Overall: 7.25/10

Story:

Chorus ended up surprising me with its story in a way I didn’t expect. You step into the role of Nara, a pilot clearly burdened by a dark past which she must now face. Her journey is deeply personal, shaped by guilt and a search for redemption, but it’s woven into the gameplay in a way that feels natural rather than forced. There is a larger conflict at play, that being the threat of a cult called "The Circle," but I really think it’s Nara's internal battles that carry the story. She has tried to abandon her past, and is now forced to confront the very things she tried to leave behind. Nara's journey is about more than just fighting enemies; it’s about making peace with herself and confronting the choices she made.
That said, the narrative does stumble a bit with some overused tropes. The frequency of the whole “Chosen One” angle and some forced lines about friendship can feel a little cheesy, but they don’t ruin the experience either.
What really stood out to me was the relationship between Nara and her sentient ship, Forsaken. Their shared history, the trust that needs rebuilding, and the way they communicate was all surprisingly compelling and easily the highlight of the narrative for me. While the overarching plot of bringing down The Circle works well enough for this type of game, the more compelling narrative definitely lies in Nara's journey to rebuild trust with her ship. Their bond had more emotional weight than the broader “take down the bad guys” plot ever did.

Gameplay:

First off, I just want to say: I COULD NOT get into this game using a controller. It just didn’t feel fluid or natural to me at all. So if you're picking this up, I HIGHLY recommend giving KB+M a shot; it made the gameplay feel way more precise and responsive.
Now, the main focus of Chorus is, without a doubt, the space dogfights. There are some side quests here and there and the occasional scattered loot, but the combat is absolutely where the heart of this game lives. You can't leave your ship, and gameplay is entirely cockpit-based from a third-person view. Combat-wise, there’s a good range of enemy ship types from different factions, each with their own behaviors and strengths. You’ll be switching up your weapons and powers constantly to keep up with the variety, which obviously keeps the gameplay engaging and prevents it from going stale. Additionally, the acrobatic nature of the combat further enhances the dogfighting for all the best reasons, with fast-paced movement in some very open areas in space, and other environments filled with all kinds of hazards/obstacles for you to show off your flying skills.
It can take a bit to really get a firm grip on the controls, but once you do, it’s a blast. The movement is fun and responsive, and the “drift” mechanic basically cuts your inertia and lets you swing your ship around to get the drop on enemies, making lining up shots mid-fight feel incredibly smooth. It gives the combat a unique rhythm that I really came to enjoy, despite the initial awkwardness.
Furthermore, As you progress, Nara slowly rediscovers a set of special powers called “Rites.” These add a lot of flavor and strategy to the combat. You’ve got things like a shock pulse that acts like an EMP, or a blink-style teleport that drops you right behind enemies for a clean shot. These powers feel great to use, and they come in handy very often, especially when you’re outnumbered.
Forsaken also gets plenty of upgrades. You’re always equipped with three core weapon types: gatling guns for chewing through armor, lasers for melting shields, and missiles for high-damage hits. On top of that, you’ve got three mod slots for ship perks, so there’s quite a bit of flexibility if you ever need to tweak your parts or just want a different feel.

World:

Honestly, if there's one aspect that REALLY fell flat for me, it was the world design. By the end, you're given five open world areas you can fast travel between, which sounds great on paper, but in practice, it's easily my least favorite part of the experience.
The biggest issue? They're just way too big for their own good. Traveling from one end of the map to the other takes FOREVER, and there’s rarely anything meaningful to do along the way. Sure, you’ll stumble across the occasional memory collectible, a destroyed ship with some scrap to scavenge, or some stranded ships needing help fending off Circle forces, but that’s it. For areas this big, they feel disappointingly empty and underutilized.
What makes it worse is that, visually, only two of the five zones really stood out to me: Kinuuk Fields and Nimika. They at least had some personality and atmosphere. Unfortunately though, they're the last two accessible areas. Up until then, the earlier zones just kind of blend together, feeling bland and lifeless. It made me realize how hollow the maps felt when you weren't actively engaged in a mission or combat scenario.
To be fair, each area works well enough as settings during missions or dogfights, but outside of that, the environments just don’t offer much incentive to explore. It ends up making the game world feel more like a tolerable backdrop rather than an actual space worth spending time in.

Visuals:

Visually, this game is a real stunner. The graphics looks fantastic, and the space combat is massively enhanced by the effects on display; all the lasers, ship debris, etc. and especially the explosions come together to create a really immersive experience.
Cutscenes are also surprisingly well done; they carry a consistently high level of cinematic direction and polish, helping drive the story forward without ever feeling cheap or rushed. Nara is the only physically modeled character, but to Chorus’ credit, it hides that limitation really well. You’re rarely in a scenario where it would even make sense to see other characters fully rendered anyway, so it’s not a problem. It is worth noting, though, since the longer you play the more noticeable that constraint becomes.
That said, my biggest gripe with the visual aspect of Chorus is actually the complete lack of ship customization. You’re with Forsaken for almost the entire game, potentially 15+ hours, and yet you’re stuck with the default look the whole time. There is one DLC skin available (which does look pretty cool, to be fair), but aside from that, there’s nothing. Not even a basic color change option. It feels like such a missed opportunity, especially for a game where your ship is your main character in a sense. The visuals are a strength overall, but I really wish I could have made Forsaken feel a bit more like MY ship.

Music/Sound Design:

The Music/Sound Design is another impressive highlight. From the moment you enter the vastness of space, you're wrapped in a blanket of ambient audio that feels both immersive and eerily desolate. The hum of your ship, the subtle crackles of radio interference, and the emptiness between celestial bodies really sell the isolation of the universe in a way that pulls you in completely.
Voice acting is also very solid across the board. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of Nara’s constant whispering. it felt like there could’ve been better ways to convey her inner conflict without relying so heavily on that particular delivery. Still, it doesn’t take too much away from what is otherwise an excellent audio experience overall.
Regardless though, the intense space fights are where the sound design really shines. Every explosion, laser zapping, and engine roar is crisp, powerful, and incredibly satisfying. The audio design in Chorus really adds a layer of intensity that makes every battle feel alive and visceral.
The OST deserves a special mention, too. It’s high-quality and deeply cinematic, and perfectly complements the game’s tone. Whether you’re in the middle of a heart-pounding skirmish or just gliding quietly through the void, the music rises and falls to match the moment, elevating the entire experience.

What do you get when you mix Ace of Combat with Everspace ? - Chorus . A great space dogfight game with somewhat uninspiring story, but great game mechanics and a fairly deep mechanics . I recommend skipping most of side content as it feels like unnecessary bloat . Overall a fairly good game . 7/10 for me & 8/10 if you love space sci-fi .

While I recommend this as a short dogfighting game, be warned: The game has some issues that really got on my nerves (see below). But all these negatives aside: If you know what you are getting into, the game is fun. I would have preferred fewer emotion-fueled skybeam-tentacle-aliens and instead more "grounded" factions with intense, varied space battles.

The things that ticked me off:
- All sequences with the Spirit ships are ridiculous and I have no idea why they are even there. The ships are so overpowered, you kill enemies right when they spawn. Within ONE second. Every time. It is mindnumbing.
- The quest tracking is stiff as hell, especially when combined with the slow, deliberate dialogues in the game. Quest finished? Not until everyone has spoken extensively. You can't leave the area while that happens. You can't track another quest while that happens. You just have to wait.
- way too many sequences take place in narrow tunnels. I was expecting large, cool spacebattles with at least 2 factions, but instead I got 30% of Slipstream 5000. Especially that last part where you hunt the prophet through that gauntlet tunnel. It felt like it was designed by the most sadistic console-player alive.
- Concerning large space battles: I have seen bigger action in Freelancer (early 2000's!). A pity.