ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos Critic Reviews

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos presents some exciting advancements in the VR visual novel space. It excels in creating a world with characters you care about across some emotional and action field story beats. I think a lot of feedback was brought into this project from the developer’s previous games, which have made it a stand-out adventure title and a must-play for VR owners.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is an even better VR adventure than developer MyDearest’s last game, Tokyo Chronos. The satisfying story feels like a full-fledged robot anime. While improvements could be made to the ambitious UI, which incorporates AR to make the player’s actions within the game’s world feel more natural, both the story and stellar presentation make this a game any robot anime fan should buy a VR device for.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos places players smack dab in the middle of a living anime story, with all of the cool world-building and unique characters implied by that statement. Players used to a lot of action in their games will have to adjust to the slower pace of this plot-driven experience, but will quickly discover that it yields its own unique rewards.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos proves that visual novels can work surprisingly well in virtual reality. The ways in which your mode of interaction are worked into the setting are clever and really help to increase the sense of immersion. It might not feel like many of your choices have an effect on the story, with most branches being a result of clear binary choices at set points, but I have enjoyed my time in the world of Lieutenant Chloe and will delve back in to seek out the last couple of alternative endings.

Altdeus Beyond Chronos might feel like a big change for VR gamers as a visual novel but pays off with a worthwhile sci-fi mech story with plenty of anime energy.

An enjoyable visual novel that really benefits from being in VR.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is by far one of the most impressive visual novels I’ve ever experienced and sets the bar for how the genre should work in VR. I’ve never felt so completely and utterly immersed in not only a game and its world, but in an anime. From the larger-than-life story to the amped up music and visuals, ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos took my breath away time and time again, pushing the limits of what I knew about VR visual novels. If you have a VR headset, a little bit of patience for a slow-burn story, and 20 – 30 hours to really get into everything it has to offer, you’re more or less obligated to pick up ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos caters to a very specific audience - an audience that enjoys visual novels first and foremost, but who also has an appreciation for VR. If, like mine, your first playthrough isn’t up to par with your expectations, it’s highly recommended that you give the game another playthrough or two, making different decisions along the way. It’ll be worth it to take in the full narrative of what ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos has to offer.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos’ writing is excellent, with rounded characters who dodge most of the usual anime tropes. It may not have delivered the mech-piloting mayhem I was expecting, but it’s a smart visual novel, with enough interactivity, plot twists and emotional gut-punches to keep you engaged. Throw in multiple endings, some of which can only be unlocked on subsequent playthrough and, even though you don’t get to personally punch Space Godzilla in the face, it’s well worth suiting up for.

Mechanically, visually, and immersion-wise, Altdeus: Beyond Chronos is a massive step forward for visual novels in the VR medium. While the genre still has a way to go, this title shows that it can be successful in virtual reality. The writing here, though, leaves a lot to be desired. I’m used to visual novels having slow opening routes, but completely foregoing any real character development for hours made this game incredibly difficult to get into. Once over the hump of the initial route, though, Altdeus managed to provide an entertaining story, one that I didn’t mind strapping my Vive headset on for. It’s not mind-blowing by any means, but it’s still a worthwhile read.

As long as you go into the experience knowing what to expect, Altdeus: Beyond Chronos has the potential to be genuinely entertaining. However, on the scale of interactivity, this really doesn't qualify a game. Their inability to take full advantage of the VR platform ultimately seals it's fate as nothing more than an acquired taste that will prove to be off-putting to many.