Chronicles of Elyria Review

Chronicles of Elyria is a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) from Soulbound Studios. It’s a fantastic journey, a second life if you will, in a vast world where everything is player-created.

Chronicles of Elyria is a game that takes death seriously. Your hero starts as an adolescent, ages and eventually dies; in a lifespan of 10 to 14 months of gameplay, equivalent to 80 to 120 in-game years, you start small and try to leave your mark on the world. Of course, since this is a game, you will die many times before your “final” death with each one shortening your life expectancy by an amount which differs depending on your status. A King’s death will be more important than a simple soldier’s one.

With that in mind, you get to choose the life you will lead; will you be a simple farmer, tending to your crops or will you become an adventurer, looking to create a name for yourself? Depending on your family’s background and your birthplace, you have some starting abilities and characteristics, something close to the “race” thing encountered in other titles. There are no classes in Chronicles of Elyria, what you do defines you; if you choose to yield a two-handed sword, you will eventually become proficient at it and may at some point become a master.

Chronicles of Elyria’s world is a vast, vibrant place with many different locations to visit, huge valleys, green forests, tall, snow-covered mountains, sandy beaches populated by players that live in small, peaceful villages or in big, crowded towns. Laws and economy are user-created and managed. Quests are assigned in the form of contracts that both parties must sign and are completely unique; once a quest is done, it can never be repeated. Killing other players may be fun, but it doesn’t come without dire consequences; if you get caught you will be punished with multiplied times of your victim’s life’s shortening penalty.

The game looks great, with beautiful landscapes and detailed artwork; characters feel alive, with excellent animation and a meticulous customization process that leads to a unique-looking avatar. Most of all, Chronicles of Elyria is a title that offers players the ability to create their own legacy and pass it on to their descendants, it’s an experience that very few titles can match.