Outside of the characters, I just really love the way MyDearest utilizes VR technology to build their worlds. The game takes advantage of your full 360 visual range, as well as emphasizing verticality. Looking up to see the sky falling is a uniquely unnerving experience. The time travel gimmick is also, honestly, gorgeous and I was giddy every time I got to do it, since it managed to create a real sense of momentum without ever having you move. You can travel in one of two ways: smooth walking by using the left stick, or teleporting by using the right. Walking around Astrum Close felt really good, and I spent about half the game using the smooth option, but eventually had to swap to teleporting because I unfortunately got hit by VR sickness.
Other than exploration and examining objects to travel through time, there’s a handful of puzzles scattered throughout the game. Hal will also need to interact with certain NPCs while in AD in order to provide counseling. This is presented as a short Simon-style mini-game where you need to recreate a pattern in order to calm down the citizen you’re talking to. These never got very difficult, but they were a nice break, and completing them can net you Archival data, which expands on the world of Dyschronia, as well as provides some clues as to who murdered Albert Rumford.
For all the praise I can heap on this entry, there were some issues. Text had the habit of disappearing behind objects, especially walls. I played the game with Japanese audio, so having the text just disappear made for a frustrating experience at times. I could generally fix it by turning my head so the text box would reposition, but that didn’t always work. There were also some clipping issues when using the teleport travel function, and picking up items could occasionally be troublesome because the game wouldn’t recognize where my hands were positioned. None of these were deal breakers, and some of them could have been attributed to my set up, so I don’t want to belabor the issue too much. Just know that there is the possibility of a less-than-smooth gaming experience at times.
Overall, though, Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate Episode 1 was an excellent game that had a compelling story and great characters, not to mention gorgeous character designs by the incredibly talented LAM. The music was also fantastic, with one of the most banger opening themes I’ve heard in recent memory. One of my favorite aspects of ALTDEUS was its soundtrack, and Dyschronia’s does not disappoint at all. It’s jazzy, catchy and moody when it needs to be, and I am eagerly awaiting the time when I can buy it. I can honestly say this game was one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had so far this year, and I cannot wait to jump into Episode 2.
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.
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