Chronos (2016 video game)

Last updated

Chronos
Chronos game cover.jpg
Developer(s) Gunfire Games
Publisher(s) Gunfire Games (original version)
THQ Nordic (Before the Ashes)
Director(s) David Adams
Designer(s) Nicolas Fikac
Marcus Luna DeLeon
Richard Vorodi
Platform(s) Original version
Microsoft Windows
Before the Ashes
Microsoft Windows
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
Stadia
Xbox One
ReleaseOriginal version
March 28, 2016
Before the Ashes
December 1, 2020 [1]
Genre(s) Action role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player

Chronos is a 2016 Soulslike action role-playing game developed and published by Gunfire Games for the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset. The game received generally positive reviews upon release. An overhauled version of the game, titled Chronos: Before the Ashes was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Stadia on December 1, 2020. [1]

Contents

Gameplay

Chronos is an action role-playing game viewed from a third-person perspective, though the game only has a fixed camera similar to the early Resident Evil games. In the game, the player assumes control of a customizable protagonist, who is on a quest to kill a dragon inside a labyrinth. The game's combat mainly involves slashing enemies with melee weapons while fending off hostile attacks with a shield. Should the player die when they are exploring, they can only reenter the labyrinth one in-game year later, and the player character will age, which alters the character's attributes. [2] As the player progresses in the game, they will solve puzzles, acquire new weapons and unlock magical powers. As the player earns experience, they will level up which allows them to improve the player character's attributes including strength, agility, arcane, and vitality. [3]

Development

The game was the first title released by Gunfire Games, which was co-founded by David Adams, the founder of Vigil Games who have created the Darksiders series. [4] The game was announced on June 11, 2015, during a press conference held by Oculus. [5] It was among the first titles unveiled for the Oculus Rift VR headset and it became the headset's launch game when it was released on March 28, 2016. [6]

In September 2020, THQ Nordic announced an overhauled version of the game named Chronos: Before the Ashes. This version of the game removes the VR requirement, and serves as the prequel to Gunfire's Remnant: From the Ashes . The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Stadia on December 1, 2020. [1]

Reception

The game received generally positive reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. [7] Critics compared the game to The Legend of Zelda and Dark Souls series. [15] [16] Some critics noted that gameplay-wise, the game was traditional but the incorporation of VR elevated the experience. [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Rift</span> Virtual reality headsets by Oculus VR

Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a virtual reality company founded by Palmer Luckey that is widely credited with reviving the virtual reality industry. It was the first virtual reality headset to provide a realistic experience at an accessible price, utilizing novel technology to increase quality and reduce cost by orders of magnitude compared to earlier systems. The first headset in the line was the Oculus Rift DK1, released on March 28, 2013. The last was the Oculus Rift S, discontinued in April 2021.

Superhot is an independent first-person shooter (FPS) video game developed and published by Superhot Team. Though the game follows traditional first-person shooter gameplay mechanics, with the player attempting to take out enemy targets using guns and other weapons, time within the game progresses at normal speed only when the player moves; this creates the opportunity for the player to assess their situation in slow motion and respond appropriately, making the gameplay similar to strategy video games. The game is presented in a minimalist art style, with enemies in red and weapons in black, in contrast to the otherwise white and grey environment.

Eve: Valkyrie was a multiplayer dogfighting shooter game set in the Eve Online universe that was designed to use virtual reality headset technology. Originally launched for Microsoft Windows for use with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, CCP Games had announced they plan to enable cross-platform play between the three major VR systems: the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, and the PlayStation VR. Released in March 2016, the game had two game mode options: Chronicles could be played in single player, while Combat allowed eight by eight combat PvP missions. Reviews generally criticized the limited plot and limitations of single player mode, although the described "arcade experience" was praised for having intuitive controls and "exhilarating" dogfighting features, with PC Powerplay dubbing it "arguably the best VR experience currently available for the [Oculus Rift] platform."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reality Labs</span> Virtual and augmented reality products company

Reality Labs, formerly Oculus VR, is a business and research unit of Meta Platforms that produces virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hardware and software, including virtual reality headsets such as Quest, and online platforms such as Horizon Worlds. In June 2022, several artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives that were previously a part of Meta AI were transitioned to Reality Labs. This also includes Meta's fundamental AI Research laboratory FAIR which is now part of the Reality Labs - Research (RLR) division.

<i>Edge of Nowhere</i> 2016 video game

Edge of Nowhere is an action-adventure virtual reality video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Oculus Studios. The player controls adventurer Victor Howard as he ventures into Antarctica in order to find his fiancée's lost expedition while encountering unworldly beasts. Edge of Nowhere is based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness. The game released on June 6, 2016, exclusively for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset on Microsoft Windows.

<i>Batman: Arkham VR</i> 2016 video game

Batman: Arkham VR is a virtual reality adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4 and Windows. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is part of the Batman: Arkham series and the first installment to use virtual reality headsets, allowing players to experience the game world from Batman's perspective. Arkham VR was released worldwide on October 11, 2016, for PlayStation 4 and on April 25, 2017, for Windows for VR headsets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Survios</span> American virtual reality game developer and software publisher based in Los Angeles, California

Survios is an American virtual reality game developer and software publisher based in Los Angeles, California. The company develops virtual reality software and games, including the titles Raw Data and Sprint Vector. Survios was created by graduates from the University of Southern California's Mixed Reality Lab, where they worked together on Project Holodeck. The company has raised over $54 million in venture funding led by Shasta Ventures, Lux Capital and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<i>Luckys Tale</i> 2016 3D platforming video game for Oculus Rift

Lucky's Tale is a 2016 platform game developed and published by American studio Playful Studios and released in 2016 as a launch title and pack-in game for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. A sequel without VR support titled Super Lucky's Tale was released worldwide in November 2017. A remastered version of the game was released for Oculus Quest 2 and PCVR headsets via Steam in 2021, featuring improvements to the game's graphics, audio and movement, as well as replacing Lucky's character model with the one from New Super Lucky's Tale. A PlayStation VR version was released on April 7, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual reality game</span> Video game played in virtual reality

A virtual reality game or VR game is a video game played on virtual reality (VR) hardware. Most VR games are based on player immersion, typically through a head-mounted display unit or headset with stereoscopic displays and one or more controllers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunfire Games</span> American video game developer

Gunfire Games, LLC is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. The studio was founded by David Adams in July 2014, bringing with him the core team of Crytek USA just before that studio's closure. The company was acquired by THQ Nordic in August 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Go</span> Untethered virtual reality headset by Oculus VR

The Oculus Go is a standalone virtual reality headset developed by Meta Reality Labs in partnership with Qualcomm and Xiaomi. It is in the first generation of Facebook Technologies' virtual reality headsets, and the company's first device in the category of standalone VR headsets, which was a new category at the time of the Go's release. The Oculus Go was unveiled on October 11, 2017 during the Oculus Connect developer conference, and released on May 1, 2018. Xiaomi launched their own version of the headset in China as the Mi VR Standalone on May 31, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Quest</span> Virtual reality headset

The first-generation Oculus Quest is a discontinued virtual reality headset developed by Oculus, a brand of Facebook Inc., and released on May 21, 2019. Similar to its predecessor, Oculus Go, it is a standalone device, that can run games and software wirelessly under an Android-based operating system. It supports positional tracking with six degrees of freedom, using internal sensors and an array of cameras in the front of the headset rather than external sensors. The cameras are also used as part of the safety feature "Passthrough", which shows a view from the cameras when the user exits their designated boundary area known as "Guardian". A later software update added "Oculus Link", a feature that allows the Quest to be connected to a computer via USB, enabling use with Oculus Rift-compatible software and games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Rift S</span> Virtual reality head-mounted display

Oculus Rift S is a discontinued virtual reality headset co-developed by Lenovo Technologies and Oculus VR. Announced in March 2019 and released that May, it is a successor to the original Oculus Rift CV1 model, with noted changes including a new "inside-out" positional tracking system with cameras embedded inside the headset unit, a higher-resolution display, and a new "halo" head strap.

<i>Stormland</i> (video game) 2019 video game

Stormland is a 2019 action-adventure game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Oculus Studios for the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset. The game put emphasis on both exploration and combat as the player character, an android gardener named Vesper, traverses an alien planet from a first-person perspective. The game received generally positive reviews from critics upon release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Rift CV1</span> Virtual reality headset by Oculus VR

Oculus Rift CV1, also known simply as Oculus Rift, is a virtual reality headset developed by Oculus VR, a subsidiary of Meta Platforms, known at the time as Facebook Inc. It was announced in January 2016, and released in March the same year. The device constituted the first commercial release in the Oculus Rift lineup.

<i>Asgards Wrath</i> 2019 video game

Asgard's Wrath is a 2019 action role-playing game developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Oculus Studios for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. In the game, the player assumes control of a Norse god who must guide several mortal heroes to fulfill their destinies. The game received generally positive reviews. Asgard's Wrath 2 was released on the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 in 2023.

<i>Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife</i> 2021 video game

Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife is a virtual reality survival horror video game developed and published by Swedish studio Fast Travel Games, released in 2021. It is based on White Wolf Publishing's 1994 tabletop role-playing game Wraith: The Oblivion, and is part of the larger World of Darkness series. The game was released for Oculus Quest & Rift, Steam VR, PICO 4 and PlayStation VR, with support for the VR headsets HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, and Valve Index.

<i>Gorn</i> (video game) 2019 video game

Gorn is a 2019 virtual reality game developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital. The player is a gladiator who fights opponents to death in arena using weapons at their disposal. The game was launched in early access in 2016, and had a full release on July 18, 2019 for Microsoft Windows. A PlayStation VR version released in 2020 and an Oculus Quest port followed in 2021. An updated version for the PlayStation VR2 was released March 16, 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Yin-Poole, Wesley (September 10, 2020). "Chronos: Before the Ashes is the prequel to Remnant: From the Ashes". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  2. ↑ Pearce, Alanah (May 3, 2017). "Chronos Review". IGN . Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  3. ↑ McNamara, Andy (March 28, 2016). "Chronos: A Labyrinth With Many Layers". Game Informer . Archived from the original on July 7, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  4. ↑ Tach, Dave (June 11, 2015). "Chronos is coming to Oculus Rift from former Darksiders devs, with aging mechanic". Polygon . Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  5. ↑ Webster, Andrew (June 11, 2015). "These are the first Oculus Rift games". The Verge . Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  6. ↑ Calandra, Nick (February 1, 2016). "Gunfire Games' VR RPG 'Chronos' to Be Released in March". The Escapists . Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Chronos for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Chronos: Before the Ashes for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Chronos: Before the Ashes for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Chronos: Before the Ashes for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Chronos: Before the Ashes for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . Red Ventures. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  12. ↑ Pearce, Alanah (April 14, 2016). "Chronos Review". IGN . Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  13. ↑ Rairdin, John (December 8, 2020). "Chronos: Before the Ashes (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  14. ↑ Kemp, Luke (December 7, 2020). "Chronos: Before the Ashes review". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  15. ↑ Whitaker, Jed (March 22, 2016). "Chronos looks like the gritty Legend of Zelda we have been waiting for". Destructoid . Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  16. ↑ Donlan, Christian (April 29, 2016). "Chronos VR: a single-player game that makes you feel like you're two people". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  17. ↑ Robertson, Adi (April 11, 2016). "Chronos is a VR game about stress, skill, and the weirdness of fiction". The Verge . Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  18. ↑ Barett, Ben (March 29, 2016). "Chronos is the proof you needed that traditional games work in VR". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2020.

Official website

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.