Remakes of classic games are a dime a dozen these days, but it's hard to complain when modern developers are putting in the time to recreate games that, otherwise, would be dang-near impossible to get your hands on. Such is the case with Chaos Engine, Abstraction Games' throw-up to the 1993 Amiga shooter that helped pave the way for the entire genre. It's headed to PC, Mac and Linux on August 29th.
In a steampunk future, a computer gone mad, the Chaos Engine, has started churning out diabolical baddies that you, the player, must stop at nothing to destroy. A sort of twin-stick shooter before the genre really existed, The Chaos Engine is a top-down shooter featuring a skill system, multiple playable characters, abilities, weapons and the like.
Originally created by The Bitmap Brothers, The Chaos Engine is getting the remake treatment by Abstratction games, the same team that made the excellent PS3/Vita port of Hotline Miami.
“We grew up with the Amiga and those classic Bitmap game were the inspiration for a lot of us who went on to work in games and development,” said Abstraction CEO Ralph Egas. “For many of us, The Chaos Engine was our first taste of co-op and was a platform that incited our love of top-down shooters. The Chaos Engine holds such fond memories for so many people and it stands the test of time and we were determined to restore the game to its full and amazing pixel-perfect glory, with a couple of cool enhancements.”
But purists need not be worried, as the upcoming PC, Mac and Linux will feature two play modes, including a “Classic” option that remains unchanged and an “Enhanced” mode that throws in those extra tweaks Egas was talking about.
Whichever mode you play, single mercenaries or co-op partners will have six characters to choose from and four worlds to explore. Steam Achievements have also been thrown in, as well as additional Steam features, enhanced graphics, controls and more.
“This really feels like the right time to bring back The Chaos Engine,” said Mike Montgomery, one of the founding members of The Bitmap Brothers. “...I wanted to make sure that the game was true to the original without losing its charm during the restoration process. The option to play in the original Classic mode with the added option to play in Enhanced mode with its refined pixel-perfect finish is a clever way to satisfy all enthusiasts. It feels like a completely natural transition to the PC.”
To give a piece of gaming history a try for yourself, it'll be available on Steam, Get Games and GOG on Aug. 29 for PC, Mac and Linux. If you've got some extra time to spare, you can also check out this recent interview with the developers from Eurogamer. It features a lot of in-game footage, so you'll know exactly what The Chaos Engine has to offer when it's made available in a couple of weeks.
