 |
| Shooting diagonally can be tricky with just a keyboard |
| Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Reviewed by: | Mark Goninon |
| Developer: | The Bitmap Brothers, Abstraction Games |
| Publisher: | Rebellion |
| Release Date: | 29 Aug 2013 (original 16 Mar 1993) |
| Time played: | 3.4 hours (INCOMPLETE) |
The Bros of Bitmaps
Back in 1993, the Bitmap Brothers, a British development studio well renowned for releasing hit games on early PC gaming platforms such as the Commodore Amiga, released a top-down co-op shoot 'em up called The Chaos Engine. Set in a Steampunk version of Victorian England, a great inventor called Baron Fortesque creates a machine called the Chaos Engine which becomes sentient, assimilates its creator and proceeds to destroy England, spawning monstrosities, robots and prehistoric creatures. The player along with a friend or CPU player assume the role of mercenaries attempting to put an end to the Chaos Engine's madness once and for all (and killing a lot of its minions along the way). Reviews of the original game were very positive, especially on the Amiga with many complimenting its detailed graphics, excellent soundtrack and challenging gameplay that could rival console shoot 'em ups. I played the DOS version of The Chaos Engine and can confirm the veracity of these reviews. I never got very far but I do recall the excellent title music by Farook and Haroon Joi (Haroon has sadly since passed away) as well as the dynamic level music by the late Richard Joseph.
 |
| You can choose to play with smoother graphics if you like |
The version I'm reviewing today is the 2013 remaster of the game which adds a whole bunch of quality of life improvements such as online co-op, smoother graphics, 16-directional movement on gamepads, and Steam leaderboards and achievements. However, the music and gameplay is more or less left intact. Is it enough to make it a worthwhile purchase in today's age of shoot 'em ups?
 |
| You have a choice of six characters to choose from |
Less than Helpful Controls and CPU Players
When you start the game, you get to choose one of six characters who all come with different weapons and abilities, such as the strong, slow shotgun-toting Thug, the all-rounder Brigand with a rifle or weak but fast Gentleman who carries a flame pistol. As you go clearing levels (there are sixteen of them altogether) the aim is usually to clear a path to the exit, killing monsters, collecting loot and ammunition, and activating nodes. Every two levels you're given a chance to purchase new items and upgrades for your characters using the loot you've acquired.
 |
| Every couple of levels you'll be given the opportunity to purchase new upgrades and items |
I am a masochist when it comes to games that should be played on a gamepad and let me tell you, The Chaos Engine is probably one of those games, but in the interests of playing the game like I did back in the 1990s, I opted to use the keyboard which also meant I had only 8-directions to work with. Enemies can attack you diagonally and you can't simply face the direction you want to shoot, you have to walk towards it. This creates extra challenges when lining up shots, involving a lot of running around in circles to attempt shots and then dodging enemy projectiles. It can be frustrating at times but it adds to the game's oldschool charm as well as its difficulty.
To help alleviate the difficulty in this game, it's probably best to play with a competent human second player since if you play with the CPU player as your partner, it can actually make things more difficult for you. I often found the CPU acted quite selfishly, often rushing to acquire loot before you could and worse, collecting food when it already had full health (I mean who does that?). Otherwise, it can be a hard slog since you only start off with three lives and it only takes a few hits from monsters before you're dead. Food is scarce and if you have a CPU or selfish human partner, you're not going to survive long.
It's not impossible though: like many oldschool games, it's a matter of memorising the level, knowing where the monster spawns are and practice makes perfect. It's just whether you have the patience to do so or whether you've got decent help to assist you in fighting those monsters.
|
7
|
A charming, oldschool top-down shoot 'em up, with a great soundtrack, The Chaos Engine is still worth a shot nowadays. Cumbersome controls and a selfish CPU partner can make the game more challenging than it needs to be but playing with a co-operative human player can help alleviate these problems. |
If you like this game, you might like…
Comments
Post a Comment