Watcher Chronicles
- January 19, 2022
- Third Sphere Game Studios
- 10h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Watcher Chronicles," players face challenging, skill-based combat in a purgatorial world invaded by sinister beings known as "The Watchers." Explore a large interconnected world filled with secrets and game-changing loot, and play through the entire game in local co-op mode with a friend. Optionally, player 2 can use their own locally saved character in co-op.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Mobile Platform
PlayStation
Reviews
- Challenging and rewarding combat experience with a variety of weapons and armor to choose from.
- Great co-op functionality and completionist-friendly, offering extensive gameplay hours.
- Unique art style and engaging boss fights that provide a satisfying sense of progression.
- Clunky controls and frustrating enemy mechanics that can lead to cheap deaths.
- Repetitive gameplay with a lack of diverse enemy designs and combat strategies.
- Poorly explained mechanics for local co-op and some tedious navigation in town areas.
- graphics34 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a vibrant, cartoony art style that evokes nostalgia for mid-2000s flash games, with well-executed designs for dungeons, weapons, and bosses. While some players prefer a darker atmosphere, many appreciate the colorful and simplistic visuals that enhance gameplay clarity. Overall, the art style is praised for its artistic quality and effective execution, despite some calls for more variety in enemy designs.
“The art style is gorgeous.”
“Don't be deceived by the simple visuals, the design of the game is quite artistic and the dungeons, weapons, armor and bosses all look fantastic.”
“The graphics and art are really well done and the colors are vibrant.”
“I'm not a big fan of the artwork; I prefer a more dark or gloomy atmosphere.”
“The art style reminds me of my childhood playing flash games or Miniclip games, yet the depth of the game is great.”
“Don't be deceived by the simple visuals; the design of the game is quite artistic and the dungeons, weapons, armor, and bosses all look fantastic.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by clunky controls and frustrating enemy mechanics that detract from the overall experience, making challenges feel grindy and tedious. While the game offers good build variety and RPG mechanics, exploration can be hindered by a lack of environmental cues, and the town area is criticized for its inconvenient NPC layout. Despite these issues, the game captures the aesthetics of mid-2000s flash games and provides extensive hours of gameplay with significant replayability, appealing to those who enjoy mastering its mechanics.
“It perfectly captures the aesthetics of the mid-2000s flash games while it carries the qualities and mechanics of modern action RPGs.”
“The gameplay and controls are great for a side-scrolling RPG, and tight enough to get you through the punishing difficulty.”
“Extensive hours of gameplay (15 hours for each playthrough with tons of replayability).”
“Clunky controls, frustrating enemy mechanics that just annoy you... the challenge is not fun, just grindy and tedious to me.”
“The 'town' area is also unnecessarily tedious by making you go to several different NPCs for items that are not conveniently close together, and as far as I can tell, there is no running mechanic at all.”
“Exploration is a key part of both Metroid and Soulslike games, but without the aforementioned environmental cues to let the player know they must return when they have their double-jump, wall slide, hook-shot, or other such mechanics, it is quite easy to miss entire regions.”
- story20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally seen as lacking depth and detail, with reviewers noting a need for more lore and compelling narrative elements. While some appreciate the potential for storytelling through items and optional collectibles, many feel that the overall plot, particularly the ending, is underwhelming and poorly executed. Overall, the story has promise but requires significant fleshing out to enhance player engagement.
“Giving items story, lore, and other information handles this quite well.”
“As does some optional collectibles like journal entries -- bits of prophecy on walls players can optionally read -- the story isn't bad -- it just needs more.”
“The game needed more of that and in more ways to make the story compelling.”
“The storyline could use more detail and fleshing out.”
“Generally like the game except the end... I would assume the author did not put much effort into the story ending.”
“Story-wise, there isn't much here, with no item lore or deep backstory.”
- music14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with reviewers praising its quality and variety across different zones. The soundtrack is described as top-notch and well-executed, contributing significantly to the overall enjoyment of the game. The developers, including those responsible for the music, are commended for their impressive work, especially considering the indie nature of the project.
“The music is pretty nice as well as varies from zone to zone.”
“Soundtrack is also really nice.”
“The dev really focused on the things that make gaming enjoyable - there's no flashy UI or over-the-top unreal graphics engine, but the game at its core is extremely well executed and the soundtrack is top notch.”
“The music in the game feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged during longer play sessions.”
“While the soundtrack is competent, it doesn't really stand out or enhance the overall experience of the game.”
“I found the music to be quite forgettable, which is disappointing for a game that aims to create an immersive atmosphere.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as engaging and rich in lore, appealing to those who enjoy depth in their gaming experience. However, some players prefer a darker, gloomier aesthetic, finding the current artwork less appealing. Overall, the game is seen as accessible for younger audiences despite its challenging gameplay, offering a less grizzly atmosphere compared to traditional souls-likes.
“S&S is more deep, with a more engaging atmosphere and lore.”
“It almost seems like the game would be great for getting a kid into souls-likes because it has a less grisly atmosphere.”
“I prefer a more dark or gloomy atmosphere.”
“I'm not a big fan of the artwork; I prefer a more dark or gloomy atmosphere.”
“It almost seems like the game would be great for getting a kid into souls-likes because it has a less grizzly atmosphere, but I imagine it would be too hard for most kids.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, citing clunky controls and annoying enemy mechanics that detract from the challenge. Additionally, the layout of the town area requires excessive backtracking between NPCs, further contributing to the grindy experience.
“Clunky controls, frustrating enemy mechanics that just annoy you. The challenge is not fun, just grindy and tedious to me.”
“The 'town' area is also unnecessarily tedious by making you go to several different NPCs for items that are not conveniently close together, and as far as I can tell, there is no running mechanic at all.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's significant replayability, noting that each playthrough offers around 15 hours of gameplay, encouraging multiple runs to fully experience its content.
“Extensive hours of gameplay (15 hours for each playthrough with tons of replayability).”
