Watcher Chronicles Review

If you takeDARK SOULS, Castle Crashers, and the classic Metroid and mix them together, you will come up with the videogame from Third Sphere Game Studios, Watcher Chronicles.

Watcher Chronicles is a 2D Metroidvania game that is non-linear with many secret passages throughout the map. I will admit that I did get lost a few times and had some trouble remembering where some locations were. Fortunately, there are some save points to help navigate the map in the form of statues.

Starting the game, I was not informed of anything except that I had to pick what my name was and if my character was male or female. My character woke up in a crypt that was overrun with skeletons. At first I thought the game would be too easy since the enemies were generally pretty easy to defeat; however, once I reached my first boss, I immediately knew just how challenging this game would be. I died a few times to the first boss and once I cleared the first area, the common enemies got tougher.

Eventually, I was told that I was in purgatory which has been overrun by a group called “The Watchers.” I was one of the lost souls who had to help fight the unholy invasion and take back purgatory; with more than 20 bosses to tackle, I would have my work cut out for me. The NPCs were concentrated in one region, but the issue that I had was that it was difficult to remember where each one was. The currency for Watcher Chronicles was these purple gems. The purple gems, which were used to upgrade or buy new equipment, level up character’s stats, or purchase items to help make the journey easier.

The nice thing about Watcher Chronicles was that I could play in any style. I could be a tank, a range attacker, or a dodging attacker. There were a lot of items and equipment that I could choose from and adapt to my playstyle. One of the most important things I had to keep in mind was my stamina; every attack or dodge move cost a bit of stamina and certain moves and weapons used different amounts of energy. Range attacks would use mana and also vary in cost as well. All these things were something to keep in mind when I approached bosses. Potions were key for this game and could be replenished at the various statues throughout the regions. When I used the statues, however, all enemies except bosses were respawned.

Controls were pretty straightforward. I played with both a game controller as well as a mouse and keyboard. Personally, I preferred the controller but I also had no issues playing with a mouse and keyboard. It was pretty easy to remember what each button did and I did not feel overwhelmed trying to remember combos like I would with other games.

Watcher Chronicles also offered multiplayer that can be played locally or remotely. I could even invite friends to play this game remotely, even if they do not have the game. They would take on the role of a typical AI mercenary, but with full control. They would have to choose between three different fighter types. If they got too far away from me, they would be teleported to my position which was very convenient. Unfortunately, I was not be able to upgrade or give them new gear.

A couple of things that really stood out in Watcher Chronicles was the art and music. Playing the game, I felt like I was playing in a graphic novel or comic; it was very well drawn and animated and I was honestly quite blown away by the quality. I did not feel that there was any lag between inputting a control and the animation. What was hilarious to me was that because of the graphic novel style of the game, I naively thought that the bosses were not at all intimidating. Though once they landed a hit on me, that thought quickly passed. The guitar riffs and drums that accompanied bosses were pretty badass as well as imposing. Plus, every region had a unique music accompaniment that fit well with each region.

I will say that as fun as this game was, there were some drawbacks. The main one was that it was sometimes hard to navigate each region. I had to rely on my memory to remember where every section and enemy spawn were. Not only that, sometimes the items would automatically be picked up without my wanting to. I would see potions that were dropped but because I was full on potions, I would not benefit from picking them up. Instead, it would be wasted as it counted as a pickup but did not add to my potion count.

Overall though, I would say this was a great game to play for those who enjoy a challenge. This was a game that reminded me heavily of Dark Souls while still being unique on its own. Watcher Chronicles was a fun game that could be played for hours.