“Chained Together” is a PC game by “Anegar Games” that has been officially distributed on the PC game portal site “Steam” store since June 20, 2024. It is a recommended new indie action game title in which up to four players are chained together and work together to reach the “top”.
Its major features include a meaningless world recreated with realistic game graphics, a highly entertaining worldview and game system where you can challenge yourself with intense action elements while aiming for the top, and an exciting gameplay element in which players who gather together online can sometimes work together and sometimes interfere with each other while playing.
This new work is recommended for people who like the stoic gameplay of challenging difficult action games while aiming to clear them, people who are looking for an affordable indie game title suitable for live streaming, people who have friends who are PC gamers with whom they can spend hours playing together, and people who want to upload gameplay videos to SNS such as YouTube.
- silly physics game
- CO-OP for up to 4 people
- Full of comedy elements
An action game for Ichiren Tatsuo is born.
“Chained Together”, which is currently being officially distributed on the PC game portal site “Steam” store, is a recommended new PC game that follows the journey from the abyss of hell to the top. In addition to solo play, this is a must-see action game title that allows up to 4 players to play together online.
What makes this work unique is its setting. The work belongs to the “absurd'' and “extremely insane'' genres that have recently become popular on Steam, but it is special in that it allows for online multiplayer. It has a system that is much more exciting when played with multiple players than by one person, and it can be said that it is suitable for live streaming.
In terms of story, it's something that can't happen, and the key element is the play in which a human character who has come to hell passes through a number of locations while aiming to return to earth. This setting is probably because hell is generally thought to be below ground, below ground, but it's interesting to see where it's focused.
Playing this game requires a great deal of action game technique, so it can be recommended for those who have demonstrated their skill and ability in games of various difficulty levels. On the other hand, this new game is suitable for people who are not good at games but are confident that they can enjoy live streaming, and the quality of the video will be quite interesting.
The game is being developed and published by indie game developer Anegar Games, and this is their highly anticipated debut on Steam. By the way, this developer has uploaded information on two new titles to Steam, so if you're a fan of their style, you might want to add their next title to your wishlist.
Immediately after its release, the game received 2,018 user reviews on Steam, with the overall rating being “very positive,'' showing that the game is off to a good start. A big reason for this is its compatibility with the “live streaming video” mentioned later, but more than that, it's a multiplayer game where you can see a lot of ridiculous scenes, and that's probably the biggest factor.
Game features
Using a third-person perspective, the player's mission is to operate a character who is his or her alter ego and aim for the top. The game features game graphics that have a certain level of reality, and you should be able to fully enjoy the physics-based play elements while enjoying the locations that gradually change from hell.
The main attraction of this work is the “chains'' that connect players during multiplayer, and these chains are not just a visual presence, but have physical effects that affect the game. The chain that is tied around the waist like a prisoner restricts the distance that players can move, and sometimes it is possible to play as a “hindrance'' to the opponent, so it is full of fun.
Many players are addicted to this chain setting that allows you to “involve your opponent'', and the multiplayer mode is guaranteed to have a lot of laughs. Of course, you are free to cooperate with each other as you play, but the author has clearly provided situations where players can play around with each other during multiplayer, so take advantage of it.
The game has three difficulty levels. The general “Normal Mode” is a hardcore mode where if you fail, you fall into the abyss and have to start over again, but if you start the game in Beginner Mode, you will be allowed to teleport to your previous “highest point” when a big fall occurs. Let's play and use them properly.
By the way, these measures are taken because the actual play time is extremely long to clear the game. Since this game is designed to take over an hour to play, some people may find it difficult to start over from the beginning. For such people, “Beginner Mode” is definitely recommended, as it requires minimal penalties.
The third game mode, “Rava”, is a mode that will be familiar to overseas players. Lava stands for “Lava'', and when you select this mode, lava will slowly rise from below, so if you don't break through the location within a certain amount of time, the game will be over. This is a super hardcore game mode for advanced players.
People overseas often joke that “Floor is Lava”, and this mode can be said to be a game mode that takes into account such cultural elements. Although the word is not very familiar to Japanese people, the fact that such jokes are incorporated into the game system shows the free creative attitude typical of an indie game developer.
Furthermore, the game has a “leaderboard” system, which allows you to compete with players around the world for clear time rankings. Rankings are calculated based on the number of players and mode selection, so it's fun to see how well you can compete with players from around the world when you take on the challenge seriously. Let's aim to clear in the fastest time.
New products that can be purchased for almost one coin price
The selling price on Steam is very cheap at 580 yen. It's a new game that stands out for its easy pricing that allows you to get it for almost the price of one coin, and you can purchase it now for 522 yen, 10% off, which is the release commemorative sale price. This price is a limited time price until June 27, 2024, so if you want to get the game as cheap as possible, get it now.
The interface is only available in English, and unfortunately there is no Japanese interface environment. However, there is only a small amount of text that directly affects the game, so if you have basic English reading comprehension, you should be able to enjoy the atmosphere. You can also take advantage of the multiplayer mode and play with friends who can speak English.
System requirements
Chained Together has medium system requirements. The graphic board presented in the recommended requirements is NVIDIA's RTX 3060 class, the recommended CPU model is Intel's i5-10400 class, and the recommended amount of main memory is 16GB. It's an action game that you can safely play if you have a mid-spec gaming PC.
The installation size is very compact at 6GB. In addition to its price range, the game is also notable for its lightness in terms of capacity, making it a title that players with a wide range of PC environments can participate in. If you are planning on playing online multiplayer, it is a good idea to keep in mind the communication speed of your internet connection.
The recommended new PC game “Chained Together'', in which you aim for the top from hell and progress through the action elements, is currently being distributed on the Steam store. It is a title that has received high user reviews, and is a groundbreaking new action game in that it allows you to share an intense game in multiplayer.
[Recommended points]A fun action game!
Gameplay flow
The first home screen has options for “Play'', “Settings'', and “Quit'', as well as access to a “Leaderboard'' section where you can see record holders. By the way, as mentioned above, the work will not be compatible with the Japanese interface, so all characters displayed will be in English only, but since it is a simple language, there should be no particular problem.
When you select play, a character selection screen appears. When playing multiplayer, this becomes the lobby screen, where up to four players can each choose the character they want to control. The characters are oddly good-looking and have serious eyes, but the gameplay is unbalanced and quite interesting.
The player's role is to “aim for the top'' in a world where various locations appear, from the depths of hell that look like they would appear in a fantasy RPG, to scenery that looks like a combination of assets from somewhere (excuse me). Let's challenge the endless “journey to the top'' while skillfully moving the controlled character in a world where physics calculations are moderately effective.
Basic character operations are simple, such as running, jumping, and grabbing and climbing. During multiplayer, in addition to this, there is an action to “pull'' fellow players connected with a chain. When you are not in sync with the other player, you can use a pulling motion to prevent them from moving forward, and this action can be used for other purposes as well.
If you're looking to livestream a game and create “interesting scenes,” try applying the brakes by pulling the brakes in a way that gets in the way of people. If played too often, there is a possibility that friendships will be damaged, but these “silly games'' only shine when unpredictable events occur. Playing around is a very important element.
Many objects floating in the air appear on the stages of this game, and if you take a wrong step, you may be irreversible. The playing viewpoint is a “third-person view'' with a good view of the camera, so be sure to check the “height difference'' while moving the camera before jumping. It's a work that requires the mindset of not failing.
Many of the “indie game titles with difficult action elements'' that have been released on Steam so far have been “for solo play'', but this game is designed for multiplayer with up to 4 people, so if you are thinking about live streaming, you should definitely play in multiplayer. It should be much more fun than playing solo.
As for the game balance, it has been designed with multiplayer in mind, so it will become more and more interesting to play by working together (and sometimes holding each other back) to clear the many difficult points. However, although it depends on the player's ability, if you continue playing the entire game, the time will pass in “hours” rather than “minutes”.
In general, there is a tendency to avoid long gameplay videos other than live streaming, so it is necessary to come up with a distribution method for a game like this, which can easily take more than an hour to play for the first time. It's also kinder to let users who play together in multiplayer know that it will take time before they participate. Let's take on the challenge in perfect condition.
Even so, the world of this game is quite “crazy”, and during the play there are scenes where you drive a mysterious vehicle, adding to the chaotic worldview. This is a new action game title with a humorous “anything goes'' setting that seems to be the work of an indie game developer, and you'll be able to enjoy playing it with your fellow players to the fullest.
Part of what makes it so fun is the game's strangely realistic graphics, with the play elements in which serious-looking human characters desperately perform a series of actions as they aim for the top, creating a very surreal depiction. This is probably due to the influence of the legendary extremely annoying game “Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy''.
As the stage progresses, locations appear that have changed 180 degrees from the scene of hell. There is also a frightening scene where you walk on top of a skyscraper under construction, so be careful if you are afraid of heights. In the first place, this work is an action game with a world view that involves climbing to high places, so players who are afraid of heights should never play this game.
By the way, the height you have climbed so far and the total play time are displayed on the top left of the play screen interface. If you've gotten so caught up in the game that you've forgotten how much time has passed, check out this section to see just how much work has gone into it. It's basically a silly game, but it requires constant effort to clear it.
Even your fellow players, who played in a friendly manner at first, will start to show signs of fatigue as the playing time approaches 2 hours. Let's encourage each other through voice chat, aim for the summit, and enjoy the great sense of accomplishment of reaching the goal together. The memories of working together on this game will be treasured for a lifetime.
“Chained Together'' allows you to enjoy the fun of online cooperative play to the fullest, but due to the length of the play time, it can be said that if you don't handle it properly, you could lose a dear friend. Be very careful about managing your time so that you don't end up with a throwaway line like, “I can't handle this!”
[Recommended points]Let's play together!
Overall review: The era has entered the era of games for distribution
I think game creators today are definitely conscious of “live streaming'' on SNS. This includes individual indie game developers and major companies, and many of the people actively working on ways to make the play screen more interesting are indie game developers. If a game becomes a buzz during distribution, it will lead to an unprecedented advertising effect.
It is thought that it is only recently that videos of the game have started to be widely circulated, especially on YouTube. It can be said that the turning point was that it became less difficult for ordinary people to edit and distribute videos, and improvements in PC specs made it possible to perform complex simultaneous processing, but at the beginning, we did not expect this genre to generate so much enthusiasm.
I mostly watched other people's games at game arcades, and as a child I remember standing behind the players so as not to get in the way, and remembering in my mind that this is what good people can do. I have very fond memories of incorporating that play style when trying the game again and overcoming the difficulties.
When I was growing up, online environments didn't exist, so the only times I saw complete strangers playing games was at arcades or play areas at toy stores. As time progressed and the Internet environment developed explosively, environments were created that allowed players to watch other people's games from their own PCs.
Currently, countless streamers are posting their own live videos on video posting sites, and some YouTubers and VTubers have appeared who can make a living just by streaming videos. It feels like a world away from the days when people used to show off their skills at game centers, and it feels like there's a really impressive movement taking place. It's a change of times.
It is no exaggeration to say that the fun of live streaming videos lies in the “personality'' of the person playing the game. “Word sense'', the words that can be heard unintentionally while playing, is a major factor that attracts viewers, and the more a streamer can draw from a game, the more fans they tend to have from a wide range of age groups. However, this does not apply to broadcasters with specific age groups or hobbies in mind.
Many of the streamers who are conscious of a specific age group are young people, and they proceed with the game based on their “momentum.'' I've seen some of these videos, and some of the people had no idea about the game settings or misinterpreted them. However, this did not affect the majority of viewers, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the video distribution.
The barrier to entry for live game streaming is low, and no qualifications are required to participate in this genre. In the case of PC games, all you need is a gaming PC with decent specs, a set of computers, and a communication environment, and then by investing some money in video editing software, anyone can stream and have viewers watch their gameplay. It's a convenient time.
The great thing about such live streaming videos is that you can easily judge the content of the game immediately after it is released by watching the “actual play video'', which can be a good source of information for people who are thinking about whether or not to buy a game. On the other hand, because “spoilers'' may occur, some manufacturers often issue permission for distribution with caution.
There are a variety of types of live videos that reach the level of buzz, such as “fastest clearing'', “celebrities playing the game'', “influencers playing the game'', “using bugs in an interesting way'', and “considering elements that no one else has discovered'', making it easy for viewers to find the optimal channel according to their purpose.
The hottest thing is, of course, gameplay videos of new games, and the more “stupid games'' the game content is, the greater the demand for live videos. In the exact opposite direction, there is also “horror game commentary,'' but I personally think that these are two genres that are in fact two of the best, as they can sometimes have comedic elements.
So, do developers keep these movements in mind when creating games from scratch? The answer is that it depends on the content. For example, modern MMORPGs that don't have clear clear scenes are very weak as material for videos, so there should be no problem if developers just focus on making the game interesting.
On the other hand, people who are thinking about developing action games, horror games, etc. are forced into a situation where they are forced to be aware of live video distribution of the same genre, which currently has many enthusiastic fans. The situation of considering the “impressions'' of “if you watch this game as a video, will it convey the fun?'' occurs even on a subconscious level, and this has an impact on the style of the game.
The people who can make the most of this movement are indie game developers who can change the direction of their work at their own discretion, and many of them are adept at communicating on social media. In other words, it is easy to create an environment where you can create a game based on live streaming from the beginning, and it is possible to create a game in a direction that is suitable for streaming to some extent.
This work, “Chained Together'', was created under exactly such conditions and environment, and as expected, many game video contributors started playing this work immediately after the distribution service started. I don't think there's a commentator who doesn't think the style of this work, in which interesting elements occur randomly, is “delicious.''
Live streaming of games has the potential to directly contribute to gaming culture. As videos go viral, companies and developers have a huge opportunity to get their work advertised for free, and the synergistic effect has an immeasurable impact. It can be said that it is a method that can now be used as a legitimate “marketing tool.”
There are countless cases of people watching a live streaming video of a certain game and then becoming interested in the product and purchasing it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the game industry, which is stuck in a rut, and to miss it would be to turn a blind eye to reality. Currently, gameplay videos of new games take on a life of their own, and then users follow.
The only thing that does not apply to this example is the latest installment of a popular game series that everyone knows, and such titles have the privilege of being pre-purchased without having to rely on live streaming. However, currently, countless games are being created every day, and gamers cannot keep up with updating their knowledge about each one. That's when they use video.
In the past, there were many users who took on the risky gamble of buying a game based solely on the illustrations and atmosphere of the product package, but these days, gamers have become much tighter with their wallets, and with the spread of the Internet, the “shortness of patience'' has also added to this, making it difficult for them to make a quick decision to purchase a product they don't know about.
When people talk about a new game, the first thing that comes up is, “What is this game like?'' and a way to quickly find out is by streaming the game live. Some major game companies are now intentionally asking influencers to play the game in advance and using it as a means to spread the word about the game's content.
In the past, games were often released without knowing what they were about, but I think that's a good thing because they had a mysterious atmosphere. I'm sure there were many users who bought it and regretted it, saying, “It wasn't supposed to be this way,'' but I think that in the old days, the game industry had a sense of “romance,'' in a good sense, and everyone followed this trend and enjoyed the culture.
However, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of young users who are focusing their energy on “getting information as quickly as possible,'' and they are gathering information on the Internet as if it were a shame not to know anything about games. If this happens, it will be difficult for the game to maintain its mysterious appearance by the release date, and even those who have not purchased the game will be able to understand the general flow on the crucial release date.
Rockstar Games, an American game company, is exceptionally secretive, but this is extremely rare, and since there are no bad games in the games they produce, this can be seen as a sign of confidence. If you're completely confident in the content of your game, it's best not to do anything extra.
So how can game companies and developers that have not established the status and prestige of Rockstar Games make their work more popular? Getting featured on game introduction sites is a common practice, but users are now paying more attention to live videos. In such cases, there is no other option than to change something from the ground up.
That's why many forward-thinking companies and developers are now working hard to get featured in live streaming videos. Of course, the game system will also be designed to make the video more interesting and include catchy scenes that will entertain viewers. This is an effective method for the future of the game industry.
The above opinion is the author's personal opinion and is not necessarily correct. However, many of the new indie games that have suddenly gained popularity from obscurity are those that have been featured on SNS, and I get the impression that they are generating far more sales than games that are solely focused on advertising. This trend is likely to continue.
“Chained Together'' is a new indie game title that meets all the requirements in that respect, and sales of this work are likely to increase significantly in Japan as well, with the live streaming of the video. There is a slight sense that they are aiming for this, but if that's the case, then this indie game developer can be said to have very good business acumen.
The recommended new action game “Chained Together'', which boasts content that closely follows trends in the global game industry, is currently being distributed on the Steam Store.
[Recommended points]A new work perfect for live streaming!
