Chroma Zero is a baffling game in every variation of the word. Whenever I boot the game up, I am greeted with a question: What do I do now?
Chroma Zero is a game that sparks curiosity and wonder, and despite being utterly bizarre, it stands out as one of the most visually captivating games I’ve experienced this year. The work of solo developer Ekroz, launched in December last year, immediately drew me in. As life goes, it took me a while to delve into the game. As the sole reviewer and a plethora of games to play, you can imagine the buffet on offer right now. It’s a lot of fun, but it does mean I have to pick them carefully. I haven’t had much spare time past couple of weeks, so I only have a couple of hours in Chroma Zero so far. Consider this a very early first impression.
I am not the best at puzzle games. All too often, I am met with a video game puzzle, and my brain decides it no longer wants to do any work. This has undoubtedly been the case when I’ve been playing Talos Principle 2, which has made me feel rather stupid on multiple occasions. Chroma Zero is no exception to this, with its beautiful abstract visuals and lack of direction. You interact by clicking on objects to move them and can reset the simulation at any time, which is a nice accessibility feature.
There is a lot of guesswork on what to do at first, and while I enjoy the floating NPC guides, they can feel a little out of place. The world is beautiful and compelling, though the puzzles initially involve tracking down the NPC guide to have a clue where to go next. The guide is charming and funny, but it did feel slightly at odds with the mystery of Chroma Zero’s abstract world. However, these puzzles grow in complexity as you progress so that inconsistent beginning smoothes itself out.
This gameplay loop rewards experimentation and observation, and solving puzzles often feels like a natural consequence of understanding the game’s internal logic. That said, a few solutions rely on finding hidden elements, such as obscured teleporters, which can be frustrating. The game’s internal logic, while challenging, keeps you engaged and eager to progress.
However, once you unravel the game’s intricacies, Chroma Zero culminates in a fantastic finale that ties its ideas together in a meaningful and satisfying way. While the journey to this high point could have been smoother, the rewarding conclusion makes the entire experience worthwhile, leaving you with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
So far, this is an impressive debut from the dev. The creativity and ambition on display here are commendable. Some more fine-tuning could be done, but I’m itching to play more Chroma Zero over the coming weeks.
