Is this a perfect harmony or a bittersweet symphony?
Take control of Nara, once the Circle’s deadliest warrior, now their most wanted fugitive, on a quest to destroy the dark cult that created her. Unlock devastating weapons and mind-bending abilities in a true evolution of the space-combat shooter. Along with Forsaken, her sentient starfighter, explore ancient temples, engage in exhilarating zero-g combat, and venture beyond our waking reality. Lead Nara and Forsaken, her sentient ship, as their quest for redemption takes them across the galaxy and beyond the boundaries of reality. Enter a dark new universe, teeming with mystery and rife with conflict. Explore epic locations such as sprawling space stations and strange planes of existence beyond our own. Attain powerful weapons and combat upgrades. Master your ship’s unique drift mechanic and deadly mind-bending abilities, including extra-sensory perception, teleportation, and telekinesis. Chain your powers together to become the ultimate living weapon.
Chorus is a space combat sim that feels more arcade shooter in nature, but that’s not a terrible thing. It makes the game feel more accessible and easier to pick-up and play. Your starfighter handles well, and dogfights are engaging and satisfying. There is one issue that the game has and sadly it’s the story itself.
Nara is a complicated protagonist, and the story begins decently but you can see it begins to struggle after a while. It’s a shame because the open-world approach works incredibly well here but it’s hard to justify with a plot that’s nonsensical.
I think the problem is that the story tries to take itself too seriously. Sci-fi franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek have always been serious, but they’ve also had times to be a bit looser and allow themselves to at least have some amusing dialogue or moments. Chorus’ plot just crumbles with the guilt complex and clinical dialogue between Nara and Forsaken.
The combat of Chorus is the highlight of the game, but missions themselves do suffer from pacing and repetition issues. It’s not perfect by any means, but if you can overlook that then you’ll find yourself a more than competent space shooter. The good news is that the visuals are amazing, and performance is solid with a consistent framerate throughout. The soundtrack is also impressive, while the voice-acting has some good performances but is let down by the actual script.
The Verdict
Chorus is a fun space combat simulator, but it has its issues. The story takes itself way too seriously and missions are dated in their design, but the dogfights are great, and the open world approach is well done. There is a great game here, it’s just hidden underneath a ton of melodrama.