The Chaos Engine - Review
(Bitmap Bros, Commodore Amiga Game, 1993)

I wonder whether the Bitmap Brothers ever gambled. I play a bit of poker myself, enjoying the complexities of the game, the mathematical permutations, the joy of a well-timed bluff and the even greater joy experienced when finding yourself deep in a pot, knowing full well that what you hold is better than the opponent. If the Bitmaps were to gamble in an ‘all or nothing’ situation against other game developers they would want to be backing something pretty solid, such as Speedball 2, Gods, or maybe The Chaos Engine.

The Chaos Engine is a top-down viewed ‘run and gun’ game set in Victorian England with a decidedly ‘steam-punk’ feel. There is quite a complicated plot which I won’t bother you with (does anyone care about plots anyway?) but the basics are that you have to navigate four worlds, each made up of four maze-like levels, shooting enemies and collecting coins, ‘special-power’ weapons (such as smart bombs) and food (which replenishes health). As you explore you need to find silver and gold keys; silver keys open up secret passages to allow progression, while gold keys reveal areas full of bonus goodies. You must also find and activate ‘nodes’, by shooting them. When you have activated all the level's nodes the exit opens allowing you to progress. Some levels have alternative exits triggered by finding and activating an additional node.

You can choose to play as one of six characters: Brigand, Mercenary, Navvie, Thug, Preacher or Gentleman, each with varying levels of health and speed and a different gun with varying capabilities. They can each also collect different types of special power. At the start of the game two players are always selected; if you are playing alone then player two is computer controlled. Choosing the right playable characters can be tactical and the differences in their abilities genuinely alter how you play. The Preacher, for example, starts with low health and has to be careful as he can’t take many hits without losing a life, but is, as a counterbalance, quicker than the others. Thug on the other hand, is more cumbersome but starts with a stronger gun and more health.

The game looks and sounds absolutely fabulous. Appearance is really crisp, being beautifully drawn and really nicely animated. The AGA version is significantly more colourful but both look great. The levels are well designed with staircases dotted about giving you movement in (albeit limited) three dimensions. The play areas feel very solid and movement of both the characters and the various monsters you encounter is smooth. The whole thing is accompanied by a wonderful thumping soundtrack that complements the feel of the game perfectly. The in-game music reacts to your play, getting more triumphant as you approach the end of a level. There are also some nice voice samples informing you what you have collected or when nodes are activated.

Every two levels you can spend your accumulated coins, powering up the two characters, upgrading their gun or their ‘health’ or ‘speed’ bars, or alternatively increasing their ‘skill’ which enlarges the other bars enabling them to be filled even further. The gun power, health and speed bars that you finish the game with are significantly greater than those that you start with, an important gameplay leveller to help you cope with the increasing difficulty. You can also buy more special powers or extra lives. If you are playing a one player game with the computer controlled player 2, you have an extra option to power-up their ‘wisdom’ which affects their ability to play. It is a simple interface allowing you control over your character’s development and those that have played Speedball 2 will find the screen more than a little familiar.

The game can be played with a friend and while cooperation helps you progress further, the statistics comparison screen at the end of each level always maintains the element of competition. However, if you are playing as a single player, special mention must be given to the artificial intelligence engine driving the computer player-two. It really is very good, the best I have encountered in an Amiga game, backing up your main character perfectly. Your computer controlled buddy will dispatch enemies, collect the coins if you aren’t quick enough and will also pick up food, special powers and activate nodes, all without ever taking over. He won’t collect keys though, leaving you to decide the point at which you open up new areas of the level to explore. He rarely gets left behind, but if he does, he conveniently teleports swiftly back to your side. The best compliment I can pay is that it often genuinely feels that you are alongside another human player.

The intelligence driving the enemies is good too, targeting you when you are in range, firing at you if they have guns, or attacking you kamikaze style if they don’t.

Unfortunately the game is not perfect and there are some minor niggles to report. Firstly there can be a definite sense of ‘deja-vu’ gained from repeated play. As with so many games of this type (and platformers too), as you progress, the same enemies will appear in the same order, in the same place, triggered by your character reaching a certain point on the play area. This can make the gameplay feel a tad predictable once you have learnt a level. However, given the complexity of even the first levels, it will take some time before things feel repetitive. And even when they do, it still doesn’t stop it being fun. There is a password system too so you don't have to play from the start every time.

Also, in the heat of battle it is easy to forget that a long hold on the fire button can detonate a ‘special-power’ (once collected), meaning that it isn't hard to use them accidentally. This is a game crying out for a two button joystick.

Finally, I find this is a pretty tough game. It only takes a few hits to lose a life and there are sections where you have to be especially careful and precise to avoid this. I have played The Chaos Engine extensively over the years and have never got much further than about halfway through. Great if you like a challenge (and I am not the most skilled gamer so others may find it a little easier) but I fear that there are significant areas of the game that I will never see.

Nevertheless this is still a terrific game. It looks great and sounds absolutely fantastic and offers a significant challenge, either in two player mode, or as a single player backed up by one of the most impressive artificial intelligence engines I have seen on the Amiga. It has a real consistency of gameplay while the varied abilities of the six playable characters make a real difference to playing style and progression.

Now it could be argued that the game bears more than a passing resemblance to Alien Breed and Alien Breed 2 (Team 17’s offerings from 1991 and 1993 respectively). All are top down, two player, ‘run and gun’ games, navigating maze like levels, killing enemy monsters, collecting keys to complete the levels and coins/credits to purchase gun power ups, other weapons, health and extra lives. Aesthetically they are very different but in terms of gameplay, strikingly similar. Alien Breed was a very good game. Alien Breed 2 was better. But at the poker table the Bitmap boys have called Team 17 and then raised them all-in with their own take on this classic formula and there is only one winner.  

Great solid fun, highly impressive and a must-have for any collection.

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Graphics - 93%

It looks fabulous, with well designed, solid and atmospheric levels and the characters and enemies move very fluidly. The AGA version is even sharper and more colourful. 

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Sounds - 90%

In game sounds do their job perfectly well with a nice use of voice samples. The soundtrack is one of the best in any game for the Amiga. 

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Grab Factor - 92%

Really easy to get along with, no need to be consulting the manual before you dive in. 

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Playability - 88%

Full-on fun, with always something to be collecting or shooting, and offering a really solid and consistent learning curve, only tempered by that fact that it maybe gets a touch hard.  

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Verdict - 91%

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AG 21.05.2021

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