Chrono Odyssey is the PS5 MMORPG to really push the console's hardware

First look at Chrono Odyssey
(Image credit: NPixel / Chrono Studio)

The latest gameplay trailer for the upcoming PS5 MMORPG Chrono Odyssey has been unleashed with this open-world game taking full advantage of Unreal Engine 5. 

When you typically think of massively multiplayer online games, graphical fidelity is usually not at the forefront. That's because titles in the genre usually scale back on visuals to deliver a playable experience on as many systems as possible. Chrono Odyssey, the latest upcoming game from NPixel and Chrono Studio, looks to buck the trend by going all in on the spectacle with the power of the PS5

Revealed in a recent PlayStation Blog post, the first proper look at Chrono Odyssey's gameplay reveals much of the combat, characters, and world design, with Unreal Engine 5 doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The trailer shows off lighting and environmental detail that rivals some of the best PS5 games like Horizon Forbidden West

Style and substance 

There looks to be some serious substance to the style of this PS5 MMORPG, though. Combat looks to be far more inspired than just relying on hot bars and cooldowns. That's because the actual fighting appears to share more DNA with Demon's Souls and Ghost of Tsushima than with World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV Online. A particular focus has been placed on momentum-based melee, much like as you'd find in the Soulsbourne titles, so fans of action-heavy titles look to be catered to here. 

Now, Chrono Odyssey is far from the first PS5 game to attempt to be a stunning online title for the platform. Godfall all the way back in 2020 was built up in a similar fashion as a graphically beautiful game with more going on behind its visuals. However, for as pretty, but shallow as that title was, it was running on the far older Unreal Engine 4 instead of the latest and greatest version of the all-star software. 

You only need to look as far as Fortnite's recent Unreal Engine 5 makeover to see what a difference strong lighting and environmental effects can have. While far from a graphical powerhouse, the update brought a much-needed facelift to a game that essentially runs on everything. There haven't been many high-profile online PS5 games to utilize this engine yet, so it really is all to play for when Chrono Odyssey debuts in the not-too-distant future. 

No release date has been offered yet, and it's unlikely that we'll see a game of such a scale coming out in the next few months. One thing's for sure, we'll be bringing you the latest on Chrono Odyssey as soon as we know more. 

Aleksha McLoughlin
Contributor

Aleksha McLoughlin is an experienced hardware writer. She was previously the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming until September 2023. During this time, she looked after buying guides and wrote hardware reviews, news, and features. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of PC Gamer, Trusted Reviews, Dexerto, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn't working, you'll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.