My favourite kind of game that’s obviously going for the vibe of a particular era of gaming is one that doesn’t look like it’s trying to be any other game from said era, moreso if someone told me it was a PS2 or a Dreamcast game everyone forgot about I’d believe you. CHRONO PUNK fits that vibe quite well, an action roguelite that looks like it’s taking some cues from those aforementioned consoles, alongside the likes of Soul Eater, Jet Set Radio, Devil May Cry, and Spider-Man.
That is, obviously, a lot of things, but CHRONO PUNK on the surface appears to have its own identity at least. Your player character looks like an almost nightcore version of Sora Kingdom Hearts, with various roles and weapons to choose from; there’s a sword and shield, pistols, shurikon, grimoire, and most Soul Eatery of all, a scythe. CHRONO PUNK’s got vibes, too. The cities you do combat in are big and nondescript when it comes to details, but ripe for jetting about and Spider-Man-style swinging across the place. And besides, it looks like there’s some hub areas ripped straight out of any stylised MMO from the 2000s.
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I’m liking the look of the combat too. This’ll obviously be one for the combo pilled out there, people who like to bounce back and forth between their enemies like a pinball. Slow paced, this is not. Sick, I hope this is. Pair all of that with some bouncy, wall running movement, and there’s some real potential for a strong game here. Sounds like you’ll be able to play it in co-op or solo too, which is a nice touch.
The story doesn’t seem all that complicated, with some mega corporation manipulating time thereby controlling the city and the masses, leaving you to deal with the mess, but hey, I’m here for the vibes. As of right now, there’s no release date attached to CHRONO PUNK, but you can wishlist it on Steam while you wait.