In the crowded landscape of action RPGs, few titles dare to blend the punishing difficulty of a Souls-like with the unique mechanical twist of character aging. Chronos: Before the Ashes does exactly that. Originally released as a VR-exclusive title (Chronos), this prequel to the critically acclaimed Remnant: From the Ashes was reworked for traditional platforms in 2020.
Rating: 7.5/10
Old Age (80+): As your body withers, you become slower, but your wisdom grows. You'll find that Arcane abilities and magic become significantly more powerful as you age. Chronos- Before the Ashes Switch NSP
The game’s hook is brilliant: Every time your character dies, they age by one year. You start as a young, agile hero. But as you fail, you grow older. By age 40, you lose physical strength and speed but gain wisdom (intelligence and magic potency). By age 80, you are frail but a master of arcane arts. This mechanic forces you to rethink your build dynamically. Die too much early on, and you’ll be forced into a mage build late game. Chronos: Before the Ashes Switch NSP – A
For fans of the Remnant series, Chronos is the "missing link." It takes place just one month before the start of the first Remnant game. Is Remnant: From the Ashes connected in any way to Chronos Installation Speed: NSPs install directly to the SD