Chorus [Xbox]
Developed by Fishlabs, Chorus is an intense action-adventure space combat game that sees you play as Nara; an ex-cultist who made some bad choices whilst under the control of the Circle. Led by the Great Prophet, whom Nara once believed to be good, the Circle are a deadly force that Nara must face in order to find her own redemption. Nara has abilities known as Rites, with the first one known as Rite of the Senses, which allows her to find relevant objects in the environment, with more Rites being gained as you progress. These powers can be upgraded using Fragments, and are something which Nara must keep private due to her past. After a short way through the campaign, you’ll gain control of a sentient ship called Forsaken, which has a bond with Nara from her time in the Circle, that communicates with her and grows more bonded as you play.
There are varied difficulty modes, as well as the option of Permadeath - something we didn’t want to rock the boat with just yet - Chorus offers a good challenge for all skill levels. Right off the bat, the game feels amazing to control; weaving through the enemy projectiles and hunting down your opponents feels super satisfying, and the story is deep and interesting with a lot of internal conflict going on for Nara, as well as plenty of secrets being apparent amongst the other characters.
Combat is challenging, yet fun - and with a decent variety of enemy types and ways to take them down, it’s one of the best space-shooter type games we’ve played. As well as the smaller enemies, there are larger bosses that require a bit more effort, as well as brainpower, to learn the ways to defeat them, including extremely pleasing attacks such as blowing up huge ships from within, which makes you feel like you’re right in the midst of a big Star Wars-esque battle.
Visually, Chorus is absolutely stunning; environments filled to the brim with detail and impressive lighting, whether your ship is inside larger ships and temples or just out in space, passing by massive celestial structures. While you are out in the universe, you’ll come across people in need that you can accept side quests for, to accompany them on deliveries or to clear out debris, and track down targets for them. The voice acting is phenomenal, with the communication between Nara and other characters being very natural and flowing; and Nara frequently whispering to herself regarding memories, regrets and other observations; something that really reminded me of playing Hellblade, with Senua’s internal monologue. Likewise, the soundtrack is fantastic - we actually sat in the main menu screen for a little bit as the track that plays there was just so good.
The more you utilise your weapons as well as your senses, complete tasks such as destroying enemies and repairing your ship, the more you’ll increase your mastery with these things, leading them to work better and more efficiently as well. You can purchase upgrades for your ship at the Hangars you’ll dock into from time to time, allowing you to apply nanobots to repair any hull damage whilst out, as well as to improve your weaponry. Nara’s ship, Forsaken, also has a fantastic drifting mechanic that allows it to continue in the direction of travel whilst enabling you to view from any angle freely, to shoot enemies as well as blasting panels to get through timed entryways, as well as another ability to teleport behind enemies in the blink of an eye to absolutely wipe them out feels very satisfying, especially to get out of danger in a pinch.
Overall, there’s tonnes of stuff to do in Chorus to keep you busy, with plenty of side quests that are interesting, and can gain you new armour and upgrades for your ship, as well as credits to spend and allies to help you out further down the line. It’s enjoyable to explore, taking in the sights (and boy, are they glorious!), and coming across people that need your help feels rewarding. The story kept us hooked throughout, and the cutscenes were enjoyable to watch - although they did make us wish there was maybe a bit of gameplay that occurs outside of your ship, instead of being solely within. Chorus looks and feels fantastic, with excellent combat, tight controls and an engaging story, so it easily kept us invested. There’s a demo available on PC currently, with it planned to be released on consoles soon, which is a great option for people who are unsure if it’s going to be something that they like - but if you want to pick it up now, Chorus is available for £34.99 on the Xbox Store.
In the end, we decided to give Chorus the Collecting Asylum rating of 9/10.
Are you interested in Chorus? What do you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!
- V x
Thank you to Koch Media for the Chorus Xbox review code!
