I haven’t played Remnant: From the Ashes, so I had little idea of what to expect going into its prequel, Chronos: Before the Ashes. All I knew was that Chronos was an action-adventure title with an aging mechanic tied to death…
And then I learned that this “prequel” is actually an updated version of a title originally released for Oculus VR headsets in 2016.
My curiosity turned to apprehension. How well would game design four years out of date, originally intended for a completely different device, hold up on a conventional console?
Pretty damn well, actually.
Chronos: Before the Ashes doesn’t do anything particularly new, mechanically, and the aging schtick is more of a gimmick than a substantive gameplay element, but it does pick and choose some of the stronger elements from its forebears and contemporaries without overcomplicating itself, and it doesn’t copy anything without understanding why it worked in previous games. Props to Gunfire Games for showing solid design sense and a literacy of the language that makes their game engaging rather than frustrating.
That’s really the key, because Chronos: Before the Ashes gives the impression that it has a built-in time limit. Does it actually? It’s possible you could simply age up forever — I didn’t find out in my playthrough — but the fact that my character was aging with each death certainly made me a bit more cautious.
Other elements further promoted caution: the primary healing mechanic only recharges on death, so I was reluctant to use them, particularly if I was close to leveling and getting a free refill.
Levels are one of the ways Chronos: Before the Ashes distinguishes itself from its Soulslike relatives: Instead of a soul-collecting mechanic (or an analog thereof), it has a standard RPG leveling system, with points you distribute between four attributes each time you fill an experience bar. The balance of point costs between the attributes shift as you age, but this never really felt like it was closing off a pathway so much as helping guide me.
And that’s another way in which Chronos: Before the Ashes departs from the Soulslike formula: it’s a very guided experience. Not in that it feels simple, or trivializes its challenge, but in that the game is relatively linear. There’s a certain amount of exploration you can do — and there are definitely some trickier puzzles that rely on your ability to observe your environment and remember specific details — but you’re never really at a loss as to what you should be doing next.
This linearity extends to the rest of the game, with only a few types of items, a very small collection of magical enhancements, and an only slightly larger variety of weapons (though your choice will be heavily informed by which attribute, Strength or Agility, you’ve decided to focus on; each weapon only gets a bonus from one of the two, and the specifics of that bonus vary).
Combat adds a little spice by tying enhanced counterattacks to well-timed dodges in addition to the now-expected shield parry, and it does feel satisfying once the pieces of the system click into place. But you won’t be slinging spells or using magical items, and even the firearms of the sequel, Remnant: From the Ashes, are absent. I still recommend it though for what it offers.
The absolute best parts of Chronos: Before the Ashes will stick in your mind long after you finish, both due to some extremely memorable visual design and the stark contrast between the swords-and-sorcery feel of the majority of the game and the more grounded, modern locales you also get to explore. There’s something very satisfying about the dissonance of your medieval-armed adventurer in a tower made of concrete, accessing a computer terminal. The narrative that seeks to justify this disconnect doesn’t quite stick the landing, but it’s still compelling enough that I was curious to learn more, and I will likely be picking up Remnant: From the Ashes the next time it goes on sale.
Should you play Chronos: Before the Ashes? I think it’s a perfectly enjoyable way to spend a weekend, though it’s likely to leave you wanting something more.
