Chasm

🎮 Steam ⏳ 10 hours ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Procedural Retro Appeal #

This title is a retro-styled Metroidvania that aims to blend procedural generation with classic side-scrolling exploration. Its presentation is immediately appealing, the pixel art is detailed and expressive, giving each environment a warm, handcrafted look despite the fact that the rooms are assembled procedurally. At first I was concerned regarding the game’s quality, because using random content generation approaches never usually deliver a good experience. Most titles lack the quality level of hand-crafted environments. But I can safely say this is not the case, every biome feels unique, exploration feels organic, at least to a certain degree. Animations are smooth, the color palette is vibrant without feeling overwhelming, and the game succeeds in evoking the feel of 16-bit era adventures.

Atmospheric Exploration Loop #

The soundtrack reinforces this mood, offering calm, melodic tracks that support exploration without distracting from it. Though it is not as fantastic as other titles of the same genre, this one only tries to fill the silence instead of enforcing a musical identity. As a Metroidvania, it delivers the expected staples, you’ll traverse interconnected regions, defeat enemies, collect upgrades, and return to previously inaccessible areas as your abilities expand. The controls are responsive, and platforming feels comfortable, even if it doesn’t demand high precision. The town-rescue element, where you free villagers who then return to the hub area, adds a sense of progression outside raw exploration. This is clearly inspired by games like Order of Ecclesia and Soul Blazer, and I highly recommend trying to do all the side-quests, it’ll greatly help you with progression.

Varied Gear, Mixed Structure #

There’s also a decent variety of weapons and equipment, giving you room to adapt combat to their preferences, whether focusing on faster attacks, heavy hits, or defensive boosts. Particularly I decided to stick to the basics, so I learned how to use the basic starting sword, and tried to use weapons similar to it, from start to finish. However, the game’s reliance on procedural generation is both a distinguishing feature and a limitation. While the curated room templates maintain a baseline level of quality, the way these pieces are stitched together can make the world feel loosely assembled rather than intentionally crafted. This reduces the sense of memorable landmarks or intricate pathways that often define the best Metroidvanias. The result is a map that is fun to uncover but rarely surprising or tightly structured.

Repetitive Yet Steady Combat #

Combat is straightforward and initially enjoyable, but it doesn’t evolve much over time. Enemy patterns are simple, and encounters tend to repeat across areas, which can flatten the challenge curve. Boss battles provide some variety and spectacle, yet they are not numerous enough to compensate for the general repetitiveness of regular fights. The pacing also leans toward the slow and methodical, people seeking intense combat or rapid progression might find the adventure somewhat subdued. You can enhance the combat by upgrading your gear and abilities, but unfortunately this only starts to feel good by the late-game, which makes it sound like you should go for a NG+ mode.

Cozy, Modest Adventure #

And while a new game plus mode doesn’t exist on this game, I believe trying to 100% it, like I did, is good enough for it’s small indie scope. Despite these shortcomings, this game remains an appealing experience for those who value atmosphere and exploration over mechanical depth. Its charm lies in its classic feel, gentle progression, and cozy presentation. The game doesn’t attempt to redefine the genre, but it delivers a steady, pleasant adventure that’s easy to settle into. For those willing to accept its modest ambitions, this title offers a satisfying journey that echoes the spirit of older Metroidvania titles, even if it never quite reaches the heights of its inspirations.