Publisher CFK and developer 21c.Ducks have announced their soulslike pixel ARPG Chrono Sword launches this month in early access.
Chrono Sword is launching for Windows PC (via Steam) on December 6th, and will be in early access.
Players can expect the early access build of the game to include 30% of its total content, equaling roughly three regions of the entire game world. A full release across Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4, and PS5 is planned for sometime later.
Here’s a rundown on the game, plus some new gameplay:
As people focus on the approaching release to Steam Early Access, curiosity about the game systems and characteristics has been increasing. In response to the questions, CFK and 21cDuck plan to introduce all the various aspects of Chrono Sword to the world.
In the action RPG genre, combat systems are a key component of gameplay. Chrono Sword maintains the action elements of the souls-like genre while providing new shades unique to Chrono Sword, all to provide a more immersive gameplay experience. Let’s look into the innovative combat systems featured in Chrono Sword.
Chrono Sword combat system
Chrono Sword centers around the heavy enemy and player hits common to the soulslike genre, but various attack commands make the action faster and more intense.
1) Quick evade
Instead of a roll, a quick press of the evade button allows players to skirt out of the way of enemy attacks.
In contrast with rolling away, which can help with avoiding attacks, evade allows for a stable evade detection system that allows players to avoid enemy attacks while setting up for a counterattack.
2) Attack cancel
During an attack, a well-timed press of the action cancel button allows players to cancel the current attack and continue into a quick successive attack or immediate block/evade. The timing and efficiency of attack canceling can vary depending on the weapon selected.
3) Finishing attacks
If players drive through an enemy after an attack cancel, enemies will fall to their knees in a brief stun animation. If players then close in on the stunned enemy and press the interact button, they will perform a finishing attack for a great deal of damage.
4) Skill attacks
If players press a direction button while charging a strong attack, they will perform a strong skill attack that changes the attack into a completely different movement. There are two command skill attacks for each weapon.
5) Useable items
Players can use a variety of items in combat by pressing the Use Item button.
Chrono Sword has an arsenal of short-range and long-range weapons. Firing arrows can add damage from a safe distance or keep an enemy in a stunned state, and whetstones can imbue a weapon with fire, frost, or lightning properties.
Chrono Sword is a pixel art Souls-like action RPG developed by Korean dev team 21c.Ducks that tells the story of the dark gothic fantasy world of Adelnor, where players must travel between the past and future to unlock its secrets.
Revealed first to the public in 2019, this Souls-like action RPG garnered a great deal of interest in Korea and abroad for its unique pixel graphics and gameplay. Selected as the first game in the collaboration campaign by North American crowdfunding site Kickstarter and the global game testing platform Game Round.Inc in 2020, it raised over seventy thousand dollars to successfully reach its funding goal.
Chrono Sword is a new take on the Souls-like genre, departing from the full 3D action RPGs on the market, choosing instead to fashion their Souls-like with pixel art and a quarter-view perspective. Since the announcement of this game, indie team 21c.Ducks has poured their hearts and souls into developing a strong storyline and advancing both the action and RPG elements of their Souls-like entry.
Chrono Sword renders its vast, three-dimensional world in pixel graphics. Players then step into the role of ‘time traveler,’ venturing freely between the past, present, and future in maps that seamlessly transition without loading screens. Developer 21cDucks has featured Chrono Sword in game exhibitions at home and abroad, where it was noted and awarded for its gameplay. They then took this experience and used it to further improve both gameplay and level design.
In addition, it has built on the heavy hits known to fans of the Souls-like genre while implementing new systems to create quicker, fiercer action.
Chrono Sword official key art
Chrono Sword featured the latest demo version at the Happinet booth at the Tokyo Game Show 2024 (TGS 2024), where it succeeded in attracting the attention of many players. After being unable to show its new face for so long, this new version of Chrono Sword drew attention as it focused on the action and RPG elements of the game, setting it apart from the demo released during the Kickstarter campaign.
Building off of this interest, Chrono Sword participated in the Steam Next Fest starting on October 14th, where it was seen by even more players from around the globe. It succeeded in attracting even more interest by releasing a version touting more content than the one featured at TGS 2024.
21c.Ducks began their development path in 2015 with mobile game Timing Hero, moving onto release Super Pixel Racers on PC in 2018, distinguishing themselves for their abilities in game development and raising awareness about their company. Then once they unveiled Chrono Sword in 2019, the game was nominated for the Grand Prix/Judge Selection/Excellence in Art awards at the Busan Indie Connect Festival(BIC) that very year. Then in 2022, it won a special award for excellence at the Burning Beaver festival.
