- Unique characters and strategic combat system shine.
- Excellent music, art, and designs create atmosphere.
- Compelling story with a unique narrative.
- Addictive, challenging, and rewarding gameplay loop.
- Repetitive gameplay and lack of variety.
- Long runs without saving can be frustrating.
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 91% · Negative 9%. Score: 9 / 100
Positives:
- The game features unique, well-balanced characters with diverse abilities and synergies, encouraging experimentation with team compositions and builds. Bosses have unique mechanics that require strategic adaptation, and the game blends JRPG and roguelike elements effectively.
- The game features a high-quality soundtrack with unique boss themes, anime-inspired visuals, and appealing character/enemy designs. The combat system is engaging, requiring strategic thinking, and the game offers high replay value due to character variety and unlockables.
- The game features a compelling story, which is unusual for the roguelike genre, with plot twists and well-developed characters. The story is integrated with the gameplay, and the time loop mechanic is used as a plot device.
- The game is highly addictive and enjoyable, with a lot of content and depth. It is challenging but fun, requiring players to take risks and maneuver options for optimal plays.
- The game offers a lot of choices and player agency, with randomized maps and events, and hidden chests that provide synergy upgrades or rare items. The game features diverse playstyles, including standard damage, DoT, tanking, and healing, alongside unique playstyles.
Negatives:
- The game suffers from a lack of variety in enemies, environments, and character builds, leading to repetitive runs. Limited card pools and skill synergies restrict player expression and make the gameplay tedious after a few runs with each character.
- Runs can be lengthy, often taking 2-3 hours, and the game lacks a mid-game save feature, causing progress loss if the player has to suddenly stop playing. Losing near the end of a run can be frustrating due to the time investment.
- The game relies heavily on RNG, which can lead to frustrating and unfair situations. Enemy actions are not always telegraphed, and the accuracy mechanic introduces additional RNG, making players feel cheated by missed attacks.
- Characters are decent but bare-bone, with only a couple of builds for each character. The game lacks adaptability, with many items, relics, and abilities being either bad or highly situational, while only a few are optimal for 'cheesing' the game.
- The UI is often described as clunky, unintuitive, and lacking in polish, making it difficult to access vital information during battle. The game also lacks quality-of-life features, such as the ability to view the discard pile or deck easily.
Gameplay:
- The game blends roguelike elements with deck-building mechanics, JRPG elements, and story. Runs are varied through random card draws, party compositions, and map layouts. Players can expect to replay the game multiple times to progress the story and unlock new content.
- Characters can be customized through leveling up, equipping gear, and utilizing relics. These enhancements modify stats, unlock new skills, and provide passive buffs, allowing players to tailor their characters to specific roles and strategies.
- The game features dense mechanics with poorly tooltipped text on every card. The combat requires constant healing.
- The core deckbuilding system is rewarding with good effects and flashy presentation. The game is easy to get into, and the mechanics are easy to learn.
- Players can build relationships with characters by giving them gifts, unlocking lore and backstories. Maxing out friendship levels can also provide gameplay advantages, such as increased card selection options when leveling up.
Performance:
- The game has resolution and display issues, including defaulting to lower resolutions, stretching on certain monitors, and limited resolution options. Full-screen image quality can be blurry, and screen brightness is not adjustable. A workaround for the resolution issue involves switching between windowed and fullscreen/borderless display settings.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including high GPU usage, frame rate drops, and battery drain on laptops. Adjusting graphics settings, especially disabling shadows, can mitigate these issues. Some users have reported freezes and crashes, while others have found the game runs well, even on low-end hardware and the Steam Deck.
- The game experienced temporary bugs after the High Roller DLC update, but most were quickly fixed, including a major gameplay bug. This indicates a responsive development team addressing issues as they arise.
- The game freezes when skipping scenes in specific parts of the game (Azar, Master, and the ending). This is a specific and reproducible bug that impacts the player experience.
- A bug caused a boss fight to be skipped after reloading the game. This is a specific bug that directly impacts gameplay progression.
Recommendations:
- The game is overwhelmingly recommended as a must-buy, with many reviewers considering it a masterpiece or a hidden gem in the roguelike deckbuilder genre. Reviewers frequently compare it favorably to genre staples like Slay the Spire, praising its unique mechanics, engaging story, and overall high quality. Many recommend it even to those new to the genre.
- Many reviewers highlight the game's appeal to fans of both roguelike deckbuilders and JRPG/anime aesthetics. The combination of strategic gameplay with a compelling story and anime-style art is a major draw for many players. However, some suggest that those uninterested in the story or anime elements may not enjoy the game as much.
- The game is noted for its high difficulty and complexity, which may be overwhelming for newcomers. Some reviewers suggest that the game requires patience, strategy, and a willingness to learn from failures. Others warn that the game's RNG and challenging encounters can lead to frustration.
- The game offers significant replayability due to its roguelike nature and the availability of mods. The Steam Workshop provides access to a variety of mods that can enhance the game experience and extend its lifespan. However, some reviewers note that the game's replayability may not be infinite.
- Some reviewers suggest that the game's story, while heartfelt and interesting, is not always well-written and can be a chore to get through at times. Others recommend focusing on the gameplay and not expecting too much from the story. One reviewer suggests that the game would be better as a Galgame or with a separate story mode.
Miscellaneous:
- The game receives consistent support from the developers, with players looking forward to future DLC and content updates. Players have purchased DLC to support the developers and enjoy additional content like new characters, stories, and cosmetic items.
- The game was review bombed due to modder drama, which has since been addressed. This point is included to acknowledge the event, but its importance is reduced due to its temporary nature and lack of direct feedback on the game itself.
- The game is a roguelike deckbuilder with RPG elements, set in a unique world. It is compared to Darkest Dungeon meets Slay the Spire, with a Persona-style makeover, highlighting its blend of familiar mechanics and distinct style.
- Chrono Ark is much slower than similar games by virtue of this complexity and the heavy reading requirement, with most runs taking 2 hours or so.
- The game features a diverse and well-composed soundtrack that complements the scenes and boss encounters. The music includes various genres, such as electronic, flamenco, and Gregorian chanting.
