| Developer: | Rabbit and Bear Studios |
| Publisher: | 505 Games |
| Genre: | Role-playing |
| Modes: | Single-player |
| Director: | Osamu Komuta |
| Designer: | Junko Kawano |
| Engine: | Unity |
| Released: | April 23, 2024 |
is a 2024 role-playing video game developed by Rabbit and Bear Studios and published by 505 Games. It was led by Yoshitaka Murayama, creator of Konami's Suikoden series, and has been cited as a spiritual successor.
The development of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was led by Yoshitaka Murayama, the creator of the Suikoden video game series by Konami. Murayama had directed Suikoden and Suikoden II during his time at Konami, but left the company in 2002 shortly before the release of Suikoden III.
The fundraising campaign for the Eiyuden Chronicle project was conducted through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.[1] The campaign exceeded all of the original stretch goals and met its base funding requirements after surpassing $500,000 within 3 to 4 hours on July 27, 2020.[2] It ultimately raised $4,541,481 with 46,307 backers, making it the third highest funded video game in Kickstarter history behind Shenmue III and .[3]
Hundred Heroes was featured at E3 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and was originally slated to be released worldwide in October 2022 before being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] The game was then set for a 2023 release,[5] but was delayed to 2024.[6] It was later confirmed to release on April 23, during their presentation on the September 2023 Nintendo Direct.[7] A prologue, , was released for the same platforms in May 2022.
The game received positive reviews, currently standing at a 79 on Metacritic.[8] Game Informer awarded it an 8/10, saying "archaic structures makes those first impressions tough to look past, but a creative battle system, extensive party customization, and top-notch writing make up for the retro jank." Game Informer however criticized the gameplay for being outdated at certain points, such as having an empty open world and some tedious dungeons to go through. [9]
Godisageek praised the game, saying that "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a truly memorable experience that absolutely will stick with you when it's over."[10] Gameskinny said the game is "an Experience That Revitalizes JRPGs."[11] IGN Japan gave the game a 90/100, claiming that "everything that makes Eiyuden Chronicle great is introduced in the first part of the game. From the 120 heroes that you can recruit to the epic one-vs-one duels, its game systems always make you feel the heat of the story."[12]
On a more mixed review, PCGamesN said that "whether or not you’re a fan of Suikoden II, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is just about worth your time. Unfortunately, almost every high point in Nowa's adventure is met with a painful low, making for a disjointed experience bursting with forgettable minigames and characters."[13]