Chasm Reviews
You know the saying, that good things come to those who wait? Well, this wait for Chasm has definitely yielded an amazing fun title, that should appeal to even the more hardcore of Metroidvania games. Beautiful, lots of stuff to do and tons of items and secrets to uncover, makes Chasm the game that will keep you busy for a long time. In fact, we just might be playing it longer than it took for this gem to be released.
Chasm is one of the finest Metroidvania games ever created.
This world is a joy to get lost in and thanks to the unique take on procedural design, it offers a multitude of ways to re-experience the game even after completion. Aside from some minor issues with the ho-hum traversal upgrades, Chasm is an inspired take on a well-worn genre. If you long for the days of annual Igavanias, Chasm's one of the better modern stabs at that glory.
Chasm may not be the most original or engaging metroidvania game out there, but it's still a delightfully charming adventure/RPG game that's sure to appeal to fans of The Legend of Zelda series, old-school Castlevania and Metroid games, or anyone else whose idea of a good time involves delving into monster-infested dungeons.
Chasm's sharp combat mechanics and rich visual design make it easier to bear the inconsistent difficulty curve.
While Chasm is an indie Metroidvania title using procedural generation, this isn't another roguelike. Instead, Chasm generates a new map with every campaign for re-playable variety. During the campaign the map stays put, promoting exploration and memorization. Chasm is all about getting around: finding new abilities to open a new path forward and overcoming difficult platforming challenges. Chasm might have been outdone in certain aspects during its five years in development, but what's here is still very good.
It has been a long wait for Chasm and I am happy to report that it provides a great classic Metroidvania experience. It isn't as obviously polished graphically as the likes of Oni or Hollow Knight, and doesn't offer the Dark Souls stylings of Dead Cells, but it succeeds entirely on what it sets out to do. The art style is perfectly suited, the controls are responsive and focused (although I would have liked to move dodge from the Y button) and the world map is a real joy to explore, despite my worries about the procedural generation. It may not be the gamechanger that Dead Cells seems to be (having not yet played it myself) but it is a wonderfully pure and challenging experience. If you have even a passing interest in the genre, Chasm deserves a place on your playlist.
While it can sometimes be hard to pick and chose which of many Metroidvanias to try out as the market is very crowded, genre fans definitely shouldn't pass on Chasm. The game took the developers six years to make, and this is seems to have paid off when looking at in the quality of the visuals, controls, and how well the Chasm's take on procedural generation and the placement of its rooms works out.
Much of Chasm's appeal comes from the random nature of the adventure. The procedurally generated Metroidvania world creates a dynamic situation where combat and exploration are always surprising. Twisted confinements in this underground lair littered with all matter of dangerous creatures and environmental hazards form a deadly dance of evading and slashing. Some of the random environments can link together for vexing platforming challenges and lopsided enemy variety but the tension created by Chasm's chance placement means that nothing you encounter is expected.
Beautiful pixel art and tight controls make Chasm a fine, if reserved, modern take on the Metroidvania.
With an unrelenting sense of character, Chasm successfully works the Metroid formula into a procedurally-generated fantasy platformer, producing an intricate, challenging and enduring treasure hunt that more than justifies its five-year development.
Despite its flaws, there's still a lot of fun to be had with Chasm.
Chasm features a lot of Metroid goodness, but the randomness makes levels range from triumphant to tedious
Chasm was worth the wait regardless of its shortcomings. It's gorgeous, it sounds wondrous, and even though I'm not quite at the point where I can call it a "classic," it honors the genre. I hope the follow-up doesn't take nearly as long.
Chasm's procedural dungeon, though a technical marvel, ends up woefully underutilised and results in a title that does little to set itself apart from its peers.
Chams is a lovely experience for all those players who enjoy by playing classic titles like Castlevania and the first Metroid. Great for 2D and pixel lovers, but a little bit repetitive for modern players.
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Chasm is a lovely and fun Metroidvania with a lot of cool new ideas, even if its randomized maps are uninteresting.
Chasm is a fascinating, mechanically sound take on the Metroidvania genre, but it also fails to do anything innovative or original that hasn't been done before in the genre, apart from the relatively minor hook of procedurally-generated worlds. Despite this, it's still a fun side-scrolling adventure that's sure to be worth your time, with challenging combat, fantastic graphics, and a cool premise all combining to make for a release that we'd recommend to fans of the genre - although there are better examples out there, many of which are on Switch right now.
While a perfectly serviceable example of the genre, there are just better options out there in 2018.