The “virtual reality visual novel” is an almost cumbersome description, but the new PS VR version of ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos clearly wants to champion this highly specific genre. With deceptive depth, a high level of polish, and some impressive high-concept immersion, this far-reaching port stakes a strong argument for stories told in this manner. There are more complicated or experimental visual novels and others which are quicker at yoking player attention, but ALTDEUS’ blend of high-concept storytelling with familiar anime tropes in a VR wrapper sticks the landing.
While this review doesn’t take into account previous title Tokyo Chronos (also available on PS VR), it doesn’t seem to be a prerequisite to ALTDEUS’ story. Headset-wearers become Chloe, a synthetically grown human designed and trained to pilot the Alto Makhia, a massive mech built to take on rampaging monsters known as Meteora. The Meteora’s path of destruction has driven humanity underground, now adapted into a gargantuan bunker community covered in hologram-like glamour meant to convince citizens that their days are spent in thriving city streets indistinguishable from our own.
Before screenshots confuse anyone, ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is most certainly not an action game. It does contain a few high-octane mech battle centerpieces - interestingly, the fixed view from the Makhia’s cockpit serves to make the battles intriguingly abstract and distanced - but they’re squarely reliant on a few simple QTE-like movements using the Move Controllers. The fights feel big, though, as do some of the wild dreams Chloe’s been having, threading memories of her deceased young ward Coco, a vital piece of the emerging narrative puzzle.
The narrative features many perplexing ingredients, like Chloe’s Vocaloid-like co-pilot AARC Noa, but a lot of them shake out on the first playthrough. In a manner slightly reminiscent of the NieR games, ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is an experience meant to be restarted several times to make any sense of it all. It’s a considerable ask, with a careful first playthrough taking approximately four hours. During that time, whether players grasp it or not, they are being carefully fed mysteries and redirects, character details, and huge swaths of worldbuilding and lore. It’s to a purpose, and the game is generously concerned with resolving most points of confusion, but there’s a degree of investment to arrive there that is make-or-break.
This regards two significant gameplay mechanics: Libra and Ariadne. The former is a term to describe a kind of ocular implant worn by everyone in this underground Tokyo (including the player) which spells out an individual’s choices during conversation or activity. Yes, it works much like any visible dialogue choice in a video game, but the idea that the headset-wearer isn’t just staring at a game’s UI but taking part in ALTDEUS’ active world is successfully immersive. Ariadne, on the other hand, is a system which maps out the potential altered narrative based on choices available from a second playthrough onward, a beautiful kind of star map whose true purpose is essentially a spoiler onto itself.
Aspects that do break ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos’ immersion include the rather rudimentary item-hunting in the game’s locked-room segues. There’s no free movement, which would seem like a missed opportunity if any of the environments were themselves interesting, but they’re primarily simplistic rooms or cavernously empty sci-fi hangars. When characters are meant to move the view goes dark and is replaced with the sound of footsteps, then reappears with Chloe in a different location. Equally dull is the use of static transitions for characters as they speak and gesture, thought that’s old hat for even the best visual novels. Weirdly, a few characters will occasionally animate beyond just moving mouths and blinking, but the models are mostly static throughout.
Aside from the empty-feeling environments, ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos’ visuals are excellent. Many character designs and qualities point to some of anime’s greats, but their personalities eventually become more than just homages. Voice acting is on the higher end of the spectrum, with only a few sleepier-sounding characters, and Chloe’s sullen, breathy speech eventually endearing into an acquired taste. In addition, the game features a phenomenal soundtrack with catchy harmonies and rousing themes - the “real” title intro is a triumph.
Telling too much of ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos’ story would compromise what it’s really trying to do, but this isn’t to imply that it’s reliant on some sort of obligatory Shyamalan twist. No, like the best visual novels, it remains focused on its character growth, and unveils its secrets and motives with time. For someone with even a light taste for anime who may not normally take to visual novels, ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos should make them a believer.
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos releases on April 14 for PlayStation VR. A digital PS VR code was provided to Screen Rant for the purpose of this review.