The initial reveal trailer for The Diofield Chronicle introduced us to three adjacent factions who are engaging in mutual discord: The Rowetale Alliance, The Trovelt-Schoevian Empire, and the Kingdom of Alletain. However, after investing some time into the recently released demo, it quickly became clear that these factions have more to them than just distinct emblems and different flag colors.
The demo only covers the first chapter of the story, which merely scratches the surface of the geopolitics and internal relations of Diofield Island, the land which houses the Kingdom of Alletain. Each chapter of this game is preceded by a briefing session to explain the entangled web of house feuds and ruling bodies, giving insight and depth into every single mission, no matter how small it may be.
You play from the point of view of the Blue Foxes, a mercenary group who weren’t actually part of this large-scale conflict, but after meeting the military leader of House Yordan, Yulzim Yorden, they discover the corruption that runs in the royal government of Alletain Kingdom and the surrounding elite houses. They then decide to take up arms and change the history of Diofield for the better, which proves to be a much harder task than originally thought.
Diofield Island is unbelievably vast; the kingdom is separated into four main fields extending in every direction, and each field has its own climate, topography, natural resources, and diplomatic history. The south field, for example, is an enormous commercial port for not just Alletain inhabitants but also noblemen and merchants from The Rowetale Alliance. It also has a successful fruit-growing industry due to the region’s warm climate.
On the other hand, the North Field has a much colder climate, with mountains perpetually covered in snow and vast coniferous forests. The winter has caused the cities to turn into ruins, leading the overall quality of life to dwindle. The harsh life has also caused many of the locals to turn into devout followers of the church, which in turn has reduced the number of civil wars and class struggles characteristic of other regions.
These differences govern many of the landscape choices and mission goals that players will get acquainted with along the journey. For example, the tone of a mission in the south field will change drastically when the Blue Foxes encounter an army of the undead. However, their existence is not a surprise, since according to the lore, the south has an underground cemetery where many of those killed in territory disputes have been laid to rest.
In other words, there are plenty of random twists in the game, and plenty of lore for players to dig into via the main hub library to justify where and why this twist has happened. The story stakes also escalate naturally as you recruit new party members, mainly for how their background is deeply intertwined with the politics at large. One shining example of how the characters in this game reflect a deep and interesting story structure is Waltaquin, from the Redditch House.
Lady Waltaquien, a princess of one of the oldest houses of Alletain, comes to the Blue Foxes with a request to solve a trade conflict with another house. A request from her is not something unexpected, as both the House Redditch, and House Yorden (your commander) serve under the same person: Archbishop Jousha. He is the leader of the Granvell Church, mentioned before as the main governing body of the Northern field, and also a member of the Lords Council, a very integral part of how the government works in Diofield Chronicle.
The Royal Government in this world does not actually listen to the people, but to the proposals of ten chosen councilors from the nation’s top aristocrats. Priests from the Granvell Church are also always represented in this council. Not only do they handle legislative and administrative affairs, but they also govern vast tracts of land, along with noble houses and families, which your party member and commander serve under.
As previously noted, this hierarchical relationship flows naturally into the types of story missions you encounter in Diofield Chronicle. A mission will ask you to help the house you are involved with under that Archbishop’s rule and resolve trade problems unique to this region. Another mission will task you with guarding a religious pilgrimage related to the same church, but the dangers differ depending on the location of the mission and the history of the region.
The House Redditch involved the undead as the conflict was mainly happening in the south field, but the pilgrimage was in the cold Northern field. The north contains a lot of Jade-abundant mines, a mineral with magical properties, and the cause of many wars over resources. Jade can also able used to enchant beasts and give them more strength and viciousness. Hence is the reason why we only see these beasts alongside a pilgrimage through this Jade-infested northern area.
If the player decides to get invested in learning the significance of each character and location, and the substance behind each region and military conflict, they are sure to find a lot of interesting and rewarding information waiting for them. The briefing cutscenes are also very well done for a modern strategy game and discuss not only the mission background but also different tactical options to resolve it.
It’s still unclear where the story intends to go from this point, but they definitely have a lot of options to explore. The remaining councilors, the other Diofield regions, their underlying conflicts, and the various organizations, ethnic minorities, and ancient beasts that are hinted to be like the dinosaurs of our world, which went extinct for unknown reasons. Diofield Island is not only rich in land but also in history and mythological legends.
Maybe the game will also extend into the other territories of the Rowetale Alliance and the Trovelt-Schoevian Empire, but it feels highly unlikely considering the obvious focus on Diofield. That does not mean other nations aren’t involved in the politics and the inner workings of Diofield. The main take is, that the Diofield chronicle has a story that is worth waiting for, and a world so vast and deep that may cement it as one of the best tactical RPGs of our modern generation in terms of storytelling and world-building.