Square Enix, famous for game franchises likeFinal FantasyandKingdom Hearts, has finally announced the release date for its newest strategy RPG game,The DioField Chronicle. It released the information in aThe DioField Chronicletrailer that was posted on the official Square Enix YouTube account.
The DioField Chroniclewas first announced during a presentation by Sony that laid out upcoming games for the PlayStation consoles. It is a tactical strategy RPG, with gameplay similar totitles likeXCOMandFire Emblem,but with what Square Enix calls a “Real-Time Tactical Battle” system that looks more similar to real-time strategy RPG combat.
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The release date trailer is only two and a half minutes long but showcases a mix of cinematics, gameplay, and character art from the game. The gameplay shows some of the strategic user interface, with the character walking to a map table in third-person perspective. Then they select the table, which prompts a zoom into the map where they proceed to select a mission to play. After that, the trailer shows some in-game combat, with the player issuing commands and using unit abilities to outflank and destroy the enemy forces. Art of the main characters and their names are shown, and at the end, the release date is revealed: Jun 29, 2025.
Although at first glance the combat seems similar to turn-based tactical strategy games, the trailer seems to show that it acts more similarly toRPGs likePillars of Eternity, where combat happens in real-time, but players have access to a pause that allows for attacks, movement, and abilities to be queued. The mission selection does seem to lean more towardsXCOM, but the abilities and user interface are definitely more similar to an RPG than a tactical strategy game.
While the gameplay is significantly different fromFinal Fantasy,there’s still a draw for fans of the Square Enix franchise. Despite no official ties to theFinal Fantasyuniverse, the art style is similar andFinal Fantasyartist Isamu Kamikokuryo is responsible for some of the character art. He previously worked onFinal Fantasy 12andFinal Fantasy 13,so it’s safe to assume there might be some more similarities showing up.
The real-time combat system might turn away some players that are more used to the traditional turn-based systems thatgames likeXCOMmake use of. Even with a tactical pause available, real-time tactical combat can be chaotic and confusing, causing players to lose track of where vital units are, or potentially resulting in losing a key character to an unnoticed enemy assault. Despite this, there are some great examples of real-time tactical combat out there, and it can lend itself to a much faster gameplay flow, which means less chance of players losing patience and interest.
The DioField Chroniclereleases September 22 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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