Chronos: Before the Ashes is a prequel of sorts to Gunfire Game’s Remnant: From the Ashes, their 2019 “Dark Souls with guns” breakout hit. It’s also a non-VR port of Chronos, which had previously only been available on the Oculus Rift. It follows a young warrior as they make their way through a series of challenges to kill a dragon that is bringing darkness to the world. Unlike Remnant, however, it’s focused around melee combat instead of firearms, although the setting and slow deliberate combat persist.
The game borrows heavily from the “Soulsborne” genre of games born out of From Software’s infamous franchises. However, this is very much a “Dark Souls lite” experience. It features many of the common tropes of these games: slow, deliberate combat; challenging, respawning enemies; and a mysterious world to explore. All these things are presented a less-harsh fashion than many other games in the genre. Even the story is delivered almost like fairy tale.
Don’t get me wrong, the combat is still challenging and the game has many systems that allow you to customize your character, but everything is plainly explained. The game even features more esoteric features of the genre like shortcuts that lead back to the game’s stand-in for bonfires. This is all to say that, if the bigger, badder games in this genre are intimidating to you, then Chronos: Before the Ashes might be a less punishing place to dip your toe in.
It may even be a good place for young gamers to jump in as well. As I mentioned previously, the game opens like a fairy tale, isn’t overtly violent or frightening, and has a simple yet traditional RPG system. It’s also more linear than most entries in this genre, allowing you to move through the story without getting lost along the way. It may not keep the die-hard fans satisfied, but will satiate those looking for a slightly more challenging than usual action-RPG. It may also provide fans of Remnant: From the Ashes insight into the series’ twisted and unique world.
It’s available now on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Switch.
