Three skill slots are available in addition to a handful of different weapon types for each of the three weapon classes.
While weapons and abilities are unlocked frequently, there are also plenty of options for players to tweak their ship and its equipment to their liking. The Circle's forces quickly grow from easy-to-kill Crows to shielded fighters, gunships, and frigates, each with their own set of defenses and weaknesses. Starting out with a machine gun as the main and only weapon, Nara's arsenal quickly opens up to include lasers and missiles alongside her rites - and those powers can certainly come in handy during space combat.Īs your arsenal expands, so does the variety of enemies. Many side missions may only take five or 10 minutes to complete, but the occasional branching mission will lead you from one objective to another, adding a level of depth to the small snippet of storytelling while also cluing you into a larger part of the universe.Ĭhorus' cutscenes and story moments bring a lot more to the table than I initially expected, but the gameplay is what truly shines.
#Indie space simulator games free
While it's easy to stay focused on completing the main story, Nara and Forsa are free to roam star systems and discover everything from quick side missions to memory echoes that share story moments, all coming together to build out both their backstory and Chorus' universe. Once you're filled in on the backstory, Chorus opens up into a semi-open world with a good variety of random encounters and events to discover. Her supernatural rites form a strong connection with all technology, including her ship, creating a synergy with Forsa that makes them the ultimate dynamic dogfighting duo. Forsaken, casually referred to as Forsa throughout, is Nara's Cult ship and partner from her former life. Nara's history as a killer and Cultist may be the initial focus of Chorus, but it's her bond with her ship that quickly takes the spotlight. With new factions revealed as the story progresses, the dialog between these groups of survivors helps put faces, names, and stories behind the people that you're protecting to raise the stakes and give the goal of saving humanity even more meaning. Like the Free Militia, the Resistance is pulling out all of the stops to defend humanity against the Circle, while Pirates roam the skies and take survival into their own hands. With billions dead, Nara realizes what she has become and speeds away from the Cult and into hiding where she starts a new life as a scavenger - and fierce fighter of the rebellious Free Militia.Īlongside the Circle and the Free Militia, there are a variety of other factions that add a second layer to the world's conflict. Nara leverages her powers and her connection to this force, opening a rift in reality and devastating this world and its inhabitants. You play as Nara, the Circle's deadliest warrior, the Great Prophet's protege, and a master of supernatural powers known as "rites." Nara is tasked with destroying an entire planet - and its billions of residents. Led by the Great Prophet, a Palpatine-like figure that fell from grace and turned toward darkness, the Circle is determined to "cleanse humanity" by any means necessary - even if it means destroying it. While it may be an entirely original story, longtime fans of sci-fi (especially Star Wars: The Force Unleashed) won't be lost for too long. Rather than choosing between embracing a legacy franchise and sticking to a lore-less space simulator, Chorus brings players into an entirely new sci-fi universe with a cast of characters that are wrapped up in a losing battle against a cult known as the Circle. Between top-notch gameplay and a quality narrative, Chorus is not only one of the best releases of the fall season but one of my favorite experiences of the year. While Chorus starts off with familiar story beats, it quickly opens up to deliver plenty of original ideas.
Chorus is the latest newcomer to the scene, delivering gameplay packed with enjoyable fights and a solid narrative.