Subject: REVIEW: The Chaos Engine
From: [email-masked] (Chris Burns)
Date: 26 Mar 1993 18:11:58 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews

PRODUCT NAME

	The Chaos Engine ("TCE")

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

	Multi directional scrolling shoot-em-up with 1 or 2 players.  Viewed
from a 45-degree angle above and behind the players.  In the style of the
Gauntlet, Alien Breed and Ikari Warriors games if you know them.

AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION

	Authors   :	The Bitmap Brothers 

	Publisher :	Renegade Software Ltd,
		   	Unit C1, 
		   	Metropolitan Wharf,
		   	Wapping Wall,
		   	London,
		   	England.

CONFIGURATION		

	All Amigas with 1 MB RAM.  Makes use of 2 floppy drives if you have
	them. Not HD installable.  No special hardware or software required.
	Also available for Atari ST and STE (but who cares, eh?)

	Contents: 2 disks, manual, set of postcards depicting the
		  characters and their attributes. 

	Copy Protection: Disk based, completely invisible.

	Price: #25.99 (UK pounds)

	Review machine: Standard A500, two floppy drives, 1 MB RAM,
			Kickstart 1.3
		
REVIEW

                                THE PLOT

	Way back in an alternative Victorian Britain after a nuclear
holocaust (!), a mad genius, Baron Fortescue, who's a Professor in early
computers, time and space, invents a huge mechanical machine (The Chaos
Engine of the title).  Predictably enough, the machine runs out of control
and starts ripping apart the very fabric of time and space.  In addition,
the Engine turns the innocent inhabitants of a nearby village into guardian
monsters in order to protect itself.

	Enter the heroes of the game.  You and a friend (or the Amiga if
you're in 1 player mode - more on this later) must take the guise of any two
of the following mercenaries - The Thug, The Gentleman, The Preacher, The
Brigand, The Navvie (don't know if the word Navvie is peculiar to Britain -
it means a workman) or The Mercenary.  You must then battle your way across
four levels of four worlds each, taking in The Forest, The Swamp, The
Industrial Workshops and finally, Baron Fortescue's Mansion.

                                THE GAME

	The big thing that's been made about The Chaos Engine is the
Artificial Intelligence of the monsters and the second player.  If a
one-player game is chosen, then the Amiga takes control of the second player
which follows Player One around.  This is executed very well.  The second
player tries to go for power-ups and other goodies and shoots at monsters
but it's never PERFECT at it, thus striking a balance between a second player
that does everything and one that is as thick as two short planks.  The
monsters' AI ensures that they're a bit wily.  They never just walk into your
line of fire: they hide behind bushes and rocks and are generally a bit
smarter than your average computer game monster.  This, obviously, makes the
game fairly hard, but of course you've always got another player to use as
monster bait!!!

	TCE is slightly more than just a mindless "kill everything" game,
however:  there are some tricky puzzles to solve in parts (and no, I'm not
going to say what they are) and the chance to build up both players from the
(now compulsory) end of world shop.  All mercenaries have different
attributes and weapons; so by mixing and matching them, you get a bit of a
strategic element in the game.

	Some of the worlds are pretty big, and some have more than one exit,
so there's plenty to explore.  Also, the statistics screens which are shown
at the end of each world show what percentage of that world you have
completed; often, it's less than you think, so there's that urge to complete
just a little bit more of it - very addictive.

	All the levels are different, with different monsters and challenges,
so the game doesn't really get repetitive.

	The only criticisms I've really got are when a player fires a gun,
he stops in his tracks momentarily.  OK, that's realistic:  you fire a gun,
the recoil hits you.  But for me, weaned on a diet of games where the central
character can throw knives/axes and shoot guns without faltering, it came as
a bit of a jar!  Also, the frame update slows noticeably when there's a lot
happening on the screen.  However, this slowdown doesn't occur often -
usually there are just enough sprites on screen to keep you occupied and no
more!

                                GRAPHICS

	The usual superb Bitmap graphics.  They're done by artist Dan Malone
who was responsible for the Speedball 2 graphics, for those who remember.
The animation is excellent for both the main characters and the monsters.
Dan has worked really hard to create the feel of an apocalyptic post-nuclear
world complete with authentic Victorian brassy looking graphics.

	The only real criticism I've got here is that, as with nearly all
Bitmap games, the graphics are really metallic looking and, well, a bit drab.

                                SOUND

	Well, again, the Bitmaps don't usually fall down on things like
sound, and this time is no different.  The Bitmaps sound and FX man, Richard
Joseph, handles it perfectly.  In the forest, birds sing, frogs croak and
each level has a different House-like track by Indian DJs 'Joi'.  Never
heard of them but they do a good tune right enough!!!  There's also an
authoritative sampled voice that informs you when the exit from a world is
open, when you've picked up a special bonus and the like.

SO, DO I BUY IT OR WHAT?

	Brilliant graphics, sound and gameplay.  Very addictive.  However,
despite being brilliant, it IS just an arcade blast.  Fans of Gauntlet and
the Alien Breed games and also platform/shoot-em-up fans will love this
Some others will be converted, but if your style is more RPG, forget it!!!
This is an old style of game updated dramatically for the 90's, and I think
it is the best of the genre.  This is the one that will put the Bitmaps back
on top - I really think you should buy it!!!

	GRAPHICS      : 9/10  (loses a point for drabness. Picky? Maybe!)
	GAMEPLAY      : 10/10
	EASE OF USE   : 10/10
	ADDICTIVENESS : 10/10
	SOUND         : 10/10 

____________________________________________________________________________
  SNAIL MAIL:                    Chris Burns, Biomedical Informatics Unit,
                                            Imperial Cancer Research Fund,  
			                P.O. Box 123, Lincolns Inn Fields,
                                                     London WC2A 3PX, U.K.  
  Tel:                                                  (+44) 071-269 3932  
  INTERNET/JANET:                                    [email-masked]
____________________________________________________________________________

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