Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate

About

DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate - Dual Edition is a VR and non-VR investigation action adventure game where you play as detective Hal Scion with the power to rewrite the past. Solve an impossible murder case and prevent a city's destruction in seven days by diving into people's memories and altering reality. The game features seven award-winning VR categories and allows you to play in either VR or non-VR mode.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate screenshot

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

story18 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game offers a compelling narrative experience that spans 12-20 hours, making it one of the longer story-driven VR titles available.
The combination of visual novel elements with interactive crime-solving mechanics provides a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
The stylized anime graphics, while not groundbreaking, contribute to an immersive atmosphere that complements the storytelling.

Gameplay is light and may disappoint those expecting more complex mechanics, as it often feels like a visual novel with minimal interactivity.
Some voice acting, particularly for key characters, is criticized for being flat or lacking emotion, which detracts from the overall experience.
Technical issues such as awkward transitions, lack of accessibility features, and minor bugs can disrupt immersion and gameplay flow.

story
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
4%
The game's story is a compelling and emotional narrative that immerses players in a richly detailed world, particularly appealing to fans of anime and visual novels. While it offers a lengthy experience of around 10-20 hours depending on exploration, some players noted that the ending feels somewhat lacking and certain story elements require a suspension of disbelief. Overall, it combines interactive storytelling with engaging mechanics, making it a strong recommendation for those seeking a story-driven VR experience.
- “If you buy this game, you better be here largely for the storytelling experience and feeling like you're a character inside the world.”
- “Playing through this story was like riding a roller coaster of emotion when diving into it.”
- “The events of this story hit me in all of the right places, and it left me with a strong desire to play through again.”
- “It's by no means perfect - the main gimmick is a bit contrived, and the further into the story you go, the more you need to suspend your disbelief to not notice some issues.”
- “It tells a pretty compelling narrative across an easy 12-14+ hours if you go hunting around for the story relevant collectibles needed to hit the true ending, but hunting for them can get kind of tedious.”
- “Without any spoilers, I do think it fumbles a little in the ending on the storytelling, but if you like anime-styled storytelling or visual novels, this is definitely worth picking up.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The gameplay is primarily a visual novel experience with light puzzle-solving elements and investigative moments reminiscent of the Phoenix Wright series, though it is described as less engaging. While the game features time-leaping mechanics and a complex narrative, some players find the pacing disrupted by minigames and the need to explore thoroughly for completion. Overall, opinions on the gameplay are polarized, with some enjoying the blend of storytelling and interactivity, while others feel it lacks depth.
- “This game has more story than Altdeus at about 20 hours to get the first ending versus about 15 hours to get all the endings in Altdeus. It features more interactivity by combining visual novel style cutscenes with crime solving along the lines of Phoenix Wright. It has time-leaping mechanics and memory diving to alter the past, and it presents a tangled web of a story that you unravel with the help of a virtual red thread board!”
- “In terms of how smooth the gameplay ran on my rig, I was amazed at the quality of it.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's more or less a visual novel like Ace Attorney with a little bit more action built in. Some people either hate it or love it; there's no in-between.”
- “It's very light on gameplay, but there are some puzzles you need to solve and a few key moments where you have to present your investigation evidence, sort of like a very watered down Phoenix Wright trial.”
- “If you're here for any other reason and expecting high quality gameplay, you will be disappointed.”
- “As a cherry on top of all those issues, the resident consolation minigames start as a nice change of pace from the detective visual novel gameplay bits, but they quickly turn into distractions away from the game, making for awkward pacing in tenser moments, especially given you need to check (nearly) every room you enter for the patients if you want to 100% it.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
The graphics are characterized by stylized anime visuals that, while not groundbreaking, are appealing and immersive for fans of the art style. The character models are well-executed for the intended aesthetic, and the game runs smoothly in VR, with improved crispness and detail compared to the Quest version. Overall, the graphics may not win awards, but they effectively support the gaming experience.
- “If you like the art style, you should find it easy to get immersed in the experience.”
- “The graphics are more crisp and a bit more detailed than the Quest store, and more importantly, its VR mode is pretty well optimized; even my GTX 1660s can easily handle this without using full power.”
- “Graphically, while the character models look quite good for the style it's going for, it's not winning any awards for graphics.”
- “[i]commentary: nothing changed from quest graphics[/i]”
- “The graphic is more crisp and a bit more detailed than the quest store, and more importantly, its VR mode is pretty well optimized; even my GTX 1660s can easily handle this without using its full power.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly when hunting for collectibles necessary for achieving the true ending. While the narrative is compelling and the game can be completed in 12-14 hours, the effort required for grinding can feel excessive.
- “Hunting for the story-relevant collectibles needed to hit the true ending can get kind of tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, particularly during scripted dialogue scenes where characters experience a freezing glitch linked to blinking. This bug disrupts gameplay, forcing players to wait until the character blinks again to resume control or advance to the next scene.
- “Every time you enter a scripted dialogue scene, your character blinks, which freezes you in place for the duration of the dialogue. You remain frozen until you blink again, which either frees you or jumps to the next scene.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features an outstanding story with highly emotional endings, complemented by the cute and humorous antics of the character Lily, which enhance the overall emotional experience.
- “The story is just awesome; the endings are very emotional, and Lily's shenanigans are cute and funny.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the cute and funny antics of the character Lily, which add a lighthearted touch to the otherwise emotional storyline. Overall, players appreciate the blend of humor and heartfelt moments throughout the narrative.
- “The story is just awesome, the endings are very emotional, and Lily's shenanigans are cute and funny.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users expressing a preference for the original soundtrack of "Altdeus" over the current game's score.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is praised for its crisp and detailed graphics, particularly in VR mode, which runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware like the GTX 1660s, indicating efficient performance without maxing out system resources.
- “The graphics are more crisp and a bit more detailed than the Quest store, and more importantly, its VR mode is pretty well optimized. Even my GTX 1660s can easily handle this without using its full power.”