though they each need a specific amount of SP.

"Some battles have gimmicks, and while they often consist of opening a treasure chest for an additional reward, they get more complex in boss battles."

The system is initially robust, and you’ll weigh different strategies as more enemy types emerge. Do you eliminate the Rabbit Witches in the back row to prevent them from casting area-of-effect spells and damaging the whole party? Do you focus on the heavy hitters in the front? Sadly, as time progresses and more Hero Combos become available, some problems with the system emerge.

First, the enemies, especially in newer regions that are part of the story, feel slightly overtuned. Some leveling and purchasing equipment helps to even the playing field. However, even on Normal difficulty, they often feel like they’re attacking first all the time (which becomes all the more irritating if they focus on a single party member, like a mage, and take them down quickly) and deal too much damage.

SP is essential for unleashing Skills and Hero Combos, but each character generates them separately. If you want to perform a triple-hero combo and each doesn’t have three SP, then forget about it. It’s not that big of a deal with two heroes and lower SP costs, but it all boils down to the party members available (and you won’t always decide the party composition).

It also doesn’t help that some characters don’t have Hero Combos. You might want to stick with Yusuke for his ability to Charge Up, increasing damage for his next attack, but despite being so indebted to Nowa when recruited, they don’t have a Hero Combo. Heck, many characters who owe Nowa don’t have Hero Combos with him, which is baffling.

Some battles have gimmicks, and while they often consist of opening a treasure chest for an additional reward, they get more complex in boss battles. It usually boils down to a character picking the Gimmick option, and while there is some decent usage of it – like attacking a boss’s supports and causing it to topple – there are other times when it’s completely random. Nothing says engaging like flipping a coin to select a grimoire and summon a magic hammer for some whack-a-mole against a boss burrowed underground…only for them to re-emerge on the other side and take no damage because there’s no indication of their location.

"You have limited inventory space for the first dozen hours or so, and even after gaining some more, having the same items resolved into separate stacks feels off."

The last issue is how the game handles magic. With how much damage your party will be taking, healing is a must, yet the more potent healing spells (which still don’t feel like they’re enough) cost lots of MP. Aside from items and resting at an inn, there’s no other way to regain MP.

You have limited inventory space for the first dozen hours or so, and even after gaining some more, having the same items resolved into separate stacks feels off. Since inns can cost a good chunk of Baqua, resting after every couple of skirmishes isn’t feasible. It isn’t until you unlock teleportation, return to your Keep, trek to its inn and rest for free that you can truly breathe easy, and even that’s not an option in some story sequences.

The game does help with the cash crunch in some ways, with new heroes often having good armor and equipment, but you still need to upgrade their weapons multiple times, which can get expensive. You can also indulge in trading at an early point, selling some items in demand for a premium price, but those don’t become available until you’re further into the game.

Overall, some changes are needed for the economy and overall combat balance, especially enemy damage and magic costs on the lower difficulties. On the bright side, the Auto battle option allows for setting various commands akin to Final Fantasy 12’s Gambits to execute depending on different conditions. I didn’t fool around too much with it, but it’s a worthwhile option, even if I would have also preferred speeding up battles.

On top of regular battles, you also have duels – which involve selecting attack, counter and break options against a single opponent – and War scenarios. The latter is interesting since you essentially control groups of units led by characters with unique skills on a grid-based map.

"Whether it’s the Suikoden successor that fans have waited for or something more, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a solid RPG with an old-school appeal that’s worth a look."

Move a unit to a space with enemies, and they’ll engage in combat until one of them retreats due to taking too much damage. It’s simplistic at first, but there are several tactical opportunities, like skills to bolster nearby units, immediately joining one unit to another without taking a turn, causing enemies to miss a turn, and so on. Though more of a side dish to the game’s main combat course, it works well enough and generates some hype, especially as you’re informed of all the soldiers, likely named after Kickstarter backers, that fall in battle.

In terms of exploration, Allraan looks pretty good, and though the environments consist of familiar forests and deserts, they’re still full of eye-popping detail and effects. The Runebarrows are perhaps the standouts and even have some interesting puzzles, like rotating a corridor’s sections to access different rooms and trigger the way forward.

They aren’t all as intriguing, but at least they break up the pacing differently. Now, if only there was an option or an item to reduce random encounters so that backtracking to figure out certain puzzles didn’t get so tedious. There’s also at least one forced stealth mission, which is an absolute chore, so be prepared.

Though I like the overall look of Eiyuden Chronicle, there’s this odd depth-of-field effect (at least on PS5), which renders the top half of your screen blurry until you move up. It’s more than a little annoying, especially in the big locations, making it difficult to discern some open doors and pathways. At least the music is solid overall, with sweeping orchestral tune and retro-esque beats that mesh together well.

There’s no denying the atmosphere, pleasing aesthetic and music, or intriguing heroes, and the story, despite its tropes, does become more compelling with time. It’s just that the shortcomings are undeniable, especially when it comes to combat and the overall game balance or the side quests and development of some heroes. Whether it’s the Suikoden successor that fans have waited for or something more, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a solid RPG with an old-school appeal that’s worth a look.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

In a Reddit AMA, Rabbit and Bear Studios was asked if they would make a sequel given enough interest. “Absolutely! That is the aim we are working towards. We hope many players support this game.”

However, when asked what’s next for the studio following the passing of director/producer Yoshitaka Murayama and whether plans for a potential sequel were up in the air, it responded, “Absolutely! We are moving forward with a sequel.

“It is very sad that Murayama is not with us anymore, but we have discussed many things with him. I hope we will be able to carry on Murayama’s legacy, and I always want to treasure his last work.”

Whether the first game’s success will influence sequel plans remains to be seen, but Rabbit and Bear Studios is keen on expanding the universe. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes launches on April 23rd for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch. It will also be available on day one for Game Pass. Head here to learn more about the title and its features.

Taking to Twitter, publisher 505 Games recently announced that the physical launch of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes’ Nintendo Switch version has been delayed in North America and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) by a little over a month, and is now set for May 21.

The publisher has also confirmed that those who backed the game’s Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign back in 2020 who are supposed to receive a physical Switch copy among their rewards will be receiving digital codes of the game when it releases to ensure their “adventure begins on time.”

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is due out on April 23 for Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

To our cherished Eiyuden Chronicle community.

We regret to announce there will be a delay of the physical edition of @Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes for Nintendo Switch to May 21 in Americas & EMEA.

All affected backers will receive digital Nintendo Switch copies at launch,… pic.twitter.com/t8l8DhWC8C

— 505 Games (@505_Games) March 15, 2024