Parents' Guide to Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology

Have you ever wondered how your life would be different if you changed one decision in your life, or what it would be like to see how both paths would play out? That's the premise of Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, as well as what makes it stand out from the usual RPG fare. From a storytelling perspective, jumping back and forth between alternate timelines is a great hook and keeps players' interest. It's hard not to get wrapped up in the thought that one decision can alter the world so dramatically while opening up even more branches with new consequences, or that all these different choices and circumstances can still lead to the same place. Layer this sort of philosophical idea on top of the game's more traditional fantasy story, and you wind up with something truly unique.

Of course, no matter how invested players get in the plot, this is still a video game. As such, it needs to bring some solid gameplay to the experience. Thankfully, Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology does a pretty good job here as well. Anyone who's played a classic role-playing game should feel right at home here, with basic staples like leveling your party by grinding for experience points (XP) and navigating a deep inventory of equipment. Combat can feel a bit quirky, though. All actions on both sides are picked before taking effect, requiring a little extra forethought and attention. Enemies also can move (or get moved) from the front row to the back, or vice versa, affecting both their action order as well as the strength of their attacks. It's fairly awkward at first, but considering the length of the game and how often you need to jump into combat, it's something you'll get accustomed to in time.