Chrono Gear: Warden of Time review – Right on time

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Since Hololive launched its independent game studio, Holo Indie, they’ve released some excellent games, greatly expanding the already thriving community of fan-made content. Holo Indie provides official support and resources to these creators, allowing them to develop projects that are much more ambitious than typical fan games. Chrono Gear: Warden of Time is a perfect demonstration of how effective this creator support system can be.

What really makes this game special is that it perfectly captures what Hololive fans are looking for, especially in terms of its fun and lighthearted tone. The story revolves around HoloPromise, six powerful beings who control the universe…but they’re also delightfully silly anime streamers.

The surprising combination of rich, detailed storytelling and lighthearted, bubbly personalities is a big part of what makes Hololive and VTubing so popular. It’s similar to professional wrestling – these performers are both fictional characters with elaborate histories and real people who entertain us by gaming and singing online.

The story is grand in scale, but it mostly focuses on interacting with the large and lovable cast of Hololive characters during your adventure. The writing is genuinely funny, perfectly capturing each member’s unique personality, and includes lots of fun references and memes that fans will enjoy.

You take on the role of Kronii, a guardian of time, on a quest to collect golden gears from different worlds. These gears are pieces of the Chrono Gear, a powerful device that will boost her control over time. The game features fast-paced 2D platforming levels with action-packed combat and unique time-bending abilities. You can slow down time around you to weaken enemies or speed yourself up for quicker movement and attacks.

The game requires careful balance. You have limited health and mostly regain it by skillfully deflecting attacks. This means you need to decide when to prioritize speed for more damage, even though it makes you more vulnerable, and when to slow down to reliably deflect incoming attacks. While the game begins simply, later bosses demand precise timing and strategic use of your abilities.

Each stage takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete, and most of them have really inventive platforming challenges. Some of these ideas are so good, they could be the focus of an entire game! You’ll be doing things like rotating the world, bouncing on bubbles, and balancing on see-saws. Later on, you’ll even get to freeze and unfreeze time to move forward.

This game feels a lot like the classic 2D Mario games. Each level introduces a single, core idea, explores it in different ways, and then quickly moves on to something new. This keeps the game feeling fresh and fast-paced, constantly offering new challenges and surprises as you enter each new area.

The music in Chrono Gear is a standout feature. Hololive has a huge collection of original songs performed by its virtual talents, and the game’s composers did an incredible job remixing many of them for the soundtrack. It was consistently exciting to start a level and instantly recognize a familiar song, then hear the composers’ unique take on it. They transformed everything – sad songs into intense boss battle themes, upbeat pop songs into chill background music, and even powerful rock ballads into playful melodies.

Chrono Gear: Warden of Time is a delightful game that clearly shows a lot of love for both the Hololive virtual idol group and classic platformer games. While those unfamiliar with Hololive might miss some of the jokes and references, the platforming itself is well-designed and fun. Ultimately, it’s a game created *for* Hololive fans, filled with inside jokes and heartfelt tributes, making it a really joyful experience.

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2025-09-26 13:47