Chronicon
- July 28, 2015
- Subworld
- 34h median play time
Get on Steam"Chronicon is a historical hack and slash game with outstanding game mechanics, good graphics, and a sensational soundtrack. Play as one of four unique classes and experience the stories of the Heroes of Old in procedurally generated dungeons, either solo or in local co-op for up to 4 players. With over 400 unique items and plenty of humor, Chronicon offers fantastic replayability and a good story, although it can be very grinding."
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Chronicon offers a deep and rewarding character customization system with free respecs, allowing players to experiment with various builds.
- The game features a robust loot system with a high drop rate, making it satisfying to collect and upgrade gear.
- Despite its pixel art graphics, the gameplay is fast-paced and engaging, providing a fun experience reminiscent of classic ARPGs.
- The game can feel too easy, especially on normal difficulty, leading to a lack of challenge during the campaign.
- There is a significant amount of loot, which can become overwhelming and tedious to manage, even with a loot filter.
- The graphics and UI may not appeal to everyone, and some players may find the combat lacks impact and responsiveness.
- graphics434 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that evokes nostalgia, though opinions vary widely among players. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic and find it fitting for the gameplay, others criticize it as simplistic or unappealing, suggesting that it may deter potential players. Overall, many reviewers agree that despite the graphics not being top-tier, the depth of gameplay and mechanics more than compensate for any visual shortcomings.
“The game looks nice, with a charming pixelated art style, and ran great, which is excellent given the number of visual effects that can be on the screen at one time.”
“Chronicon is a true hidden gem within the realm of pixel graphics ARPGs.”
“The pixel graphics and animations for spells and effects are excellent.”
“The graphics are not great.”
“I was turned off by the graphics initially and that is why I didn't buy it despite the stellar reviews.”
“The graphics aren't that interesting and the levels feel really samey.”
- gameplay407 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its fun mechanics, tight controls, and extensive character development options reminiscent of classic ARPGs like Diablo. However, some players find the gameplay repetitive and grindy, particularly in the late game, where the challenge diminishes until higher difficulties are unlocked. Overall, while the game excels in providing a satisfying loot and combat experience, it may not appeal to those seeking a deep narrative or innovative mechanics.
“Gameplay is fun with tight controls, cool skills, lots of loot, and extensive character development.”
“The gameplay loop is just as addictive as the best of them, and the dev seems very committed to the game, with tons of content for even the most hardcore loot n' slash fans.”
“Chronicon has a lot of depth to the gameplay and a lot of features that make the game quite enjoyable.”
“The result has been an experience that consists of mostly tedious gameplay.”
“In the campaign, the highest difficulty is a cakewalk once you find a good legendary or two, resulting in a couple of hours of very boring gameplay until higher difficulties are unlocked.”
“The gameplay is fluid after you get the hang of it, plus you get to be comfortable using a gamepad.”
- story263 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in this game is generally considered minimal and not a primary focus, often serving merely as a backdrop for gameplay. While some players appreciate the neat premise and thematic elements, many find the narrative lacking depth and engagement, with quests primarily revolving around combat and loot collection. Overall, the game is recommended for those who prioritize gameplay mechanics and endgame content over a compelling storyline.
“The story mode, despite providing many side quests to the characters, is straightforward. It depicts the action of a 'dream/memory traveler' (you, the player) reliving the tales of past heroes whose struggle brought peace to the world, which is an interesting choice of storytelling.”
“The story isn't groundbreaking by any means, but it provides context to the areas and mobs/bosses. It is easy to follow and serves as a backdrop for everything that is going on.”
“The story is neat but doesn't get in the way if you're not into that kind of thing. Completing the story lets your other characters level up easily.”
“The story is mostly nonexistent, but that's clearly not the focus.”
“The story is lacking; it's just a filler tutorial for the end-game.”
“The story is incredibly minimalistic and doesn't really serve any purpose; characters do nothing except stand around.”
- grinding146 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from players. While many appreciate the rewarding nature of grinding for gear and build optimization, noting that it can be fun and engaging, others find it tedious and overwhelming, especially in the late game where the grind can feel excessive. Overall, the game offers a balance of enjoyable grinding mechanics with some quality-of-life improvements, but it may not appeal to those who dislike repetitive gameplay.
“For example, there is a lot of content in this game, but it's not too grindy.”
“The main standout to me is with how the enchant and rune systems work; you aren't grinding for hundreds of hours hoping the same items drop with slightly better stats.”
“You can also re-roll stats and upgrade/maximize stats on your drops, so you're not grinding hours and hours for the same drop to get perfect rolls.”
“The result has been an experience that consists of mostly tedious gameplay.”
“30 hours of grinding to not even get to try a build is inexcusable in any game today, and when the main bulk of the game should be end-game build-experimenting, the fact it falls so far short there is a real problem.”
“You will hear a loud thud in game notifying you that a unique or legendary item has dropped, then when you pick it up and find out it's basically the same thing from before... it's kind of disappointing and makes looking or grinding for loot meaningless and just not something you look forward to at all.”
- music61 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it relaxing and atmospheric, while others describe it as forgettable or repetitive. Many appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the gameplay experience, though some suggest it can be easily replaced with personal playlists. Overall, while the music is generally considered decent, it lacks standout tracks and can sometimes feel uninspired.
“Music: 10/10”
“The music is beautiful and atmospheric, the loot has several tiers such as ordinary (white), rare (purple), unique (light purple), legendary (red), and true legendary (<orange>).”
“The game is really charming, the music is relaxing and catchy, and the combat gets really fun.”
“Music is utterly forgettable, and I encourage you to trade it for your own playlist ASAP. What voice acting there is has clearly been done in-house and often sounds corny and cringe, especially the voice lines of the various bosses.”
“Unfortunately, the music is not that memorable, but there is a good reason for that.”
“- the music/soundtrack can be a bit repetitive after some time.”
- replayability45 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptionally high replayability, driven by diverse character classes, extensive build customization, and procedural generation of zones that keep gameplay fresh. Players appreciate the depth of content, including endgame challenges and the ability to experiment with different builds, making it a compelling choice for fans of action RPGs. While some note limitations in campaign randomness, the overall consensus is that the game's replay value is substantial and well worth the investment.
“This game literally has so much content that it can do exactly that, the procedural generation of each zone is pretty amazing and well done and the fact that all of the areas scale to whatever level you are gives a lot of replayability of one zone if you plan to farm specific gear which is a good thing.”
“The depth in gear customization and skill choice is much deeper than I would have ever thought and the end game replayability stands up to many of the aforementioned ARPGs that I've sunk thousands of hours into in the past.”
“The depth in gear customization and skill choice is much deeper than I would have ever thought, and the endgame replayability stands up to many of the aforementioned ARPGs that I've sunk thousands of hours into in the past.”
“The character classes are different enough to have replay value to the game.”
“Overall this is a very promising game, sort of like a diamond in the rough, quite worth its price compared to the hours of content provided, and there's replayability with playing different classes and doing anomalies.”
- optimization36 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the depth of build customization and smooth gameplay, others report significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end hardware. Some users have experienced lag and sluggishness, especially in dense combat scenarios, while others note that the game runs well with proper settings adjustments. Overall, the game offers a solid foundation for optimization enthusiasts, but technical performance can vary widely among players.
“Easy to pick up with lots to dive into if you enjoy tinkering with builds and optimization.”
“The skills feel useful and interesting, the itemization is complex enough to allow for meaningful customization and optimization, the additional crafting systems are not random busywork, but proper enhancements to your gear that you can explore and improve over time.”
“It nails the fundamentals that made older action RPGs great: local multiplayer, plenty of variety in character building, a known quantity of rare items and powers... and it nails what makes modern 'big number' games fun: build optimization, fitting pieces together to create exponential power growth, fast pace, and smooth gameplay.”
“I've been having issues with performance though.”
“Somehow I can play games like ESO, Overwatch, or Skyrim, but this game is so poorly optimized that it runs at a glacial slow rate.”
“The foundation it is built on is very poorly optimized.”
- stability18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 56 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many users reporting a largely bug-free experience and smooth performance on various platforms, including Steam Deck and Linux. While some minor issues, such as audio bugs and occasional freezes, have been noted, they do not significantly detract from gameplay. Players appreciate the game's reliability, especially for an early access title, though some aspects of multiplayer and inventory management could use improvement.
“It runs great on the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally.”
“This game has extensive crafting gear options, and the quality of the work and bug-free experience is no short of a miracle for a one-man game dev.”
“Well developed, largely bug-free, lots of diversification.”
“I'm sick of troubleshooting it, and will probably just go play a game that will actually let us play co-op on our computer keyboards.”
“Remote play = game is local on my friend's computer meaning I join in on a buggy stream and the save for our game is local on his computer meaning I can never play my character unless he is online.”
“The game seems to be at odds with itself - on one hand it's a relaxing faceroll dash/aoe spam clusterfuck with a killstreak mode - but on the other hand your character constantly freezes in place for every action, the killstreak timer is very short and easily broken, your inventory space is incredibly limited (you need to do 5 or more runs of a cleared level to vacuum up all the loot), and there are so many stats on items that it takes forever to find and compare upgrades - for such a fast paced game there is too much downtime which really kills the flow.”
- humor14 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- -14 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its quirky and nerdy humor, featuring witty NPC dialogues, amusing item names, and clever references that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the funny character interactions and the humorous design of monsters, which contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere despite the game's challenging mechanics. While the endgame lacks humor, the campaign and various in-game elements provide plenty of laughs, making it an enjoyable experience for fans of comedic gaming.
“The campaign is solid, a bit quirky and funny, but the endgame is where it's at.”
“Champion names are hilarious.”
“Overall this game is really fun, the pixel art is nice, and there are loads of puns and humor to appreciate (for example, a miniboss that's a bat named Outahel. Get it? Or a treasure-hoarding goblin that drops a unique ring, named Mollug (LOTR fans, anyone?).”
“The humor in the game fell flat for me; it just didn't land.”
“I expected more laughs, but the jokes were stale and predictable.”
“The attempts at humor felt forced and often missed the mark.”
- monetization10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the monetization aspect of the game is positively received, with players appreciating the absence of microtransactions and loot boxes, which enhances the gameplay experience. The $10 base price is considered a great value for the content offered, especially compared to typical AAA pricing models. However, some users express concern over the introduction of DLCs that feel like cash grabs, suggesting a desire for more transparency and better advertising from the developers.
“Unlimited free skill resets make playing with the skill trees and character builds fun, ungated by artificial time sinks or monetization.”
“No in-game purchases, and the dev is cool as well.”
“There's no microtransactions.”
“While I understand people wish to be paid for their work, at this point in the game's life, it feels like just another cash grab to release a DLC which is just a new playable class.”
“The game plays great, and could easily provide income through microtransactions in a similar model like Path of Exile.”
“Other than that, the $10 base asking price is a bargain considering the amount of content you're getting - an 'AAA' grade publisher would charge $60 plus expansions, DLC, and microtransactions.”
- character development8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its extensive customization options, allowing players to explore various specs and freely respec their characters. However, some users feel that the pace of character progression is slow, and certain talents lack balance, while others note a lack of narrative depth and worldbuilding. Overall, the character development system offers a rich experience, albeit with some inconsistencies.
“Gameplay is fun with tight controls, cool skills, lots of loot, and extensive character development.”
“+ fully customizable character development with free respecs at any time.”
“13 hours in and I have barely scratched the surface of possibilities available with the many different character development systems.”
“Character development is slow and some talents feel very underpowered compared to others.”
“There is almost zero story, plot, lore, worldbuilding, or character development.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by beautiful artwork, immersive music, and appealing pixel graphics that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the well-crafted environment and the rewarding loot system, which contributes to a captivating gameplay atmosphere. Despite minor gameplay issues, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, making the game enjoyable.
“The music is beautiful and atmospheric, the loot has several tiers such as ordinary (white), rare (purple), unique (light purple), legendary (red), and true legendary (orange).”
“The atmosphere is just awesome!!”
“Also... music is great, atmosphere is well done and the game has crafting.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth that would draw players into the world.”
“Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is dull and fails to create any sense of immersion.”
“The overall ambiance is disappointing, with repetitive sound design and lifeless environments.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers express a heartfelt appreciation for the dedication of the small team behind the game, highlighting its enjoyable and wholesome gameplay. However, they note that the emotional investment in character builds is somewhat limited due to the reliance on gear for critical thresholds, suggesting a desire for more depth and diversity in character customization.
“The individual or small team behind this title dedicated themselves 100% to making the best ARPG their budget could allow, and for that, they have my heartfelt recommendation.”
