THQ Nordic gave me the opportunity to experience a truly unique and beautiful RPG that is Chronos: Before the Ashes. This game is a prequel to Remnant: From the Ashes.
Chronos: Before the Ashes, takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where players play as a hero who is sent to a place known as the Labyrinth to put an end to an evil that comes from it. The gateway to this other world is only open once a year and if the player dies, they come back to the Labyrinth a year later, and older.
Now onto the game itself! The controls are easy to learn and are pretty basic for an RPG involving the use of shields and weapons so fans of hack & slash games will most likely have fun with this, the option to turn on the tutorial is a great option too. The fighting has Dark Souls feel to it as blocks, parries, and dodges play a big role in combat.
At the start of the game you have the option to choose your character’s gender and whether they carry a sword OR ax; you don’t have to worry about the weapon choice as you will discover other weapons along the way and most likely use them. As you play you find Dragon shards that you can use to upgrade weaponry.
As you fight enemies you earn points that will accumulate and grant you to level up your character, as you play on and depending on the character’s age, other perks and bonuses will unlock which leads to the interesting age mechanic. In Chronos: Before the Ashes, when a player dies, their age increases. At the start of the game, the character is 18 and as they progress in age they unlock new abilities where they start off with physical strength and as they get older they start to use magic.
The sound in the game is pretty good along with the soundtrack, I just wish there was more ambient music. The art of the game is beautiful and fitting for an RPG story that mixes fantasy with a hint of the modern world. The overall gameplay is fun with a mix of combat and puzzle-solving as well as exploring the unique world you’re in to find lore.
Overall Chronos: Before the Ashes is an amazing game! I never played Remnant: From the Ashes but I don’t feel I’m missing anything important by not playing it before this game, if you’re someone who likes RPGs with unique level-up systems, this is a game for you. Even if you’re not into RPGs, this game’s atmosphere is enough to entice you to play and explore the world that is Chronos: Before the Ashes.
On my scale of 1-10, it having gameplay feel of Dark souls and “Zelda” earned it a well deserved 10! Chronos: Before the Ashes will come out December 1st for Steam, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia
