Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate

Enter a world where crime doesn't happen, and investigate murder, theft, and apocalypse. Also lots of talking.

Taken as a whole, Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate isn't the most polished game out there. The writing and voice acting are sub-par, but the overall story and puzzles are well worth wading through the flaws to see to the conclusion. This is a great finale to a work of passion, and something every VR owner should at least check out.

Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate is available on the Meta Quest 2 and PlayStation VR2, with an expected Nintendo Switch version coming later this year. Buying Episode 1 and 2 will cost around $35 USD for Meta Quest 2 and $40 for PSVR2, and you can’t go wrong with either. If you’re a fan of VR games, this is a must buy.

Amidst some of my suffering, I did enjoy the story and the game. The game has nice VR interaction, with good motion sickness/accessibility options (minus the subtitles). It’s a game that is played while seated, with very minimal movements required. It is heavy in dialogue since it is a sci-fi detective game which may not be for everyone.

DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate is a mostly fun investigative VR adventure that sets the stage for hopefully more games in the genre. Physically standing inside a crime scene and finding clues is surprisingly thrilling but I just wish it had a more interesting world to explore.

Dyschronia Chronos Alternate - Episode 1 is a nice start to visual novels in VR. It delivers a grand story that is held back by the lack of actually solving anything on your own. Most of the game has you interacting with objects just to leave the protagonist to figure out what to do with those objects for you. It simply holds your hand for its entire experience. There just simply wasn't enough interactivity with the medium of VR, and when the most important aspects come into play you're simply an observer.

If you are in the market for more content to experience on your VR headset, I think Dyschronia is a good choice for the price. With this being a game based around mystery and discovery, I can’t say that there is a ton of replayability. This is something that many VR games have a problem with so I wouldn’t hold that against Dyschronia here. This will be the first episode of three for this series and I look forward to whats to come. As a fan of anime and mystery, this was a great experience and I think it is worth a try. If you don’t own a VR headset or are not a fan of VR, the game will be available on the Nintendo Switch as well.

Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate delivers a VR experience in a way that every new player hopes a game might. There’s nothing like walking through what’s essentially a dream world and talking to others. While VR controls in general are still being worked on, this title does well to make use of everything possible.

While rough around the edges in spots, I was utterly immersed in Dyschronia: Chaos Alternate – Episode 1′s story, thanks to its fantastic writing and interesting cast of characters. Still, with that said, I do think the game might be a hard sell for players looking for an experience that takes advantage of the strengths of the VR medium. After all, the game is, first and foremost, a visual novel. You’re going to spend the lion’s share of your time in Astrum Close engaged in conversation and watching the narrative unfold. However, if you know what you’re getting into and are looking to scratch that Ace Attorney-inspired itch on your Meta Quest 2, then Dyschronia: Chaos Alternate – Episode 1 should be your prime suspect.

There is a ton of potential in Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate but unfortunately, it lacks some of the best qualities that VR gaming has to offer.