Check out our review of Chorus, a brand new space shooter epic from Deep Silver…
Find out everything you need to know before you play, including a look at gameplay, story, visuals and more.
Transcript
Hey how’s it going guys! This is Tom from UDS, and welcome to our review of Chorus, a brand new space combat game from Deep Silver. We’re going to tell you everything you need to know before you play, and if you’re new to the channel, don’t forget to subscribe for more video game content every single week. You’re not going to want to miss it.
When Chorus was first teased at last year’s Xbox Series X showcase, it definitely got my attention. I love a game where you can zip around space in a hyper powered starship, either taking on an alien menace or just exploring the great unknown.
On the surface, Chorus seemed to fit the bill. Set in a far flung future, you take the role of Nara, an ace pilot looking to take down the esoteric, genocidal cult she was once part of, in an attempt to redeem her crimes. But you won’t have to do it alone, as your sentient craft known as Forsaken will also be along for the ride.
Looking dark, fast and with the promise of plenty of variety, would it stand out in an already crowded genre? Watch on to find out…
Starting with gameplay, Chorus might have some of the best flight controls I’ve ever experienced. Everything feels tight, responsive and at times ludicrously fast. Once you get a feel for things, you’ll quickly start trusting your reflexes more than planning too far ahead, and ducking and diving to avoid asteroids and blaster fire is nothing short of thrilling.
The thing is, even the best space combat game can end up feeling a bit repetitive. Dog fights often devolve into flying around in circles as you try to zap each other’s backside, and don’t get me wrong this can be exciting, but I’m happy to report that Chorus employs some power ups to mix up the formula.
Known in the game as aether abilities, you build up an arsenal of new tools to not only make yourself a nightmare for your enemies, but also add plenty of variety to how you can approach most parts of the game. These are earned by completing dungeon-style stages in ancient temples connected to a mysterious alien race called the Faceless. You can definitely see the influence of classic RPGs like The Legend of Zelda in these stages, with each testing different aspects of your piloting skills.
Anyway, the powers you earn range from being able to assume control of enemy ships, allowing you to launch them as projectiles, to literally phasing out of reality to throw pursuing craft off your tail. If this doesn’t become a genre staple for all games to come, I need to speak to the manager of video games.
And just as your abilities are varied, so are the enemies you’ll face. To name a few, you’ve got Crows, which are fast but lightly armoured, the heavily armoured Vultures, and Shade-class ships which honestly can eat my ass. These giant motherships spit out smaller craft that can easily overwhelm you. But for real, the different challenge each craft poses forces you to change up your style, and rely on a healthy mix of reflexes and strategy.
But the thing is, there’s so much more than just combat. We’ll touch on the story in more detail in just a bit, but the sweeping space narrative affords for plenty of side missions and challenges beyond merely firing your laser. You’ll have the chance to save refugees, deliver cargo and even compete in races against the backdrop of a fractured, broken human race. These moments of pacifism are very welcome and are a lot of fun in their own right, they also help to break up the more white-knuckle encounters, making the combat feel all the more impactful as a result.
And just a note on the universe of Chorus, the large open expanses are a joy to explore, offering enough freedom without leaving you wandering around aimlessly. In 4K everything looks jaw-droppingly gorgeous too.
Yet as good as the gameplay is, it’s more than matched by the story. So as I mentioned, Nara was part of this cult known as The Circle, in fact she was the right hand to its leader the Great Prophet. But after a change of heart, she leaves to take them down, liberating Forsaken along the way.
It definitely leans into tropes and themes from sci-fi royalty like Star Wars and Firefly, but this is far from a bad thing. What’s more, the strength of the characters, particularly the relationship between Nara and Forsaken, is utterly compelling. They really become two sides of the same coin, almost like a spaceage answer to Knightrider. Just with less mullets.
I won’t say too much more as I don’t want to spoil anything, but in a genre that oftentimes leans into multiplayer at the expense of narrative, it’s great to see Chorus buck this trend in a big way.
Chorus is one of the most innovative space combat titles I’ve played in recent years. It refines genre tropes to near perfection, while throwing in some new concepts and mechanics to surprise even the most seasoned of veterans. It still blows my mind that it was developed by the team behind the mobiles series Galaxy on Fire, and just goes to show what can be achieved with the right resources. If you’re looking for a new game to check out this holiday season, Chorus is one you won’t want to miss.
But what did you think of Chorus? Please let me know in the comments below, I’d love to read your thoughts. And don’t forget to subscribe for more video game content every single week, or you can always visit upsidedownshark.com to keep up with everything we’ve got going on.
Until then my name is Tom, we’ve been UDS, and we’ll see you next time.
While you’re here, please subscribe to Upside Down Shark on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts!
