Chrono Odyssey has my attention, but not my hype. I've learned the hard way that overhyping a video game is often the fastest route to disappointment. Somewhere along the line, enthusiasm became a performance. Social media success hinges on being loudly optimistic about every new MMORPG, as if each one is the genre's final salvation. If you're measured or critical, or worse, cautiously optimistic, you don't trend. You just vanish.
I suppose that's fine. I'm old. I remember Betamax.
I dove into Chrono Odyssey for the first time on 20 June 2025. That might surprise some people, since I usually approach a new game like a doctoral thesis. I consume everything—mechanics, lore, community takes—before I ever touch the keyboard. This time? I showed up unprepared and joked I'd be taking my F for skipping the reading. Felt weird. Still hit Start.
I was pleasantly surprised by Chrono Odyssey's intro cinematic and character creator. The tools are stunning, living up to every expectation you'd have from a game built in Unreal Engine. My first character didn't take long, since livestreaming limited how deep I could go, but even tossing on a few customizations gave me a clear sense of identity. Then, as I previewed the different armor sets, an idea hit me.
Imagine if, while creating your character, each outfit preview came with a short description: where it drops, what it means, how you earn it. That alone could hook certain players immediately. I might see a set of ranger furs and think, "I want to look like that." Then I learn it drops at level 40 after clearing a specific dungeon. Now I've got a goal. The developer has me locked in at least until I get there. Would it retain every player? No. Would it help retain some? Definitely. And that's the game.
On the topic of player retention, Chrono Odyssey has a major problem: a lack of a substantial tutorial, no real easing in, and no early success moments to hook players. This will frustrate anyone new to this type of game. It is not the only issue, and other creators will highlight different flaws, but for me, how a game starts matters most. I do not mean the game should be easy. The challenge is part of the charm. What I care about is whether it is easy to play even when the content itself is difficult.
To be honest, I felt completely lost during my first hour in Chrono Odyssey. For me, that breaks immersion. When I can't figure out basic systems, I start itching to Google answers, and that is never a good sign. This wasn't the good kind of challenge, like solving a puzzle or deciphering a map. That kind of frustration can be rewarding. Instead, I was told to level my mining to two, but the quest giver didn't sell pickaxes, didn't tell me who did, and no vendor nearby had one either. That kind of confusion doesn't add depth. It just adds friction.
I stuck with the game, partly because I was enjoying the world and its difficulty, and partly because I was streaming. Eventually, I found the tools I needed to craft some gear. Why was I so focused on gearing up so early? I was tired of getting faceplanted by every single NPC I met. After running around mining, chopping trees, gathering plants, and skinning wolves, I finally cobbled together a full set of level five gear. When I returned to the world, every NPC was still planting me like a tomato in your grandfather's garden. At least now, I felt properly dressed for the occasion.
After some wandering, I hit the first Chrono Cave and immediately got stuck. The back of the room was a door, but it didn't look like one. Once I figured that out, I found myself dying repeatedly to the boss. Frustration started piling up, so I left the cave and returned to the open world.
What happened next surprised me. Places I had already visited now had new quests waiting. Maybe I reached a certain level, maybe dying to the boss triggered something, or maybe the server caught up. I honestly don't know. What I do know is that the world suddenly felt alive.
Naked guy trapped on a rock near a waterfall? No problem, good sir—I will help you. Guy who wants me to take him to his farm so he can collect his wife's things and then apparently take a header off the cliff? Absolutely. I will help you out and then accept your wife's sickle as a thank-you. As I adventured (and it has been so long since I've been on a good adventure), I felt the world coming alive around me. This was due to facing adversity—and dare I say it? Failure.
This is exactly why Chrono Odyssey has me intrigued. Most MMORPGs from the past 15 years follow the same pattern: pick up a quest, kill a boss, move to the next hub, and repeat until you hit max level. That's when the "real" game begins. Chrono Odyssey flips that on its head. It introduces something else entirely: frustration.
Even as I write this, I'm itching to get back in. I'm only level seven, but I want to see where the game takes me. More than that, I want the final piece to craft my green bow. I want another shot at the guy who is blocking my story progression. I want to be successful. I need to be successful.
That tunneling, chunneling, pug-faced blocker of my progress is going down.
By now, if you know me, you're probably wondering where the sarcastic, sardonic, condescending, surgically analytical Jahlon of yesterday has gone. Where are the flaws? Where is the cutting feedback?
The truth is, I'm not qualified to talk about the biggest problem in this game: combat. I've said for years that I am not an action combat player, and I'm not about to pretend otherwise just to fit in with the trendy YouTuber, streamer, influencer crowd.
Do I think the combat is good? No, I do not. Do I think any action combat is good? Sometimes. Does this combat play well? In my experience, no. It doesn't feel buttery smooth. It feels like a fifteen-year-old with a learner's permit trying to drive grandma's stick shift, double clutching, grinding gears, lurching hard enough to spill your coffee.
That's the feedback from a tab-target player. If you are an action combat player and disagree, feel free to tell me. I will not argue with you. This just isn't my domain.
In this game, my realm is gathering. The pace is slow—slow enough that most short-form content junkies with ADHD will probably bail on it. That works in my favor. I don't mind a gathering animation that gives me time to sip coffee between trees and rocks. I will happily dominate the auction house with my hard-earned goods.
The artisan system, though, feels messy so far. Multiple gathering professions filter into one processing profession, which then branches into different crafting disciplines. I am not exactly thrilled by that setup, but I need more time with the game before passing final judgment.
Let's talk about the other hot-button issue: pay-to-win. The developers have promised it will not be part of Chrono Odyssey. The monetization model is buy-to-play, with a cash shop focused on cosmetics and convenience items.
That brings out the Jahlon you know, whether you love him or hate him. I trust Kakao Games to avoid pay-to-win about as much as I trust John Smedley not to ruin another Star Wars Galaxies.
If anyone at Kakao is offended by that, that is fine. You have earned every inch of the reputation you carry as a game developer and publisher. You also have a chance to change it. Chrono Odyssey and Archeage Chronicles both have potential. This could be Kakao's redemption arc, a chance to prove that a studio can make money with a box price and a fair cash shop.
The combat situation, the lack of a strong foundation tutorial, and the high potential for pay to win is why I am not about to rate this game as a 10. Or a 9. Or even an 8. Based on what I have seen, this game is a solid 7 with good bones, fair skin, and maybe a winning smile.
They need to invest more in the first hour or two. The tutorial should grab players and get them to turn off YouTube and pay attention. Fortunately, fixing that does not require hundreds of thousands of dollars. It only takes an extra line or two of dialogue in the right places.
They also need to keep their word on monetization. If the game slips into pay-to-win territory, people will leave. Some will post hateful comments about the game or this review simply because it is Kakao, or because it is a Korean MMO. I cannot even blame them. That reaction has become Pavlovian.
All we can do now is wait with bated breath, see if things improve, and use the closed beta to offer real feedback.