Tokyo Chronos & Altdeus: Beyond Chronos Twin Pack Review – VR Visual Novels Given a New Life on Switch

Introduction to the Twin Pack

During a small visual novel bubble in 2019, developers were eager to invest in the genre and release games to a global market. Developer MyDearest rose during this time as one of the few who would attempt to bring the visual novel genre to the VR space. The result was Tokyo Chronos, a truly captivating sci-fi adventure that just so happens to be the game that I’ve played in VR for the longest amount of time. Now,  with the release of the Tokyo Chronos & Altdeus: Beyond Chronos Twin Pack on the Nintendo Switch, players can experience the two previously VR-exclusive adventures in a new, more accessible format. If you’ve ever felt left out when hearing about this series, this more accessible version will be your best bet to experience this very cool series.

Tokyo Chronos: A Mysterious Adventure

Tokyo Chronos places you in the shoes of Kyosuke Sakurai, who wakes up in an eerily deserted Shibuya. The once-bustling city is now silent, with only eight of Kyosuke’s childhood friends around. As the group congregates at the famous scramble crossing, a chilling message appears: “I am dead. Who killed me?” This sets off a chain of events that forces players to navigate through a complex web of relationships and secrets to uncover the truth behind the strange phenomenon.

Altdeus: Beyond Chronos delivers a powerful narrative that combines personal loss with the epic scale of a mecha sci-fi saga.

Tokyo Chronos ultimately stands out thanks to its character writing, which allows each of the characters to stand out and make their mark on the narrative. Some might say the story is a little too long in the midsection, but considering this developer was breaking new ground in the genre, I can see how some growing pains, like adjusting the length of the game, are just par for the course. While playing, each choice you make can lead to different outcomes, encouraging multiple playthroughs. The Switch version maintains the game’s visual novel roots while offering the convenience of handheld play, making it what I feel is the best way to play, considering it elevates the slow pacing of the narrative that’s tougher to look past in the VR space.

Altdeus: Beyond Chronos: A Futuristic Battle for Humanity

Altdeus: Beyond Chronos takes players 300 years into the future, where humanity has taken refuge in an underground city called Augmented Tokyo. You play as Chloe, a mecha pilot part of the Anti-Meteora military organization Prometheus, tasked with defending the city against massive alien threats known as Meteoras. Driven by the loss of her dear friend Coco, Chloe’s journey is filled with choices that will shape the future of humanity.

Tokyo Chronos stands out thanks to its character writing, allowing each character to make their mark on the narrative.

The game features a blend of narrative-driven exploration and interactive mecha battles that works really well in VR but doesn’t really have the same intensity as Switch. The story branches significantly based on your decisions, offering a substantial replay value with multiple endings to discover. What the Switch version does offer is an easier means of replaying and uncovering story branches, something that is kind of exhausting when playing in VR.

Smooth Transition to Nintendo Switch

Both Tokyo Chronos and Altdeus: Beyond Chronos run smoothly on the Nintendo Switch. The transition from VR to a traditional screen does not detract from the immersion these games offer. Instead, it opens them up to a wider audience who may not have access to VR equipment. The controls are intuitive, and the text is clear and readable, even in handheld mode. One strange feature is how you can’t remove the on-screen controller information and have the story play in Auto at the same time, but this does nothing to hurt the experience.

Emotional Depth and Immersive Soundtracks

One of the standout features of these titles is their ability to evoke deep emotional responses. Tokyo Chronos excels in building tension and mystery, while Altdeus: Beyond Chronos delivers a powerful narrative that combines personal loss with the epic scale of a mecha sci-fi saga. The games’ soundtracks, featuring work from renowned artists, add another layer of immersion, with emotional scores that complement the story perfectly.

Stunning Art Direction

The art direction in both games is top-notch. Tokyo Chronos utilizes a more traditional visual novel style with beautifully drawn characters and backgrounds that bring the eerie, deserted Shibuya to life. Altdeus: Beyond Chronos, on the other hand, offers a more dynamic visual experience with its sci-fi setting and detailed mecha designs. The character animations and background art are vibrant and engaging, helping to pull players into their respective worlds.

Final Thoughts: A Must-Have Twin Pack

The Tokyo Chronos & Altdeus: Beyond Chronos Twin Pack on the Nintendo Switch is a must-have for fans of visual novels and narrative-driven games. These titles deliver compelling stories with rich characters and emotional depth, now enhanced by the Switch’s portability and convenience. This new platform allows players to solve a mystery in a silent Shibuya or battle giant alien threats in a dystopian future without getting motion sick.  For those who missed out on the VR versions or prefer a more accessible platform, this twin pack is the perfect opportunity to dive into two of the most intriguing visual novels available today.