Chroma Squad

Genre: Turn-Based Strategy-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: This game is included in Old School RPG Bundle along with Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Deluxier Edition and Knights of Pen & Paper 2 Deluxiest Edition.)

Chroma Squad is a Tactics-style Turn-Based Strategy-RPG originally released on PC in 2015 before being ported to multiple other platforms in 2017, with the game finally getting released on Nintendo Switch in 2019. This game has players taking the role of stunt actors in a Power Rangers-esque sentai-style TV show who decide to start their own TV show and must manage their studio while also fighting the battles that will be depicted in the show.

This translates into the gameplay in a clever way that has players fighting the battles in a standard Strategy-RPG style, but not necessarily just trying to beat the baddies. Rather, they’re trying to do so both to the whims of the director in the specific episode in question, and also within the limitations of whatever real-life drama is plaguing the cast and crew in that episode.

For example, in one episode, you may have to deal with a primadonna actor playing the villain of the week who insists on fighting in his own custom costume comprised of… a barrel… resulting in him attacking your team by rolling around. Meanwhile, the director is demanding that you have your team leader fight the guy multiple times before the team joins together to defeat him in a spectacle team attack. In another episode, one of your crew has to leave early for a dentist appointment, and the rest of your team decides to just run with it by subbing in a special guest character.

This kinda’ crazy unpredictability about the sort of conditions you’ll be running into in a given fight is one of the better parts of this game. You never know what limitations you’ll face, or how you’ll have to switch up your strategy to fit the whims of your director. Oh, you could opt to simply trounce the enemies however you like, but completing the specific goals of each level is how you earn fans, and fans translate into money, which in turn will help you to upgrade both your characters and the operation they’re running.

See, the other element of this game is that in-between battles, you’ll be managing your studio, choosing what props and costumes (read: weapons and armor) to buy, what equipment to pour your money into, and how to best advertise to bring in even more fans. Make wise investments and complete goals properly, and the cash will roll in with the fan support. Fail to do one of those, and you may be stuck fighting in cardboard outfits with plastic toy guns.

As much as I love this idea, I really wish Chroma Squad went farther with this idea than it does. This game really only hints at having an element of a Management Sim, and I wish it dove head-first into that style of game in-between battles. Let players design the sets they’ll be fighting in, guided by what will make for a great set piece battle! Have them deciding which network they’re going to sign with! Get them to compare and contrast with competing shows in the same time slot to decide how to best stay competitive! Have them fighting with other action shows to hire the best cast and crew! While I commend the game in letting players alter many elements of their own personal company (their studio’s name, their show’s name, their character names, even the colors of their outfits), but the choices you have to make that actually affect your bottom line are sadly limited.

My complaints here aren’t limited to the ways things could have been better, sadly. There are a lot of awkward or frustrating choices here that make this game harder to enjoy than it should be. The game doesn’t let you compare the stats of equipment you’re looking to craft with equipment you have in your inventory. There’s no easy way to see all of the special moves of your team and get a good feel for how the team members work differently. It’s difficult to see if you’re highlighting an enemy or the space behind him, and the game won’t let you take back a move if you make a mistake.

Some of these latter problems are due to this game being completely in an isometric view that doesn’t let you change the angle. To be fair, other Strategy-RPGs have done this without it being a problem, and if this game was going to opt not to be in 3D, more should have been done to ensure that it was easier to parse visually.

That’s not to say that this game is ugly, by any means. It uses a pixel art style that’s appealing and has a fair amount of personality to it. And even though the characters are super-tiny, it’s still clear what they’re parodying… at least most of the time. These visuals are paired with a decent synthesized soundtrack that does a good job of capturing the energetic sort of feel of the types of shows this game is depicting.

Before I wrap this up, I should mention one other thing about this game that’s a bit disappointing – despite having been on mobile devices for years prior to releasing on the Nintendo Switch, this version of the game does not support the touchscreen at all, nor does it make any use of the Nintendo Switch’s unique features.

In the end, Chroma Squad’s good qualities outweigh its bad ones. This is a fairly unique Strategy-RPG with a wildly original premise, and if that interests you, I’d say to definitely give it a try. It gets more than a few things wrong in its menus and mechanics, and it doesn’t go nearly as far as it could with some of its more unique features, but this is still an inspired and original spin on the genre worth a look.

tl;dr – Chroma Squad is a Strategy-RPG that puts players in the role of a Power Rangers-esque sentai TV show, both in fighting the battles depicted on the show, as well as managing the business side of things. The mechanics here have a fair number of flaws that detract from the experience, and managing the business side is sadly nowhere near as extensive as it could be, but this still makes for a unique entry in the genre that’s worth checking out.

Grade: B-

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