Xbox Series X|S Review Key Provided by Fishlabs
Perhaps one of this year’s biggest surprise hits for me, by far, is Deep Silver and Fishlabs aerial space combat title, Chorus. Never have I been so sucked into the joy of space combat where I literally itch to get the game booted up again.
This title’s quick and chaotic gameplay mixed with its fully-fleshed out galaxy makes for a truly exciting ride from start to finish. Though not without its own flaws, Chorus manages to finish 2021 on a high that I won’t soon come down from.
Story
Our story centers around an ex-Circle pilot named Nara. Her story is one of intrigue and total bleakness as she’s trying to regain her humanity as she has fled the cult known as The Circle. Being one of the best pilots of The Circle, Nara had done horrendous things that have permanently scarred her, and the galaxy for life.
Moving on and putting her skills to use elsewhere, Nara fled The Circle in search of a better life. But like with most things, her past comes back to haunt her, and The Circle again becomes intertwined in her life.
Though she wants to be good and help those she now cares for and to find some kind of redemption, Nara puts the responsibility solely on herself. She really isn’t someone that anyone would consider a hero but she’s willing to stop what she had started in order to save the rest of the galaxy.
I found the story to be one of the key factors that made me fall in love with Chorus. Nara is easy to root for as while she wants to do good, she’s conflicted on how to do it. It’s a story that really reminded me of things I’d loved seeing in Star Wars growing up.
And while I really liked the story and the strings it wanted to pull, there were definitely some odd moments that left me scratching my head. Character moments that felt stilted or just downright B-movie quality.
Gameplay
The star of Chorus’ show is, of course, the actual gameplay. Piloting ship in the game is extremely easy to do overall and pretty smooth. I don’t think I’ve really ever played a space combat game that felt too easy to pick up and play.
From the beginning, you’ll feel like a space ace as you zoom, drift, and twist your way through the spacey skies. I really felt like Anakin Skywalker blasting through the open air and chasing enemies down til I finally pumped that last blaster pulse into them.
I also really appreciate just how cool the open-world areas are in this title. There’s a lot to see and do as you progress through the game. There are the main missions, side missions, secrets, and other mysteries to discover. You even get to make choices within some missions that can impact aspects of Nara’s journey too.
Aside from jetting around the skies, you’ll fight various foes from different factions. Though your main enemies are The Circle zealots, you’ll find others such as space pirates or faceless manifestations. It’s a galaxy full of things that want to kill you, but it’s your flight skills that are key in getting you out of these situations.
I was surprised by just how many different enemy types there actually are. It’s a laundry list that you really need to keep in mind at all times because each one has its weak points and strengths. And even on the easiest setting, this game really kicked my butt.
If you’re really into making yourself angry, there’s even a permadeath mode to get your blood boiling. Learning the game’s flight controls and mastering them is rewarded heavily so if you aren’t getting your bearings, prepare for restarts galore.
Next comes the upgrades that you can actually make to your ship. There are different systems and modifications that can be added or swapped out to give you better defenses, firing, and so on. It doesn’t get too deep which I found to be a plus. I'm someone that hates overcomplicated customization so I appreciated the trimmed-down design.
Aside from ship upgrades, Nara even gets her own. Progressing through the game she will earn Rites which are the special abilities that she can use to manipulate her vessel. These Rites are really what make this game unique as they truly change the game if you use them properly.
One takes down enemy shields, another can teleport you behind your enemy, and another gives you a sonar view of what’s around you. There are a few more to unlock and really feel like they add yet another level to the gameplay when they’re introduced.
Audio and Visuals
I’d have to admit, the main theme of Chorus is a real banger. Composer, Pedro Camacho did a fantastic job of creating a wholly unique score that sounds fresh yet so familiar. Every time the main theme would come on, I would just vibe as I blew up enemy ships.
Visuals can look very stunning and it’s only appropriate that the game offers a photo mode. The trailers really made this look great and I’m just so please that the final product looks just as fine. The vastness of spaces looks the way that it should, scary. I couldn’t have asked for better visuals for this one.
Replayability
Through side quests, secrets to discover, and the awesome gameplay itself, Chorus begs to be played over and over again. It’s a very enjoyable game as you ride with it and it picks up the pace.
What It Could Have Done Better
Even with how kinetic its gameplay is, I would’ve liked to see even more added to it. The ability to shift your ship on its side would’ve been insanely cool. Especially in those instances where you may fly in-between two objects.
Additionally, I found some odd bugs that broke immersion and the game. Nothing too bad but they were janky when discovered. I found a bug multiple times where the camera would just break and I’d have to restart my last checkpoint to fix it. I also thought enemies’ AI was hokey at times too which just made combat feel odd sometimes.
Verdict
Chorus is honestly a title that took my expectations and smashed them with a mallet. This is the exact Star Wars game that I wish existed these days; fantastic combat, a broken protagonist, and a galaxy filled with wonder and horror.
I sincerely think that players wanting to dip their toes into a fun space combat game that does a great job in every category need to give this title a shot. Though there are a couple of issues present, this is a really unique title that I could tell had a lot of love put into it and I had a blast playing.
