The first thing that must be said about this game is that it's not a "prequel" to Remnant, as many have labeled it. In fact, Chronos: Before the Ashes - originally known simply as, Chronos - was a VR only title released in 2016 for the Oculus Rift. To make this short; the only thing good about this game is art style and atmosphere. The combat is uninspired, the map design/layout is bland, the enemies are repetitive and obnoxious, the weapons are samey, the boss fights are slow and plodding, the RPG elements are barely there, and finally, it's "Aging when you die" mechanic, is shallow to the point of unnecessary. To make this long: What I find most frustrating about this game is some of the baffling design choices that were made. -You get to choose between a strength or agility weapon when you start, but the next 3 weapons you find will all be strength based. -The camera lock-on puts you in a low over-the-shoulder view, where your character can obscure smaller enemies. -Healing items are only regenerated upon death, and death has no real penalty besides aging (which lowers physical stats, increases your magic stat, and gives you a trait every 10 years). So jumping off a cliff can be a pretty good way to both avoid backtracking and also to replenish heals. -Leveling up is done like in World of Warcraft. Fill your XP bar, go ding, and get full health, even in combat. I really wanted to have fun with this game, considering how much I like the art style, lighting, and soulslikes in general, but I think the best thing Chronos did for me was bring about Remnant (which itself is a flawed and janky game). Not giving the game a 1 because it boots up and runs well, but not giving it a 3 because that's my bare minimum for an enjoyable game; this game just exists. Who cares though. I'm gonna go outside now.
