Chronos: Before the Ashes

While I wish the combat was more responsive, Chronos: Before the Ashes more than makes up for it with an interesting setting, a marvelous age mechanic and puzzle content that lends it distinct flavor while keeping the entire experience firmly within the soulslike genre. I’m a huge fan of From’s work, but there’s a lot of room to grow the genre they created, and Gunfire Games has done exactly that here.

You feel like adding a few puzzle elements to your Dark Souls light? Then you should check out this little adventure that adds a creative aging process to the fighting and exploration.

This is a simple souls-like game and great for people wanting to get into the genre. With difficulty settings, plenty of interesting new mechanics and a fun world, it's definitely a good game to try.

If you liked the look of Dark Souls but bounced off the difficulty, Chronos offers a solid (if cheaper), more user-friendly, yet still demanding alternative. [Issue#184, p.90]

Chronos: Before the Ashes is a tough game to recommend to Remnant fans due to its comparatively flawed combat system and less amount of content overall. Nevertheless, I still believe that while the game does not live up to its full potential, it still has just enough charm to be worth at least a try for hardcore fans of the action-RPG genre.

Chronos: Before the Ashes has a slow tempo and challenging combat, and it can serve greatly as a workshop for those who are looking to get into the Souls series.

Chronos: Before the Ashes is a pretty good adventure title, that comes with a rather simple combat system, some cool locations, and an intriguing plot, which focuses on mystery and puzzle solving. Some of the levels may feel repetitive, but if you want to take a break from big budget games and spend some quite and comfy times with something of a smaller scale on the holiday season, then Chronos is a pretty good choice for that.

Those who want to grow wiser and older should venture into this labyrinth filled with puzzles and varied enemies and face the dragon. With immersive visuals and a great battle system, an enjoyable journey is guaranteed. Though it may not reach the same atmospheric levels as Demon Souls or Bloodborne, action RPG fans would do well to give Chronos: Before the Ashes a chance to test their killing abilities.

Chronos doesn’t totally shed its VR veneer, but the simplicity of its roots make it an inviting, uncomplicated option for fans of Souls-likes and RPGs.

It takes a bit of getting used to, as expected, and is a bit heavy-handed with its combat and vague on storytelling. But once you’re getting used to its nuances, Chronos: Before the Ashes opens up into a great little Soulsborne affair.

Chronos: Before The Ashes brings to the Souls formula some interesting ideas that, if further explored, could expand on a beloved formula quite nicely. However, in its present form, these ideas contradict themselves, creating more of a red herring than a legitimate risk-reward system. Regardless, the game is fun to play, but the narrative and initially appealing age mechanic don't reach the end of the game with the same intensity.

Chronos is a solid mix of combat, exploration and puzzles, although it doesn’t feel so powerful without the VR.

The transition from a VR-only title to a full fledged action rpg was not smooth, but Chronos Before The Ashes is still a decent choice if you're looking for a simpler and more linear soulslike.

Unfortunately, the prequel therefore does not equal the quality of Remnant: From the Ashes, limiting itself to offering a not particularly memorable Action RPG experience.

Chronos: Before the Ashes is the prequel of Remnant: From the Ashes, but the quality is much lower.

There's a lot to like about Chronos: Before the Ashes and there were moments where I was fully enveloped in the mystery of this world and the combat, which does offer a sense of accomplishment once you figure out the most efficient way to take down an enemy. The narrative parts of the game were incredibly strong and the uniqueness of the aging concept and its impact on your hero is definitely a feather in its cap. Unfortunately, the core combat isn't something I necessarily enjoyed on a moment-to-moment basis, and the sparseness of story elements and character interactions hold it back and keep you from becoming completely immersed in your adventure. With some smoothing of the edges and more of a narrative presence, this could be a knockout, and here's hoping we get another chance to see that happen.

Chronos: Before the Ashes is an enjoyable enough Souls like with more puzzles than you'd expect from that but its VR roots make it a rather pedestrian affair with rough edges. The ageing mechanic is a great idea, it's just a shame that to experience it fully you have to be really quite bad at the game.

Quotation forthcoming.

Chronos: Before the Ashes is a more than serviceable action-RPG that, while unremarkable, is still a fun jaunt in its own right.

Despite being the second go-round for Chronos, Before the Ashes does feel like a decent take on the popular From Software Souls formula. It’s stripped-down design, while somewhat rewarding, does tend to leave a bit to be desired in the depth department. And though it may have been a welcome sight in the barren VR landscape of four years ago, trying to simply re-release the same experience without progressing the gameplay any further ends up leaving quite a bit to be desired. Unless you are extremely invested in learning more about the back story of the Remnant universe, you’d probably be better off dodging this skirmish entirely.