About four years ago, I roll into a GameStop, I don’t even remember why I went but I definitely remember something that stopped me for a while. The PS3 (remember, this is 4 years ago) had a few demos on it that I decided to play. I was grabbed by Chasm. It was simple enough, some enemies pacing in a dungeon in a very predictable fashion. I got to see my experience bar increase and collect some gold. Unfortunately, this was just a demo and like all demos, it ended very prematurely.
Like any good natured gamer, I did a little research on it and saw there would be a PC version being released on Steam so I added it to my wishlist. Literal years passed with only dev blogs and some video showcases from the game but no Early Access and no more demos from what I could find. Finally after so many years, I received an alert that Chasm was finally being released on Steam!
Overview
This game is officially classified as a Metroidvania and it plays exactly like that. There are some more traditional RPG elements present as well such as stats that scale up when you level up and new items that can be purchased or drop from enemies. The battle system is very straightforward, you get a weapon that you can swing, you get magic that you can throw, you hit enemies to hurt them and if enemies hit you, they hurt you. Initially, the battle system itself was admittedly a bit clunky, you have a backdash to dodge attacks but swing timers and an awkward dash made it essentially useless. It was patched a few days after release to smooth out the gameplay since you end up killing a lot of creatures in this game. One of the chief complaints I saw about this game was about the battle system being too simplistic, but as someone who plays a lot of games of this genre I didn’t have any issues with it after the patch. The non boss enemies move in a very predetermined pattern which is how enemies tend to move and act in games like this.
The graphics in this game are amazing to say the least. They’re very reminiscent of the more graphically intense games for the Super Nintendo such as Mega Man X but since it’s running on a PC, you don’t have to worry about pesky slowdown like you would on a Super Nintendo. The character models keep up the good work with fluid animations and cool looking enemies. There are a few “zones” in the game that have their own unique style and feel to them created. This artistic consistency is what really makes this game a wonder to look at.
Flyamese Final Factor
I’ll cut straight to the point, this game isn’t for everyone. If I had to sum it up in one phrase, it’d be “a better looking Super Metroid that is more melee intense” which in my opinion is very accurate. This must also be taken with a grain of salt. In case you don’t remember Super Metroid, there’s lots of collecting, lots of backtracking, and lots of combat that isn’t particularly varied. I’ve personally 100%’d Super Metroid at least a dozen times so this is obviously a style of game that I adore, but before you decide to purchase this game and slander my guy for it not being Dead Cells, read the description, maybe even find a let’s play. This gameplay is love it or hate gaming. I love it, some people hate. If this is your style of game, you’ll appreciate the environment that was well crafted and polished. If this isn’t your style of game, you’ll write a bad review on Steam that’s probably going to be full of misinformation.