CHRONOS: BEFORE THE ASHES
Growing old disgracefully
This prequel to Gunfire Games’ breakout shooter Remnant: From The Ashes differs in many ways from its forebear, not least as it was previously designed as an Oculus VR adventure. A complete overhaul sees the action RPG poised to impress on PlayStation 4.
The setup could have been copied from an 8bit Atari game. You’re chosen to defeat a rising evil presence by entering a labyrinth and bludgeoning anything that moves. It’s hardly the work of Shakespeare, but we can’t deny the appeal of a mysterious maze packed with magical monsters, puzzles, and mystical beasts.
Where Chronos: Before The Ashes threatens to surprise is with the systems it hangs off that wafer-thin premise. If you die in the maze you lose a year of your life, returning to the challenge older, wiser, and wearier.
The game features a unique aging mechanic that alters how you play the older you get. In early attempts you’re young and agile and can rely on classic melee combat to survive. As you age, those old moves don’t land, but you’ve learned a lot and can now lean into magical attacks. You’ll need to adapt to your new age with every return. This combination of classic adventuring and a unique vein of roleplaying differentiates Chronos: Before The Ashes from the pack.
TIME ATTACK
We see our hero going blade-toblade with a four-armed golem that spins like a whirling dervish. Further into the labyrinth, a slower-moving, club-carrying stone brute slams the ground and our hero dodges. Combat is built around avoiding attacks and countering creatures.
The roleplaying comes to the fore as the hero’s sword ignites, illuminating the room and showcasing the game’s lighting – swathes of the dungeon are smothered in darkness, and many monsters have luminescent parts that tease from the shadows.
There’s the feel of a unique soulsborne-like grind to Chronos, and literally only time can tell if the game can match its promise.