It was only a few months ago that we heard Chaos Rings 3 was being made, and time sure does fly, because it’s finally here. Well, depending on where ‘here’ is for you, I suppose. As of today, Chaos Rings 3 has officially launched on the App Store in Japan for the price of 2,800 yen, or about $25 US, with no IAP whatsoever. We’ve yet to get even an announcement of its release internationally, let alone a specific date we could expect it, but given the general success of the series worldwide, it’s probably safe to assume it is coming at some point.

Chaos Rings 3 tells a new story with new characters in a new setting, though there might be some less-obvious links to the older games yet to be discovered. Still, even with the fresh coat of paint, the game will be pretty familiar for fans of the old games. It’s still a turn-based RPG with random battles, and it has the same mission-based structure as the older games where you travel out to various locations from a hub. Gene collection and partner attacks also make a return. One big difference is the new game engine, allowing for full 3D environments instead of the pre-rendered backgrounds found in the previous games. There’s also an unmistakable change in the tone of the game, with a new artist, brightly-colored visuals, and a more pop-like sound to the music. If the other games have taught us anything, however, it’s probably best not to jump to conclusions based on the surface. I’m sure we can look forward to a fun, interesting story to go with the traditional gameplay.

I’ll be playing Chaos Rings 3 feverishly over the weekend to bring you more substantial impressions as soon as possible, but in the meantime, feel free to check out the videos we took at the Tokyo Game Show to get a feel for the game. Now that the Japanese launch is settled, let’s hope Square Enix starts talking about their international plans soon. Keep checking back here at TouchArcade for more news and impressions about this sure-to-be-hit game.

Japanese App Store Link: CHAOS RINGS III, ¥2,800 (Universal)