Chorus is an action and science fiction game of spaceships that enters through the eyes thanks to the high visual quality of the scenarios. The representation of the world is limited to semi-open solar systems and the different environments of the game are technically leading (especially on the newest and most powerful devices). Flying through space at high speed is captured very well, and while the explosions could have a little more reverb, the special effects are generally a highlight.
In Chorus, special emphasis is placed on target marking, as it is important to target other pilots, flight units or fixed targets precisely and at the same time avoid enemy continuous fire. To make it easier, Fishlabs introduced what is known as the “drift” mechanic, which allows us to look around freely and aim with the push of a button while maintaining the speed and course of our ship. After exiting this drift state, we sprint in the direction our ship was looking. This method of piloting will take some getting used to at first, but it is a system that captures the agility of our flying ace wonderfully and gives us an incredible feeling of power.
The linear progression system lets us move from one star system to another and acquire new weapons or skills that are useful in certain situations. Lasers and rays penetrate enemy shields, rocket explosions injure armored troops and at some point we will acquire teleportation and ramming skills that also have their own uses. When all of these elements are combined into one cool mission or specific challenge, Chorus is a good game, but you can pass a long time between moments like this without anything happening. It is clear that the developers went to great lengths to add activity to their world, but most of the missions are fillers.
In general, you’ll always have something to shoot or explore to capture the objects floating nearby. The rewards range from cash to minor modifications that you can use to upgrade your ship. In the beginning I was often in the hangar to optimize my ship systems, but that’s not really necessary. To install Modifications New increases levels very little, which means it may take 0.5 seconds less to focus on an enemy target to cover it with automatic fire. Every now and then you unlock something that has a noticeable effect until you find parts from even better dealers in the next chapter. As soon as you unlock the corresponding rites (skills), the customization of the ship loses its relevance even more, as thanks to these shields you can destroy, freeze enemies in stasis or teleport yourself through obstacles with the push of a button.
Due to the monotony of the game and the lack of goals, all the emphasis is on the plot of Chorus, which unfortunately is a total failure. The story revolves around a religious cult that once had reasonable ends until it eventually got lost. We were the sect’s most ardent followers, but we could no longer ignore the injustices of our leader, so we fled. We stayed afloat on the edge of the galaxy for a few years, until one day the past caught up with us and forced us to answer it once and for all. As in almost all variations of this essentially the same story, our tragic heroine ends up having to open up to herself in order to achieve what all of her predecessors failed to achieve. However, Nara’s character is not developed enough to accept all of these facets. Our dramatic heroine is and remains an empty vehicle that is nothing more than an excuse.
The protagonist is out of joint and is dragging innumerable dead onto her conscience. At the beginning of the adventure, the game spends a lot of time making it clear how much she is suffering for what she has done and that she has not been able to rid herself of her mental agony for a long time. Obviously, in most of the dialogues, the pilot is quite cold and too focused on her goal to open up to strangers. But when guilt, deep emotional pain or other elements of the past come to light, Nara shows a pathetic, hopeless and extremely pessimistic personality and would like to atone for her sins. As Nara lets us see her inner thoughts, the razor-sharp razor blades that constantly rob her of self-esteem become more apparent.
She is accompanied by a spaceship with the latest technology called Forsaken (abbreviated “Forsa”), which takes on an ambivalent double role, which is characterized by toxicity. Forsa is Nara’s “only ally” but is also closely linked to her trauma. The authors make every effort to present this smart weapon as a being that thinks and feels, but at the same time curtails the ship’s AI so much that it only remembers it but hate and desire. So we are faced with a duo made up of an emotionally unstable person who urgently needs psychiatric care and a weapon that constantly incites its perpetrator to commit mass murder.
Both characters talk ad nauseam when they talk about “hunting” their prey, for example. Almost like a ritual, in the heat of the moment they proclaim meaningful sentences that seem to symbolize a close connection between them. As the game progresses, the two become more and more “synchronized” and finish each other’s sentences. Fishlabs uses little more than hackneyed phrases and meaningful references in the chorus to imply things but not explicitly say them, so it seems pretty pointless to watch out for lengthy conversations and discussions.
The Fishlabs writing team researches some complex topics that are only dealt with superficially. Of course, our poor, battered protagonist works perfectly when it is necessary to move the story forward because she simply forgets that her world is in chaos. The moments of character development would have to be very intense to illustrate the unimaginable severity of such developments. But Fishlabs doesn’t seem capable of that, so they probably don’t even care. This does not even create the illusion that Nara, in his state, is steering a spaceship with deadly precision or even instigating a rebellion against an empire. And that’s exactly what the game wants us to believe, before after many hours it shows us how the heroic protagonist surpasses herself to end tyranny.
That the clumsy tale of Fishlabs finds no breeding ground in this flat universe of good and bad may not be a big deal for many. If you ignore the crybaby mass murderer, you can calmly drop off spaceships in Chorus and cheer your gaze at large rocks against a bright background. There is a lot of action, the controls are comfortable, and a lot you can do as you turn tons of enemies into space junk. However, if you don’t want to get distracted by the story, you will likely get bored quickly as the game’s superficial mechanics are not enough to keep you going all the time. What frustrates me so much is that it basically has all the necessary elements to be a good game, only the writers should have used a little more talent in putting the ideas together.
